In the blink of an eye, it was mid-March.
Medford, situated in the southern part of the state, sat right in that sweet spot between temperate and subtropical. Once early spring hit, the temperatures shot up fast.
Just half a month ago, people still needed light jackets to go outside. Now, students in short-sleeved T-shirts were everywhere you looked at Medford High.
Riding the wave of excitement from the Super Bowl in early February and the warmer weather, high schools all across Texas were intensely preparing for their spring football invitationals.
Medford High was no exception.
Thanks to their stellar performance in last summer's league, the students were paying a lot more attention to their football team this year. Expectations were high.
The reality was simple: if the Medford Wolves could maintain the strong momentum from last year, they had a real shot at cementing the school's status as an athletic powerhouse.
So, this year's Spring Invitational was a golden opportunity for the team to make history.
---
"Mike, kickoff for the invitational is in a couple of days. What are you thinking?"
At the school gate, team captain Aaron stopped Mike just as he was about to head home.
The captain, currently carrying the weight of everyone's expectations, looked pretty exhausted. For the sake of the team's record, he'd been bugging Mike quite a bit lately.
"I'm totally down to help the team out, but the Coach still hasn't gotten back to me..."
Mike didn't mind playing a few friendly matches to help the school win some glory if he could. Since school started, he had actually stopped by the locker room a few times, but he kept missing the current head coach.
Because of that, his return to the roster hadn't been made official yet.
"Coach Wayne..." Mentioning the head coach, Aaron's expression grew a bit heavier, and he looked like he wanted to say something but held back.
"Forget it. I'll go talk to the Coach about your situation myself. Just wait for my update..." After a brief silence, Aaron came up with a plan.
"Sounds good. Hit me up whenever," Mike said, waving his hand as he led Paige off campus.
To be honest, with his pro-level football skills and physical strength that was five times that of an average person, Mike wasn't worried about his form at all. Football is a sport that relies heavily on physical talent, and he had that department completely on lock.
"Mike~"
After they had walked a little way from the school, Paige suddenly called out to him.
"What's up, Paige?" Mike stopped and turned to look at the little girl, who was looking up at him with anticipation.
"Don't you have anything you want to say to me?" Paige asked nervously, her hands clasped behind her back.
Today was March 17th—Paige's birthday. She had been thinking about the birthday promise Mike made her for a while now.
"Uh... is there something I'm supposed to say?" Mike put on a puzzled expression.
Seeing Mike's reaction, the little girl thought he had genuinely forgotten her birthday. Her mood visibly plummeted.
"Never mind. Let's just go home!"
Glaring at him in a huff, Paige stomped forward on her little legs without looking back. Disappointment and grievance surged in her heart all at once.
It went to show that no matter how mature Paige acted, she was still a child at heart and couldn't quite hide her emotions yet.
Behind her, Mike saw her reaction and decided to stop teasing her.
He pulled a small, prepared gift box from his pocket and called out with feigned surprise, "Hey Paige, did you drop this?"
The little girl turned around and saw the exquisite gift box in Mike's hand. Surprise instantly washed over her eyes.
"I knew you didn't forget..." Paige turned and ran back to Mike, giving him a huge hug.
What the gift was didn't matter; she cared more about the thought behind it.
"Alright, alright," Mike smiled, patting her on the back before setting her down. "Happy Birthday, Paige!"
Because of her family situation, a girl who should have been carefree often acted like a miniature adult. Having spent so much time with her, Mike knew this wasn't her natural personality. Bottling up her emotions for so long wasn't good for her.
That was exactly why he had teased her earlier—to let her vent a little.
Calming down, Paige realized she had been a bit emotional just now.
"What's inside?" Not quite used to lingering in that sentimental feeling, she took the box from Mike and immediately changed the subject.
"Open it and see." Mike didn't tease her further. Changing a personality trait takes time, after all.
---
"It's... a butterfly..."
Paige unwrapped the box to reveal a butterfly-shaped hair clip.
It was a clever design—the rhinestone-encrusted butterfly had wings on springs, so they would flutter slightly when she moved. Under the sunlight, it reflected a dazzling array of colors.
"Well? Do you like it?" Paige asked happily after clipping it on and taking a few light steps.
"It's beautiful. It suits you perfectly," Mike replied with a smile.
As a guy, Mike didn't exactly have an eye for these things; he had asked Lena to help him pick it out earlier. Judging by the reaction, it was a solid choice.
"Thank you, Mike!" Paige looked even happier after the compliment.
"Come on, let's head back. Meemaw and the others have a birthday cake waiting for you..." Seeing the little girl so happy put Mike in a surprisingly good mood, too.
Back at the house, once Connie—Meemaw—found out it was Paige's birthday, she had insisted on baking a cake.
Of course, on this special day, there was another surprise waiting for Paige.
Bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, the two figures—one tall, one small—walked toward the house.
When they entered the Cooper home, the dining table was already set with a feast.
"Happy Birthday, Paige!"
Amidst the cheers, Meemaw brought out the cake, and the Cooper family gathered around Paige.
"Before you make a wish, we have some guests," Meemaw said, signaling Paige to look toward the side.
"Happy Birthday, our little angel..."
Barry and his wife, along with their eldest daughter, walked out from the side room.
"Mom, Dad! And Erica!" Paige rushed forward in surprise, hugging her family one by one.
Her parents, having reconciled, looked like they were in a good place, both wearing happy smiles.
Even Erica seemed to have dropped her rebellious phase. Dressed appropriately, she looked quite the young lady.
For Paige, this harmonious family atmosphere was arguably the most special gift she received for her birthday.
"Alright, Paige. Come over and make a wish," Meemaw called out.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Paige stood before the cake, closed her eyes, made a silent wish, and blew out the candles.
"Paige, what did you wish for?" Meemaw asked curiously.
"It's a secret. If I say it out loud, it won't come true," Paige replied with a grin, glancing at her family and then at Mike.
There was indeed a superstition that telling people your wish jinxed it.
"That's not fair!" Sheldon, who had blurted out his wish at his own birthday party recently, voiced a strong protest.
Every successful party needs a goofball to steal the show.
Seeing Sheldon's mixture of grievance and absurdity, the rest of the room burst into good-natured laughter.
---
After celebrating their youngest daughter's birthday, the Barrys didn't plan on leaving immediately.
Having rekindled their romance, the couple was treating this trip not just as a birthday visit, but as a relaxing getaway.
So, they planned to stay at a nearby hotel tonight to enjoy some alone time.
As for their eldest daughter, Erica, she was entrusted to Meemaw's care for the night.