Inside the principal's office, Principal Tom stepped away from his desk and walked over to a small coffee table to brew a fresh pot of tea.
Despite his solemn expression, his tea-making technique was clearly that of an amateur. When he saw Mike and the others enter, the old principal greeted them warmly. "Come on over and try some. A friend got me these tea leaves from overseas; they call it Bi Luo Chun..."
Unlike the giant mugs of sweet tea most people in town drank, the table was set with an exquisite tea set that looked quite expensive. The little teacups were so tiny they were barely wider than an adult's thumb.
After carefully pouring three cups, Principal Tom sat back and gestured for them to take a sip, a hint of a boastful grin on his face. He looked like a kid with a new toy, eager to show it off to his friends.
George, still confused about why he was there, curiously picked up the tiny cup and knocked it back in one gulp. Then, he immediately wrinkled his nose. To be honest, compared to the slightly bitter taste of green tea, George much preferred sweet tea or a strong cup of coffee.
"You don't drink it like that; you have to take small sips and savor it..." Principal Tom stood up to refill George's cup while giving a little lecture on the "art of tea."
But George, his mind full of questions, didn't have the patience for a tea ceremony. He cut to the chase. "Principal Tom, what did you want to see me about today?"
Interrupted in his moment of zen, Principal Tom shook his head with a smile. "I have some good news. After much consideration, the school has decided to rehire you as the head coach of the football team."
"Are you serious?" The news came so suddenly that George's brain actually short-circuited for a second.
The old principal just smiled and stayed silent.
Once the news sank in, George subconsciously picked up the teacup and knocked it back again. After the initial bitterness hit his tongue, he noticed a lingering sweetness.
"Thank you, Principal Tom," George said, his voice thick with emotion. The struggle was finally over. "I mean... I'd be honored to lead the team again."
"You should thank Mike..."
Principal Tom was very satisfied with George's reaction. He gave Mike a subtle nod, acknowledging the role he played in making this happen. Then, the principal pulled an employment contract from his desk. "The school takes care of its own. Based on your track record last year, you've earned this—a contract for a thousand dollars a week."
He placed the brand-new contract in front of George.
For a high school sports coach, a thousand dollars a week was a top-tier salary, almost on par with a solid middle-class income.
After reading the contract carefully and calming his nerves, George realized what the school expected for that kind of money. He looked at the principal and promised, "I'll lead this team to even better results."
"Good. I'm counting on it," Principal Tom replied. Since he was retiring at the end of the year, he didn't mind the high salary if it meant racking up more trophies for his legacy. Plus, there was definitely a part of him that wanted to make up for how George had been treated before.
With George settled, the principal turned his gaze toward Coach Wayne, who was sitting there looking pretty anxious.
"Coach Wayne, given recent events, the school has decided to move you back to the assistant coach position. Do you have any objections?" Principal Tom's smile vanished.
"N-no, sir..." Coach Wayne shook his head quickly. He knew where he stood; being demoted to assistant was far from the worst-case scenario. Having recently gone through a divorce, he only had himself to look after now. An assistant's salary was more than enough for him to live comfortably.
"Good. I expect you to fully cooperate with Coach George from here on out."
With Coach Wayne sorted, Principal Tom offered a few more words of encouragement to both men. And just like that, with its "Captain" back at the helm, the Medford Wolves were ready to set sail again.
Mike, who had spent the whole time drinking tea and watching the drama unfold, had already worked out his own deal with the principal, so he didn't need to stay. He figured the principal only called him in so he could witness George getting his job back.
---
"Sorry about that, Wayne..." George felt a bit bad for his old colleague as they left the office.
"Don't worry about it, George. Honestly, I feel a weight off my shoulders not being the head guy anymore." It was the truth. Coach Wayne wasn't the ambitious type; having someone else take the heat while he still got a paycheck was actually a relief for him.
"We should grab a beer to celebrate you being back," Wayne suggested as they reached the exit.
"Maybe next time. Next one's on me." Walking out into the warm afternoon sun, George felt like a new man. He wanted to get home and share the news with his family immediately.
"Fair enough. I'll hold you to that. We'll catch up when you're free." Wayne waved him off and headed toward his car.
Back on the field, the volunteers were handling the cleanup, so the players didn't have to stay behind. Georgie and Captain Aaron had already showered and changed into their street clothes.
"Mike, what did the principal want? Can you tell us now?" Georgie asked curiously as Mike and his dad walked up. He'd been on "babysitting" duty with the younger kids while they waited.
"Coach George, why don't you do the honors?" Mike stepped aside to let George share the news.
"Uh, right." George still felt like he was dreaming, but seeing his kids, he regained his composure and smiled. "I'm the head coach again."
"For real? That's awesome!" Georgie, who always took pride in having a football coach for a dad, immediately started cheering.
"Yay! Dad's the boss again!" Missy started running laps around the grass, caught up in the excitement.
Among the three Cooper kids, only Sheldon remained calm, though the slight upturn at the corners of his mouth showed he was genuinely happy for his father.
"Congratulations, Coach," Aaron added with a sincere smile. He'd seen this coming.
---
When George got home and saw Mary busy in the kitchen, he walked up and gave her a long, tight hug.
"I'm cooking, George..." Mary, still holding a spatula, noticed something was different about her husband. "Is everything okay?"
"I'm the head coach at Medford again. A thousand dollars a week..." George whispered the news into her ear.
"Oh my god!" Mary's squeal of joy echoed through the kitchen. A thousand dollars!
Later that afternoon, to celebrate his return to the team, George hauled out the BBQ grill that hadn't been used in a while. He was going to make a real Texas pit-style feast for the family.
When Meemaw got back from her date with Dr. Sturgis, she was greeted by the lively scene in the Coopers' backyard.
"What's all this? Did I miss something big?" Meemaw asked, surprised.
"It's George. He's the head coach again," Mary told her mother, beaming.
"Well, look at that. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while," Meemaw muttered under her breath with a smirk, before happily joining in on the backyard BBQ.
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