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The year is 2033. The Outbreak never happened. Joel is picking up Sarah from work, who is now in her 30s, coaching soccer at a local after-school program in Austin, Texas. It’s the last day. Joel pulls up and spots Sarah by the benches, gathering soccer balls into a mesh container. He honks twice for her.
“You’re ‘bout done there, Sarah?”
“Yeah, I’m coming!”
Sarah slings a hefty sports bag over her shoulder and walks briskly toward Joel’s pickup truck.
Joel squints at her silhouette approaching against the sunset, until her face comes into focus, shimmering with sweat and beaming.
“Hey Dad!”
“Hey Sweetheart. Need a hand?”
“Nah, I got this.” She flings her bag onto the truck bed in one swing, hops in after it, and talks to Joel about her day as she sorts through her stuff.
“Hey Coach! You dropped this!” A small freckled girl shouts from afar, jogging over with a palm-sized jewelry box.
Sarah grabs her pocket and gasps, “Gosh, you’re a lifesaver! Dad, it’s for you.” She taps on the rear window and introduces them briefly.
The girl observes the grizzled man in the driver’s seat, elbow over the rolled-down window, soft eyes and smile lines. A presence gentle and steadfast, it reminds the girl of her own father.
“Whatchu got there?” Joel nods toward the box.
She returns her attention to the object in question and lets her hand feel its weight for a moment, before handing it over gingerly, “Hope it’s something good.”
“Let’s see.” Joel clicks open the lid and falls silent. Words of awe seem to catch in his throat. With a chuckle, he utters, “...Well, how ‘bout that.”
Joel glances over to the girl, who’s darting her eyes between him and the gift with earnest curiosity. He tips the box toward her to reveal a watch: tobacco-toned leather band, glistening silver case, a pearl moth on dark rosewood dial. The marbling in the pearl catches rays of sun. The moth flutters in golden hour.
“Whoa, Nelly!” The girl leans forward and exclaims, eyes tracing every little curve and line of the moth, as if to memorize it for another lifetime.
Joel watches her wide-eyed amazement. A breeze carrying the scent of rained-on earth and grass takes him back in time. The girl tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ear. He thinks of a time he shared with Sarah and his face relaxes.
“Isn’t it marvelous?” Sarah vaults over the truck bed and leans on it next to them, soaking up their fascination.
Joel chuckles in agreement, “Thought I’d go without one for a good while yet.” He pulls the watch out of the box and wraps it around the band of pale skin on his wrist.
“Would’ve been the case if not for our ‘Tackle Master’ here.” Almost as tall as Joel, Sarah looks down at the young girl fondly. Her voice mellow and a bit coarse, resonating and brimming with endearment.
“Is that right?” Joel recollects the moniker from a conversation with Sarah. He pictures the girl’s small frame taking off like a rocket for the soccer ball. The image amuses him.
“Yeah well...I wish I was as good as Riley.” mumbles the girl, who is made bashful by the sudden attention. She glimpses between Joel and Sarah with a close-lipped smile before fixing her gaze on the ground.
“Hey now, y’all make a good team. And thinking like that’s not gonna do you any good. Remember we’re all proud of you!” Sarah puts a firm grip on the girl’s shoulder and gives a good squeeze.
Still coy, she meets Sarah’s eyes and admits softly, “I guess you’re right, Coach.” Sarah finds the courage and determination behind the sparkles in her eyes remarkable.
Joel is captivated by their interaction, the way Sarah uplifts the girl, the bond they share. He thinks about the first time Sarah scored a goal, the first time she scraped her knee learning to walk, the first time he held her cooing in his arms.
“You need a ride, kiddo?”
Before the girl could respond, a woman calls out her name across the field. She answers.
“Welp, that’s my mom. Nice to finally meet you, Joel.” She grins and starts to leave, “I’ll miss you, Coach!”
“Good luck in Colorado, Ellie!” Sarah waves.
“Go Big Horns.” Joel taps a beat on the truck door.
“Go Big Horns!” Ellie responds with a fist up and double the enthusiasm before running off.
Joel watches her disappear into the crowd. Her laughter rings in the air.
“You have no idea how much that girl reminded me of you.” Joel muses as Sarah climbs into the passenger seat.
“Man, what I wouldn’t give to have a friend like her when I was that age.” She fixes her seat belt.
“I think the two of you would’ve been good friends.”
“Yeah, I think we would have.”
Joel’s truck peels away from the soccer field toward the sunset. The moth rests on his wrist in stillness.