Explosions

The Watt family joined Charlie and J.J. for Thanksgiving that Thursday. Connie and Charlie put together a huge meal – one fit for three young athletes and three regular people. They were going to be staying with Charlie and J.J. through the weekend, and J.J.’s spirits were as high as the sky.

Charlie thought about asking Ryan to come to their Thanksgiving, but he had already decided to go with some of the guys on the team to “Bachelor Thanksgiving” at Randy’s house this year. Ryan thought it might be better that way anyway.

Everyone else had gone to bed already that night, but Connie and J.J. stayed up in the living room. The Seahawks and 49ers game was in its fourth quarter. He looked over at his mom. She smiled at him, and he smiled back.

“I heard about your little drama,” she said.

“What drama?” asked J.J.

“About Charlie and your new quarterback,” said Connie.

J.J. rolled his eyes and sank into the couch a little bit.

“Mom, I’m so tired of hearing about that,” he said. “Like I told the reporters, and like I’ve told everyone else who asks, Charlie and Ryan stopped dating like six years ago. It has no relevance anymore.”

“Are you sure?” Connie inquired.

“Yes,” said J.J. “They’re trying to get under my skin and get me focused away from football. It’s not going to work.”

Connie stared at her son. She folded her hands in her lap and crossed her ankles. He looked away from her, but he could feel her gaze burning a hole in the side of his head. He sighed and turned back to her.

“I’m just concerned about this,” she said. “I’m your mother. I’m allowed to be concerned about my son’s well-being.”

“I get that, but Charlie and I are great,” replied J.J.

“And she’s just okay with him being here?” she asked.

“Even if she wasn’t, it’s not her decision. The team traded for him. He’s a part of this team. That’s literally what he’s here to do. He doesn’t even talk about her, Mom. He’s just a guy who happened to date the same girl that I’m currently dating.”

“And that’s it?”

“Yes. Look, Ryan’s like a brother to me now. He’s got all this life advice, and he’s smart. He comes over and plays video games, and we bullshit together. It’s like having an actual older brother.”

Connie nodded and said, “Okay. I believe you. But Justin, you do me a favor.”

“What is it?” asked J.J.

“Keep your heart guarded,” she said. “You put yourself first.”

“Where is this coming from, Mom? I thought you loved Charlie.”

“I do.”

“Then what? You don’t trust her?”

“I don’t know what to believe anymore, Justin. She’s a sweet girl, but I don’t know this Ryan. I don’t know what their history is. Do you?”

“I trust Charlie. I trust Ryan. I trust them, even if they’re alone together. Charlie has never given me a reason not to trust her, and neither has Ryan. I know enough. I don’t need a novel about their time together.”

“Do you know her like you think you know her?”

J.J. had never been so mad at his own mother before. He shook his head.

“This is my home,” he said. “This is Charlie’s life with me, here in this house. You are not going to come in here and try to twist my head around to see something that’s not there. If this is how you’re going to act this weekend, I think you’d be better off staying in a hotel.”

He stood up and left Connie sitting there with the television on. He joined Charlie upstairs in their bed. She was already sleeping peacefully, and the sight of her calmed him. He smiled and shut the door as gently as possible. She stirred but did not wake.

J.J. climbed into bed next to her and kissed her cheek. He watched her dreaming for a long time; his own mind would not let him rest.

---

Charlie was engulfed in her phone. Her face was creased with a smile, and her eyes never left the small screen in front of her. People bustled around her, and she just sat there.

A pair of fingers snapped in front of her, breaking her trance.

“Hello? Earth to Charlotte?” said June.

“I’m sorry,” said Charlie, setting her phone down.

“You did not come all the way to Seattle just to stare at your phone,” said June.

“I know,” said Charlie. She looked at her friend and said, “What were you saying?”

“I was saying that Ben and I are moving in together,” June replied. “Next month.”

“What?! June, that’s incredible!” exclaimed Charlie. “Do you need help moving?”

“I think we’ve got it handled,” said June. “I don’t want you to fly all the way out here just to help me move.”

“June, I’m so happy for you,” said Charlie. She took her friend’s hand and grinned.

Her phone went off again, and her hand involuntarily twitched. June snatched the phone off the table before Charlie could get to it, and she shook her head.

