Ethan
laughed.
“Dad, you don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Excuse me? I’ve been watching football longer than you’ve been alive!”
“That doesn’t mean you understand it!”
Then a referee threw a yellow flag.
I jumped to my feet.
“Oh, come on!”
Ethan burst into laughter.
“Mom! You don’t even know what happened!”
“I know injustice when I see it!”
Several nearby fans applauded.
Chris laughed.
Ethan laughed harder.
My hand moved automatically toward my phone.
I wanted to record his smile.
Preserve his laughter.
Save another piece of the afternoon.
But then I stopped.
For once, I didn’t take a photograph.
Ethan noticed.
“You’re not taking one, Mom?”
“No, sweetheart.”
“Why not?”
I looked directly at him.
“Because I’m watching. Not through a screen. I’m right here with you.”
He studied my face.
Then he nodded.
And turned back toward the field.
