Under the Owl Tree

by Sara Daniell

  “It’s fine, Sadie. Really. No hard feelings. So I’m assuming you got my text about Coach?”

  “Yeah, I just talked to my mom, and she said she’d fly me down there. I really need to be there for Trevor and Dane.”

  I smiled a little. “That’d be awesome.”

  “So I’m guessing the surprise trip to Orlando is off now?”

  “Yeah, probably so. This sucks.”

  She sniffed a little. “I know. Can I stay with you when I come down? I feel so bad for not keeping in touch, and it’d be nice to hang out.”

  “Of course. And I have some news for you.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  I laughed a little. “Zach and I are a thing.”

  “Dane told me.”

  “Are you serious! What a blabber mouth!”

  She chuckled. “Well when he told me you two broke up, I was confused. You two were always so good together even when you weren’t dating. He accidentally let it slip.”

  I laughed. “It’s okay. He wouldn’t have let it slip if he didn’t trust you. I’m sure we will all be staying at Coach’s house, but I know you’ll be welcome there. It’s going to be emotional so just prepare yourself.”

  “I will. I will text you, Trev, and Dane when I know exactly when I’ll be flying in.”

  “Okay.” We hung up, and I quickly used the restroom then went to the gift shop. I bought some snacks, drinks, and Advil.

  I made it back to the waiting room; it had started to fill up with the team.

  Zach wasn’t talking to anyone. He just sat there with his head back against the wall holding Millie. Trevor sat next to him asking questions, but Zach didn’t answer any of them. I got Millie from Zach after setting everything down in an empty chair. She was sound asleep.

  “Zachary?” I turned toward the woman’s voice. She rushed over to him and wrapped him in a hug before I could stop her; he was still in so much pain. Zach hugged her back.

  Millie woke up and looked at her. “Aunt Millie?”

  She came over and took Millie from me and sat down with her in an empty chair. Dane came in through the doors and walked over to me.

  “Is one of those for me?” he asked quietly, looking at the bag of snacks and drinks. He smiled a little when he saw Aunt Millie. “Hey, Aunt Millie.”

  He sat down in the chair across from me. Aunt Millie stood with Millie tight in her arms and walked over to Dane. Dane stood up and hugged her.

  “I was already on my way here.” she kissed his cheek. “I have gifts in the car for everyone. Do you think you can go get Millie’s?”

  Trevor stood up. “I’ll go get them.”

  She smiled at Trevor. “Thanks, sweetie.” He took her keys and left the room. Aunt Millie sat next to Dane.

  “Are you Hailey?”

  I sat down on a chair across from her. “I am.”

  “Aunt Millie. The whole team seems to call me that.” She gave me a small smile. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” Millie had her head on Aunt Millie’s shoulder, playing with Aunt Millie’s hair.

  Dane smiled a little after taking a drink. “Who did you hear about Hales from? I haven’t told you anything about her yet.”

  Aunt Millie gave him a look. “No, you haven’t. And why have you not been calling me lately?”

  Dane looked sheepish. “Sorry, Aunt Millie.”

  Aunt Millie kissed his cheek. “I’ll forgive you this time, but you better start calling or texting me more.” She looked back at me. “I hear you’re going to Tulane and wanting to be a pro-baseball player.”

  I nodded. “I am. Who did you hear about me from?” I watched as Zach took some Advil.

  “Zach.” She smiled. “You’re the first girl he’s ever told me about.”

  Trevor came in with two bags and set them down. He walked over to the guys on the team and started talking to them. Aunt Millie pulled out a beautiful doll for Millie. She handed it to Millie, making her smile slightly.

  She handed Dane a ball in a case.

  “No, way!” he exclaimed. He looked up at me. “Hales, it’s signed by Andrew Jones!”

  Aunt Millie smiled at his reaction. She looked over at the team. “Trevor.”

  Trevor looked toward Aunt Millie and came over. She handed him the bag she hadn’t been pulling out of. “The top jersey and ball is yours. Everyone else gets a jersey. I heard about Sadie. I’m sorry she moved.”

