"Seriously! You're gonna question me when you're the one kissing a married man!"
"Don't you take that tone with me Jack!...I'm a grown woman and know exactly what I'm doing."
"Isn't he your boss?"
"He's one of my bosses...but that doesn't matter...you just walked out on an opportunity to play on the best basketball team in the state."
"The best team is at Davis."
"Fine Jack! If you want to play with Ox and those other boys you can...but don't expect me to make it easy for you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means we're moving away from that school next week and I won't take you to school."
"You don't take me to school now."
"That's because we live like five blocks from your school...we're going to be at least five miles from there now...and it's not on my way to work."
"You take the bus to work."
"Not any more...Greg just gave me a company car...he needs me to work on a new project and I'm required to travel."
"So your boyfriend Greg is going to give you a rental house, company car, and lovely kisses to make you feel good...what about dad?!"
"You father left us Jack!"
"Aren't you still married to him?"
"No Jack I'm not! I filed for a no contest divorce a year ago. I haven't changed my name because I wanted us to have the same last name."
"This sucks mom!"
Jack started to cry. He didn't know what hit him, but he felt like his whole world just fell apart.
"Come here Jack...I didn't want to tell you like this...but your dad and I are over."
Jack felt the soft embrace of his mom and sobbed into her shoulder. He knew he would eventually need to accept that his father was gone, but he didn't expect that day to be today.
"I've only wanted him to come back mom."
"I used to want that too Jack...but I can't hold myself back waiting for him."
"Did you know my coach at Davis is dad's hero?"
"What are you talking about Jack...you said the coach was the security guard."
"His name is Manley Roderick."
"You mean "Mean Manley Roderick" the single season scoring record holder for the Jayhawks?"
"That's him mom...I've got to play for Davis."
"Didn't your father idolize Manley Roderick?"
"He probably still does..."
"You have to know Jack...playing for Manley Roderick won't bring your dad back to us."
"I know mom...but he's a Jayhawk and so am I...it's like I have a second chance to learn from dad...even though he's not here."
"I can tell why you feel the way you do Jack...but don't you think it would be just as good to play for Greg...he's so nice and helpful."
"He's also rich mom. We don't come from rich...we come from poor and I don't feel comfortable around those rich kids...no matter what, they'll always be rich and always be poor."
"Okay Jack...if you want to play at Davis then I'll let you play at Davis...but we're going to have to figure out how to get you to school."
"Ox and I can figure it out...he's good that way."
"I'm sure he is...but we'll figure it out together okay?"
"Okay mom."
Jack's mom pushed the button on a key remote and an average looking sedan blinked its lights.