Hayes smiled a little.
“You played football?”
“Before.”
“What position?”
“Linebacker.”
“Good position.”
“The best position.”
Hayes laughed.
Then Caleb’s smile faded.
“I don’t know if I’ll play again.”
Hayes nodded solemnly.
“Maybe you will. Maybe you won’t. You know, football people talk about courage all the time. Usually we’re talking about running into another guy wearing pads.”
He tapped Caleb’s jersey lightly.
“What you did wasn’t a game.”
Caleb looked up.
Hayes continued, “My mom told me you like one thing about how I play. She says you told her I’m the guy who always goes back for his guy.”
Caleb nodded.
Hayes smiled. “Sounds like you did the same thing.”
Caleb didn’t speak.
His eyes filled before mine did.
Hayes reached into a bag and pulled out a pair of gloves.
The gloves he’d worn during his final home game.