  He kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Aunt Millie. How long will you be here?”

  “For a while.”

  He nodded. “I’ll be hanging out at the house so I will catch up with you then.” He squeezed Dane’s shoulder a bit and kissed my cheek before going back over to the team.

  Aunt Millie looked back in the bag. She pulled out two more cased baseballs. “Zach said you’re a pitcher.” She handed me the two cases. I looked down at the first one. It was signed by Braves pitcher legend, Warren Spahn. How in the hell did she get a hold of a ball signed by him?

  I looked at her in shock. “How did you get this?”

  “I knew him. He signed a few for me to give to people when I wanted too.”

  She smiled softly. “Look at the other one.”

  I looked down at the other ball and saw Zachary Shaw written across it.

  Zach looked over my shoulder and frowned. “That’s worthless. Why did you give her that?”

  Aunt Millie didn’t respond. She kept her eyes on me instead.

  I smiled and cut my eyes at Zach. “Not worthless, and neither is the man who signed it.”

  I looked at Aunt Millie. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, dear.” She looked at Zach, her smile warming even more. I looked at Zach and saw he was staring down at me with his crooked smile. He kissed my cheek then put his arm around my waist and leaned his head back.

  “So I couldn’t help but notice you have the same name as Millie. I’m assuming she’s named after you?”

  “Yes, Sam named her after me.” She played with Millie’s curls, making her giggle a little. “I met Sam and fell in love with that child immediately. I’m a good judge of character.” She looked at me. “Sam was the opposite of me. She was a girlie girl.” She looked down at Millie. “Like our little Millie here, but she became my sweetie in an instant.” Her eyes met mine. “Just like you. I’m glad we finally met. I just wish it was under better circumstances.” Her smile faded a little. She looked at Zach.

  “Zachary, do you want your gift?”

  “That’s up to you, Aunt Millie. You know how I am about gifts.”

  “I know, I know. You’d rather I spend my money on Millie and not you. Well, I can do both.”

  She started looking through the bag. “A couple are in the trunk. They’re too big to bring in.”

  Zach chuckled softly and shook his head.

  Aunt Millie finally pulled something out of the bag. It was two things. One was a frame, and the other was a card.

  “I know you’re redoing the cabin. I put some money on this for Bed, Bath, and Beyond; you can pick out a few things.” She handed it to him.

  “Thanks, Aunt Millie.”

  Aunt Millie looked down at the frame and then at Zach. She handed him the frame. Inside was a picture of Elliot and Zach. Zach was in a Braves uniform, and Elliot was standing next to him smiling. A tear slipped down Zach’s cheek.

  “The stuff in the car is really large frames with pictures of you guys together.”

  He nodded and swallowed hard. The arm around my waist tightened a bit, pulling me closer. I could feel his hand shaking. I looked down at the picture and smiled.

  “You sure look sexy in that uniform.” I winked at him, trying to make him smile.

  He smiled a little. “Thanks. I’ll have to put it on for you sometime. If I can remember where I put it.”

  I laughed. “For sure.”

  I looked at Aunt Millie. “I think you saved the day today. Thanks for making everyone smile.”

  “You’re welcome, dear.” She loo
ked down at Millie and started talking to her about her doll.

  “I should head back there again. I don’t want to leave Elliot alone for long.” He kissed the side of my head. “You should call your parents.”

  I nodded and watched him walk off.

  I called Mom to explain what was going on. It was hard to comprehend the reality of what was happening. We were losing Coach quicker than we had thought we would, and it hurt so much.

  Coach went home four weeks ago, on hospice. There was nothing more they could do at the hospital, and he wanted to go home. Zach’s manager, Jenny, had completely taken over for him at Quinn’s so Zach could be with Elliot, but I’d go and help sometimes if workers called in.

  We were winning games like crazy and had an almost perfect season apart from our one loss at the beginning. We were on fire for Coach. We promised we’d go to state for him, and we were going to be sure we did. I looked at Dane and Trevor who were practically bouncing in excitement. We were at the airport, waiting for Sadie’s plane to get there. When Trevor saw her, he took off running. She launched herself into his arms, and he hugged her tightly, picking her up off the ground. Dane stayed next to me, waiting.

