End of an Era (Book 7)

Affair

|Zach's POV|

Logan has a surprise birthday party coming up in a couple of weeks so we'd be hitting the road, once again. Then after that it was WrestleMania early April and my baby sister was having her last match. The twins were graduating in June.

One thing about this family, we travel quite a bit throughout the year. The kids love it though. Yeah, sometimes there's trouble, but nothing that can't be fixed. These core memories will last a lifetime as will the relationships they're building with not only their cousins, but with each other.

Since January, I've been a little down in the dumps. I was a finalist for the third year in a row for the NFL Hall of Fame, but nothing. You qualify for the Hall of Fame, five years after you retire. I've been retired for a decade now. I know my time will come, but the hype and then the deflation, it's a lot.

Thankfully I have my wife, kids, and the rest of our family to take my mind off things. I've been working on my non profits, spending more time with the kids. This is what I've wanted retirement to be. I will say that I've picked up a passion for training. Fitness has always been a focal point of my life. I help Rob a lot at his gym. Logan and Teo are always calling with questions on what they can do better on the field. This is my purpose now. To give back.

"Dad!"

That would be Bailey telling my name. My younger daughter was now 12 and her latest thing was always asking for something. Noah and Eli were off on the game somewhere. Zoe was with friends. Bailey? I had no idea what she was coming to ask me.

I went in search of her voice and found her in the living room watching TV. Her feet were propped up on the couch and she was under a blanket.

"What's up, Bails?"

"Can you get me a snack and some water?"

I looked at her like she was crazy. I was just all the way upstairs and she called me for that?

"Are you sick?"

She just looked at me.

"No."

"So you can't get up to get your own snack and water because?"

"Daddy..." she whined.

"Bailey..." I mocked.

She huffed, throwing off the blanket off her body and stomping past me. She came back moments later with an armful of snacks. I watched as she climbed back under the blanket.

"Don't leave crumbs on my couch."

She looked up growling at me. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Where's your mother?"

As I said that I heard her voice coming from the kitchen. It kept fading in and out meaning she was going in and out of the garage bringing stuff in.

"Never mind."

Walking into the kitchen, Kylie was slamming stuff down on the kitchen island as she talked on the phone.

I don't care mom. You guys have been together for over 40 years. I want him out of the house. I don't care if he's my father. He crossed a line and he needs to go. I don't ever want to see him again.

Whoa, wait, what?

Don't tell me to calm down! Okay. I'm sorry for taking that tone with you. I'm just... How are you not upset? I don't want to talk about this on the phone anymore. I'll be over as soon as I can. I need to talk to Zach first. Okay. Bye, mom.

She hung up her phone, slamming it on the counter before going back to the garage.

"Babe..."

She turned around looking at me. Her eyes were red and she was wiping away tears that I'm sure were stinging her eyes.