Im fine. Aaron kept the intensity in his stare. I have a question.
Bill ran his tongue along his lower lip. Okay. His throat sounded dry. Shoot.
He didnt hesitate. Howd you know Amy Briggs was cheating on me?
Bill blinked and went stone still. His look said he was maybe worried about Aarons sanity. Amy Briggs?
Yeah, remember her? Girl I was dating back when I was a sophomore in college?
Amyhmmm. Another laugh. Youve dated a lot of girls, Hill. You gotta give me more than that.
Think hard, Bill. Aaron could see in his agents eyes the guy was lying. I knew her from high school. She lived in the Valley. He pictured her, the gentle way she had about herself. Her kind eyes and loyalty. She was my girl when you and I met. She and I talked on the phone a lot. Sarcasm crept into his tone. You told me it wasnt good for my image to be so serious about a girl, remember? You wanted me to think about football and my classes. Period. Because image was everything.
It worked, didnt it? Bill rarely took a tone with Aaron, but now his voice mixed defensive frustration and arrogance. He straightened and leaned a little closer. You checked your bank account lately?
Aaron felt like hed been punched. Had he really traded whatever he mightve had with Amy for a bigger bank account? The comment cut Aaron to the depths of his soul. Thats all you ever cared about, isnt it? The bottom line. His headache pounded, and he willed the pain to ease. Tell me about Amy, Bill. I want an answer. You told me she was seeing other guys behind my back, and I want to know. What was your proof?
After a long beat, Bill huffed his indignation. Come on, Hill. I wasnt exactly a detective. Girls like that, the needy ones. Theyre with a different guy every weekend. You were too young to see it. He stroked his chin, nervous-like. His chuckle said he could hardly believe he was having this conversation. Whats it matter? You got what you wanted.
Aarons head spun, and the edges of the picture Bill made began to blur. He closed his eyes and pressed his free hand to his brow. So youre sayingyou had no proof on Amy?
Okay, so it was a feeling. For the first time since hed entered the hotel room, Bill sounded truly nervous. He tried to lighten his tone. I remember the girl. She was trash next to you, Hill. You couldnt see it, so I had to see it for you.
Aaron wanted to throw up. Hed walked away from Amy because he was young and jealous of other guys. And because Bill knew that, he knew what buttons to push, what to say to make Aaron break up with her. And all of it had been nothing more than a feeling? He wanted to throw the guy out of his room, but he wasnt finished. Amy wrote me a letter.
Bill looked doubtful, and Aaron had to use every ounce of his restraint not to fly across the coffee table separating them and pummel his agent. Aaron opened his mouth to tell Bill that he didnt have to worry about Amy any longer, because Amy was dead. But he caught himself. He didnt want to give his agent even the slightest chance to feign sorrow. He breathed in through gritted teeth. She told me you threatened her. His words were slower now, each one fired at their target. You told her she wasnt to contact me. Sound familiar?
His agents face was paler than before. He squirmed and shifted his position. Of course I told her that. You were about to be famous, Hill. Someone had to protect you.
Aaron had all the information he needed. He stood, his head thudding with every heartbeat, and he stared down at Bill. The man hed relied on and looked to, the one who had controlled the puppet strings of his life for so many years, looked suddenly small and pitiful. You can go now, Bill. Were finished.
Bill didnt make a move to leave. His brief laugh made him sound dazed. Whatre you saying?
Aaron thought about Amy again, and he clenched his fists. Youre fired, Bill. Were through.
Look, we can talk about this. Bill inched to the edge of the sofa. Youre not thinking straight, Hill. Its the concussion.
Youre right. Aaron took a step back and pointed to the door. If I were thinking straight, I wouldve done this months ago.
Bill had no choice but to stand. Hill, look, we can figure all this out when we get home. You and I can sit down and crunch numbers. I can show you the difference Ive made being in charge of your endorsements and your image and the media connections and
Aaron closed the gap between them and grabbed Bill by the arm. Not hard enough to leave a bruise, but hard enough to get the guys attention. Youre fired, Bill. End of discussion. He led Bill to the door. My attorney will have paperwork on your desk tomorrow morning officially severing our ties.