  I smiled at him. “She dyed her hair purple? I think I like her even more.”

  That’s something I loved about Sadie. She was her own person, unphased by others’ opinions.

  He smiled. “I like it.” He looked at me. “You should dye your hair. It’d freak Zach out.”

  I laughed. “Maybe I will. Black?” I wiggled my eyebrows.

  I smiled when Sadie came over and hugged me.

  “Can I apologize a million more times for being a shitty friend?” she asked as she squeezed me tighter.

  “You were not a shitty friend. It’s called going through shit. We all do it, and we deal in weird ways.” I put my mouth close to her ear. “Dane likes your hair.”

  She pulled back and smiled, blushing a little.

  Dane smiled at her, but he didn’t make a move to hug her. “Hey, Sadie.”

  She didn’t say anything, she just hugged him tightly.

  I didn’t think she was ever going to let go.

  Dane held her tightly against him and kissed the side of her head. “I missed you so much.”

  She pulled back and smiled at him. “Not as much as I missed you. New York sucks.”

  “I bet it does. No southern girl should be forced to move to the North.”

  She laughed. “No, they shouldn’t.” They still hadn’t let go of each other.

  “We should go get my bags. I packed like a girl.” She laughed and let go of him.

  Dane and Trevor chuckled. We all headed toward the baggage claim. When we got there, I heard my phone ding. I pulled it out and saw Zach’s name.

  Zach: Can you guys pick up dinner? Elliot is in the mood for Chinese.

  Me: Of course! We just got Sadie and are getting her bags.

  Zach: Thanks, baby. He’s hungry. Love you!

  After Dane and Trevor got her bags, we headed to Dane’s truck.

  I LAID ON my stomach on Dane’s bed while I watched Trevor, Sadie, and Dane play an intense game of Monopoly.

  I was busy working on some math homework so I didn’t join in.

  I shut my book. “So, I was thinking, maybe we could have some big event at the field for Coach. Like a final goodbye type thing?”

  Dane looked up from the board and nodded. “That sounds like a great idea.”

  Trevor moved his piece on the board and looked at me. “What if we do it after a game? He keeps saying he wants to watch us play one last time. We can surprise him after with something huge.”

  Sadie’s eyes lit up. “I think I have an idea!”

  We all looked at her.

  “Remember I was a part of the Glee Club?”

  “And we all made fun of you because of it,” Trevor teased.

  She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Well what if I get everyone together, and we learn to sing that song that Coach is always listening to? The superman one?”

  “One Call Away,” Trevor said with a smirk.

  She nodded. “Yeah! And we can do like a surprise flash mob or whatever. Look them up on YouTube. They are amazing.”

  I sat up. “Does that include dancing? Because I cannot dance.” I laughed and threw a pillow at Dane when he nodded in agreement.

  Sadie giggled and nodded. “It does for some but not everyone has to. We can do it in the middle of the game. We could even try to get the other team on board.”

  I smiled at the guys. “That sounds pretty awesome. Coach would be shocked. But—” I looked at Sadie. “How long will you be here for? Won’t that take some time to practice?”

  She smiled big. “I talked to my mom this morning: she’s letting me stay to finish out the school year. I’m gonna stay with my grandparents.”

  My mouth fell open, and I looked at the guys.

  “Really?” Trevor and Dane asked at the same time.

  When she nodded, Trevor hugged her tightly. “I’m so glad! You can help me help Hales decorate. She sucks at it, and Zach doesn’t have the time.”

  I laughed. “It’s true. I do suck.”

  Sadie smiled. “I’d love to.”

  Sadie stood. “Okay, so we will finish the game later. I have some phone calls to make and some planning to do!”

  She grabbed her purse and hurried out of the room.

  I looked at Dane. “You hear that? She’s staying to finish out the school year.”

  Dane nodded. “I heard.”