“What’s so important, Char?” she asked. “I’m not going to look, but you’re going to tell me.”

Charlie sighed and put her hands on the table in front of her.

“There’s this guy,” she said. “We’ve been dating for a month now.”

“Oooh, I see,” June replied.

“We’re talking about you, June”-

“Oh, no. Don’t try to put this off, Charlie. Who is it?”

Charlie was silent. She didn’t want to ruin things, but she knew June would not let her be silent. June crossed her arms and waited.

“He plays football,” she said. “He’s a couple years younger than me, but he’s the sweetest guy I’ve ever met. I know you’d like him.”

“Plays football in Houston,” chuckled June. “What, is he, like, J.J. Watt or something?”

Charlie stared silently at her friend.

“Oh my god, you’re dating J.J. Watt,” June said, her voice getting a little louder.

Charlie shushed her and said, “It’s not official, really.”

“Charlotte Elliott,” June hissed. “You’re dating the golden child of the Houston Texans, and you didn’t tell me?”

“I’m telling you now,” said Charlie.

“What’s he like?” asked June. She put her fist under her chin, staring intently at Charlie.

“He’s an absolute gentleman,” said Charlie. “He’s everything you can imagine and more. He is the guy that mothers tell their daughters about when they’re little. He holds doors and stops for everyone, and he literally just does everything with the kindness of a fucking saint. And June? The sex? Oh my god.”

“That good, huh?” laughed June.

“I can’t keep my hands off him. He looks like a Greek god.”

“He’s an athlete, Char. Of course he looks like that.”

Charlie closed her eyes and smiled. June laughed at her.

“I haven’t seen you this smitten in a long time,” she said. “Is he better than Ryan?”

Charlie’s eyes snapped open, and her smile disappeared. She tapped her fingers on the table nervously, and June’s smile went away as well.

“June, why did you…” Charlie shook her head.

“I’m sorry,” said June. “It was just a question. I remembered how you were with him. I heard it several times.”

“I’m not going to answer that,” said Charlie. “I don’t know why you’d bring it up.”

Charlie continued to tap her fingers against the tabletop. June looked down at her hands then back up at her. She put her hands on Charlie’s.

“Charlie, I’m sorry,” she said. “I was out of line. I should have thought about it first.”

“Thanks,” said Charlie. She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest.

June grimaced and said, “Charlie, I can’t believe you’re dating J.J. Watt. Have you told your parents yet?”

“No,” said Charlie. She could tell June was trying to change the subject back, but she still couldn’t help the sinking feeling in her stomach. “I’ll tell them when it’s right.”

The rest of their coffee date was spent in silence.

---

Ryan had asked Charlie to trust him when it came to the mojo of his beard. He had shaved it immediately when he got home on Sunday night. He had asked everyone to trust him on this, and Coach O’Brien had given him the starting position back. He came to the game with only a thin layer of fuzz across his chin, and they trusted him.

Touchdown after touchdown after touchdown. Charlie was grinning wildly from the suite. Three touchdowns, then four. Ryan was on fire, and she was screaming louder than she ever had at a game.

They were back on offense again. DeAndre had gotten them down to the one-yard line. They huddled up behind the line of scrimmage, and Ryan waved over to the sideline. Charlie cocked her head as C.J. Fiedorowicz, their tight end, ran off the field. Coach O’Brien gave Ryan a nod as J.J. ran out onto the field.

Charlie stood up and moved to the window. Ryan patted J.J. on the helmet, and J.J. returned the gesture. They moved from the huddle and poised themselves for the next play. The ball was snapped, and Ryan looked to J.J., wide open in the end zone. He tossed the ball, and without fail, J.J. caught it.

“Oh my god,” laughed Charlie.

The refs threw their hands up. It was another touchdown. Ryan ran to J.J. He put his hands on J.J.’s helmet, and J.J. wrapped his arms around Ryan. Charlie shook her head and continued laughing.

When J.J. moved off the field, he angled himself toward the suite and blew a kiss. He turned back, and Ryan excitedly jumped on his back.

A sixth touchdown a few drives later sealed the game. Ryan had asked them to trust him, and once the beard had disappeared, he had turned the morale of the team around in just sixty minutes of play time.