Bill started to speak, as if he might list his accomplishments one more time. But instead he jerked his arm free and moved to the door. Youre sick, Hill. When you come to your senses, call me. He left and slammed the door behind him.
Aaron stared at the door for a few seconds until he was sure Bill was gone. Then slowly he went back to the bed and lay down. After a few minutes, the pain in his head let up. Before he could truly relax, he found Derricks number in his phone and he hit the Send button. Derrick picked up after several rings.
Okay, Hill, Im a busy guy; just give it to me straight. There was a smile in his teammates voice. Press says youre the man. You ready to play?
Sure. Aaron grinned. I was gonna ask you the same thing.
He chuckled. The answers yes. Now if we can just make it past the media circus.
Yeah, well, Im dealing with another kind of circus. Which is why I called. He massaged his eyebrows again. Can you give me the number of your agent?
Derrick paused. Sure. He rattled it off by heart, and the teasing in his tone fell away. Time for a change?
You have no idea. Bill Bonds controlled my life long enough.
Yeah, wellguy is a genius, but he has the worst reputation in the whole league.
He thought about Amy, and his heart hurt. Im always the last to find out. He didnt want to go into details now. He could catch Derrick up later, after the game. They talked about the weeks schedule and about Aarons headaches. After the call, Aaron stared out the window and willed the pain that was returning to his temples to go away. On the list of things he needed to donow that he was a fatherhed taken care of the first one. Next, more than anything, he wanted to see Megan. The last time they were together, his head was fuzzy and he couldnt think straight, but when they wheeled him into that small room in New Orleans and she and Cory were there, he wanted to take her in his arms and ask her to be his. Forever. The feeling had stayed with him ever since.
His past was an issue, certainly. And there was Bills publicity stunt about the nonexistent young actress. He rolled onto his side. He couldnt blame her if she didnt think their worlds would mix, if she didnt want to take a chance on him. But whether she did or not, he wanted to be a father to Cory. The fact that Megan wanted to adopt him complicated things. So lately, Aaron had been asking God for another kind of miracle. That someday there might be room in Megans heart for more than hurting people and foster kids.
But for him too.
TWENTY-NINE
T heir light practice was over and Derrick was getting his things from the locker room when he got the word. Coach Cameron wanted to talk to him. He shoved his bag back into his space and returned to the front of the room, where the offices were. Derricks knee was feeling better, but the official word coming from the 49ers was that Aaron would start on game day. Which was fine with Derrick. Hed done the job when his team needed him, and thats all that mattered.
That and his promise to Lee.
He reached the office door and went inside. Coach?
Coach Cameron looked troubled. One of the doctors treating Hill just gave me his report for tomorrow. He doesnt want him to play.
I thought
We were guessing. He sighed. The reporters were like a pack of wolves this week. And if Aaron wasnt playing, we didnt exactly want San Diego knowin
g. He picked up a report on his desk. Jay Ryders our starting punter at this point. There were bags under his eyes. Bottom line, Anderson, we need you. More than you know.
A surge of adrenaline hit him. Im starting?
Starting and finishing. Coachs smile hid the stress he mustve been feeling. The front office still wanted all or nothing from the coach, according to the press. You can do it, Anderson. You can. Youve done it before. If you want my thoughts, its a coin toss on which of you Id rather have leading the team tomorrow.
Derrick listened, not sure what to say. This was it, his chance to win it all one last time. Not just as a bystander, but as the guy making the plays. Win or lose, the results would rest squarely on his shoulders. He gathered himself and stood a little taller. Im ready, Coach.
The way I figure it, none of us should be here anyway. He stood and slipped his hands into his pockets. As long as Gods smiling down on us, theres no reason for Him to stop tomorrow.
Derrick grinned. Exactly.