  “Dude, make a move already,” Trevor said as he looked at Dane.

  “But won’t she pretend to be your girlfriend now that she’s home?”

  Trevor shook his head. “No. Go talk to her.”

  Dane sat there for a second then got up and left the room.

  “Does that mean you’re going to tell people?” I asked Trevor.

  He nodded. “I’m going to start with my parents and team.” He shrugged. “We don’t have much time at school left. I don’t care what people say. I know you guys will have my back.” He stood up and held his hand out for me. “We need to go work on the cabin. The couch is supposed to be there today. I know Coach wants to see it finished.” His smile grew. “And the construction workers finished yesterday. Zach was there all last night, cleaning everything. Now it’s time for you to see the finished product. It will help you decide what to decorate.”

  “Zach didn’t tell me it was finished!” I quickly got my shoes on.

  Trevor laughed. “That’s because when he got home you were asleep, and he went straight to Coach’s room and fell asleep. I think he’s still there.”

  “I’m gonna go see him and meet you at my car.”

  “Sounds good.” He left the room and then down the stairs.

  I went down the hall to Coach’s room.

  I opened the door a little. “Can I come in?” I whispered from outside the door.

  “Come on in,” Coach said from inside.

  I walked in and smiled. “Hey.”

  I saw Zach lying next to him who opened his eyes when he heard me.

  “Hey, Hales.”

  Zach sat up. “What time is it?”

  “A little after 3:00. I’m heading to the cabin with Trevor. The couch is being delivered in a little while.”

  I walked over to him and smoothed out his hair. “I heard it’s done.”

  Zach ran a hand down his face. “Yeah. They finished yesterday, and I cleaned it up last night. Now it just needs furniture. I didn’t mean to stay asleep for this long. I have an assignment to send in.” He yawned.

  “You need to be sleeping more,” Coach said from beside him.

  Zach shrugged. “I’m fine.”

  “Your brother is right,” I said with a raised brow. I leaned down and kissed him. “Love you. I’ll see you in a little while.”

  I walked over and hugged Coach. “I love you too.”

  He looked at me. “Can you take Mil
lie with you? She needs to get out of this house for a bit. Quinn and Brink are working on a case.”

  I nodded. “Of course.”

  “Thank you.” He smiled at me.

  Zach stood up and stretched. “I’m going to go send my assignment then start on dinner. I’ll send Brink and Quinn up. They can work in here while keeping out company.”

  Coach nodded then went back to drawing. His hands shook as he struggled to draw.

  I followed Zach out.

  Once we were out of the room, he pulled me close and kissed me. “What are you in the mood for, for dinner?”

  He kissed my nose, cheek, and my neck.

  “Anything.”

  I grabbed his face to make him look at me instead of kissing me.

  “Are you okay?”

  His eyebrows furrowed. “No.” He sighed sadly. “I’m trying to stay busy.”

  “I know. Please take care of yourself though. Okay?”

  “I’ll try. For you.”

  He kissed me one more time. “Go check out our home.” He looked into my eyes. “Have you talked to your dad?”

  “Yes, a little. Why?”

  “I was just wondering. I want things to be okay for you and your parents.”

  He kissed my head again then slapped my ass. He grinned at me. “You better get that sexy ass going.” He chuckled as he headed to the bathroom.

  I was in shock for a second before I laughed. I was about to go down the stairs when I saw Trevor coming up.

  “Should we invite Dane and Sadie? She might have some good advice about the house.” He smiled. “I can’t wait until you see the master bath. Zach went all out.”

  He raised an eyebrow at me. “Is your favorite color really black?”

  I laughed. “Yeah, it really is.”

  “Good. Now, do you want to invite Sadie and Dane?”

  I nodded. “Sure!”

  We headed to Dane’s room. Trevor opened the door and froze with his mouth open in shock. I looked in and saw Dane and Sadie totally having sex. I reached past Trevor, grabbed the doorknob, and shut the door quickly. I burst out laughing and grabbed Trevor’s hand, pulling him down the hall.