“It’s pretty basic. Once we arrive, we go to the hotel and get settled. Later this afternoon, we’ll go to the stadium, walk the field, and maybe run a few drills. Tonight is an in-house strategy meeting. Tomorrow’s more of the same, except late tomorrow afternoon when the team rep has set up a meet and greet with a local fan group. Then Sunday, we get to the stadium early for pre-game prep. The game is at four, then afterwards, hopefully there’ll be a celebration before heading home early Monday.”
“Are any of your family coming?”
“Yes, Shaw and Bizzy will be there.”
“That’s nice.”
There’s a small pause before she speaks again. “Nick, I’m so sorry about last night,” Grace apologizes for the second time since I called.
“Stop worrying about it. I understand.”
“The street fair slipped my mind. By the time I remembered, it was too late to cancel.”
Knowing that she even considered canceling for a phone call from me gives me encouragement. Her words are full of sincerity, which is something else that triggers memories of her.
“How did it go?”
“Okay, I guess. It’s crazy to know my decision is what gets people recognition.”
“You have an eye for art. If I remember correctly, it’s always been your forte.” I think back to how passionate she became two years ago when she described her love of art.
“You remember that? It was so long ago.”
I want to tell her I remember everything about the time we spent together, that I’ve relived our conversations in my head more times than I should admit, but it seems like too much. “It was hard to forget.”
“Well, thank you for understanding. I felt terrible.”
My teammates swarm the area as boarding is announced, and I spot two planes ready for us.
“Hate to do this, but I have to go.”
“Good luck with the game. Logan’s having a game party on Sunday, so I’ll be watching.”
“Pressure’s on then. I need to make sure and perform for the pretty lady watching in Miami.”
Her breath hitches, and I grin as someone yells my name to get going.
“I’ll call you later, Grace. Have a good day.”
“Okay, Nick, have a safe flight.” She hangs up, and I pocket my phone with a smile on my face.
A few guys give me a sideways glance as I get on the plane and take my seat, not talking to anyone. Eddie Jarvis, our number one wide receiver, sits next to me and gives me a quick shoulder bump before putting on his headphones and settling back in his seat. The flight attendant comes through to make sure everyone is buckled in and all overhead bins are secure. She stops at our aisle and asks if there’s anything we need. Both of us shake our head, and she eyes me with disappointment before going to her own seat for take-off.
Once we’re in the air, I grab my iPad and log into the in-flight internet. Usually, I take this time to lock out of general everyday life and mentally prepare for football—getting my head in the game for the upcoming weekend. However, today, I have a mission.
When Mathis left last night, I fought with the decision to try to find out more about Grace and her life. Shaw would be the obvious choice to do some digging, but it feels like a betrayal to ask him to do it.
So I’m going to go the amateur route and see what I come up with.
I start with basic searches in Google by using her name only.
Articles pop up with recent stories highlighting the gallery and events around town. A lot of them refer back to the gallery web page for more information.
I do another search for Grace Monroe + Thomasville Georgia.
The screen loads with tons of articles on the Monroe family in Thomasville with highlights to the name Grace. I start with the most recent.
Holy shit! The Monroes are royalty in the small town of Thomasville. I click on story after story and learn several men in Grace’s family have served as elected officials, most recently her Father, Carl Monroe, who was elected Mayor.