The meeting lasted a few more minutes while Coach went over a few slight changes in the game plan. When Derrick shut the office door behind him, he steeled his mind against any of the hype and hoopla of the past few weeks. All that mattered was tomorrow and the job he had to do.
A job he wanted to do just one more time.
When Derrick woke up Sunday morning, he smiled. God was with him, and He would be with the team that day. Not that God cared about winning, so much. But in getting them here, God had opened doors that shouldve been bolted shut. Derrick had the feeling He wasnt finished just yet.
The morning routine was familiar, but that didnt ease the nervous energy coursing through him. As he and Aaron suited up, they were quiet, each lost in their thoughts about the game. Before they circled around Coach Cameron, Aaron faced him.
Waited my whole life to be here, man. His smile didnt hide his disappointment. Dreamed about it since I was a kid. But right nowright now I only want you to go out there and win it for your boy. He smacked Derricks shoulder. I mean it. Do your magic, Anderson. This is your day.
Derrick stared at the concrete floor and rubbed the back of his neck. When he looked up, his eyes found the photo of his family at the back of his locker door. The one that always stayed with him, the last one ever taken of Lee. Derrick felt his chin quiver, but he steadied himself. His emotions were high, filling his senses, driving him to play at a level hed never found before. After seventeen years in the league, this was his last game. The very last. He turned his attention to Aaron. Thanks. Ill remember that.
The pregame talk was what Derrick wouldve expected. Coach Cameron kept his words brief and full of punch. Ive been asked a hundred times this week what this season has taught me, and every time I say the same thing. Its taught me the importance of faith. He locked eyes with Aaron and then one player after another down the line. Faith in a Creator with whom all things are possibleand faith in our ability to come together as a team. Faith that no oneno one can write our story except us.
In the end, his voice rang with passion. Believe, men! Believe you can win this game. He raised his fist in the air, his face etched in determination. Lets go get us a Super Bowl trophy!
Derrick felt better than he had all season as he jogged down the tunnel and took the field. The new stadiums retractable roof was open and the roar of the crowd echoed in the cooling desert air. Derrick tuned out the soundall of it. This was his game. When the 49ers won the toss, he took the field, and on the first drive he threw an eighty-two yard touchdown bomb to give San Francisco a 70 lead.
The game stayed close into the second quarter, and with fifteen seconds to go in the first half, the 49ers were up by three. Derrick was driving the offense, looking for at least a field goal before time ran out. With the team well into Chargers territory, the play was a fake handoff and a down-and-out pattern to the left side of the field. The ball was hiked and Derrick faked left and then planted his right leg for the pass.
As he did, a sickening snap shot through his knee and he crumpled to the field. The pain was immediate and blinding hot, and for the first few seconds all Derrick could do was try to breathe. No, Godnot now! Please He didnt need a doctor to tell him what had just happened. The ligament in his knee, the one that had been strained all season, was shot. Ripped apart. He rocked his head one way and then the other, his face twisted up. A scream built inside of him, but he swallowed it, pursing his lips, and forcing himself to exhale. No! This couldnt be happening.
Coaches were running out to him now and he had the sudden urge to get up. Never mind what hed felt in his knee or the pain burning through him. If he could get up, he could play again. He sat and tried to move his right leg, tried to pull it up beneath him. But even the slightest movement tripled his pain and made spots dance in front of his eyes. He couldnt pass out. He had to stay strong, had to figure out a way.
Anderson, dont move it. The trainer was at his side now, just ahead of the coaches. I saw it happen. Its not good.
Derrick squeezed his eyes shut, because he didnt want to hear it. This couldnt be all there was. When he pictured himself taking his last snap ever, he saw it as a touchdown pass or a beautiful completion. He hadnt played nearly two decades to have it all end like this. But as the trainer carefully positioned his leg, and as he called for help, Derrick shut those thoughts from his mind. Only one thought mattered.
His little boy.
He couldnt give up, not when the game was half over. Maybe they could give him a brace or a shot of cortisone, anything to numb the pain so he could run againjust for thirty minutes more. But it was too late. He couldnt move his leg, and the pain was turning his insides into knots.
A cart was driven up by someone on the training staff, and a couple of them helped him into the back. As they did, every person in University of Phoenix Stadium rose to their feet. Chargers fans and 49ers Faithful alike sent up a round of applause that filled the air and washed over him. The rumors had come out in the weeks before the Super Bowl. After this game, Derrick Anderson was calling it quits. Here, then, the fans understood what they were watching.
This was their last time to show him how they felt about him. Their chance to tell him goodbye.
Derrick blinked back tears, and as the cart drove off for the tunnel, he raised both hands and waved to them. He had loved every minute playing quarterback in the NFL. Hed heard the cheers so many times, the sound of their applause was like meeting up with an old friend. But this was the last time he would hear it. Suddenly, the pain in his leg was dimmed by an even greater pain. The pain of knowing that the final lines in this chapter of his life had been written. Somewhere in the stands, Denae and the kids had to know too.
It was over.
The cart pulled into the area adjacent to the trainers station and Derrick started praying. Not for his knee. That could come later. But for whoever was about to take his place.
Because right now, the entire season rested on the shoulders of that one guy.
Aaron knew the moment Derrick went down. The rest of the game was his. He was standing next to Jay Ryder, the third-string quarterback, and the two exchanged a look. Coach wants me to punt. But I can do both, Hill. I can do it.
No. Aaron clenched his jaw and patted Jay on the shoulder. This ones mine.
Jay was a competitor and he wouldve done his best. But he hadnt taken a snap in a game all year. Besides, they needed him at punter. Jay grabbed him by the shoulders. Okay, then. Win it, man. Finish it up.
Aaron nodded. There was no hurry. When Derrick was taken off the field, the 49ers let the clock run out on the next play. On the way into the locker room, Aaron jogged up alongside Coach Cameron. Im ready. Put me in.
Coach gave him a wary look. The doctor
I know my own body. They reached the tunnel and Aaron stopped and faced his coach. Ill be careful.
He hesitated
. Lets talk about it with the trainers.
In the end, there wasnt much discussion. Aaron was clear thinking and adamant. He could take the field and he could lead the team. When the decision was made, Aaron hurried from the office and into the training room. Derrick was there, laid out on a table, one arm raised over his head and covering his eyes. Aaron went to his side. Anderson.
Derrick lowered his arm and their eyes met. Derricks were red and watery, and his chin quivered. For a few seconds neither of them said anything. Im sorry, man. I wanted to finish it. He dug his elbow into the padded table and held up his hand. Youre in, arent you?
Aaron reached out and clasped Derricks hand around his thumb. Yeah. He swallowed, struggling. Sorry about your knee. He didnt say that he was sorry about his career ending this way. That much was as evident as the tears brimming in both their eyes.
Derrick set his jaw and gave a sharp shake of his head. Dont be sorry. Get out there and win it for my boy.
For the first time since Derrick fell to the ground, Aaron smiled. For yoursand for mine.
The trainers were out of the room now, and Derricks brow became a series of deep wrinkles. Yours? He managed a nervous laugh. Youre still loopy, Hill. He nodded toward the door. Go tell Coach to put Jay in.
Im serious. Aaron grinned. His mind was incredibly clear, actually. He pictured Cory and Megan, somewhere in the stadium witnessing the drama play out. I have a son, Anderson. He looked at the clock. The team needed him on the field. Ill tell you about it later. Just trust me. Ive got more reason to win this thing than you know.
With that he gave Derricks hand one more squeeze. Talk to God for me, man.
The whole time.
When Aaron took the field, the Chargers had scored and were up by four. On the first snap, Aaron got the ball, took three backward running steps deep into the pocket, and looked at his options. But as his eyes darted from one receiver to another, the ground seemed to tilt and his vision blurred. The rush of dizziness made him feel sick to his stomach, and he could see the linebacker barreling down on him. He released the pass just before the sack, but before he hit the ground he saw the ball fall far short of his man.