Page 16 of Platinum Pressure

Was this a good thing or bad, though? Only time would tell.

Three weeks later

“Surgery is next week,” I stated as I wrapped the compression band around his knee and elevated his leg onto fresh, cool pillows.

The swelling went down a lot since the start of our time together. He did well with his exercises, his stretches, and his diet. He eased up on the number of pills he consumed in a day, since the pain wasn’t as bad as it was in the beginning. I noted he’d only take one pill before bed now.

“It ain’t coming fast enough.”

“One day you’re going to stop rushing the process and sit back and enjoy the present.”

“I enjoy the present a lot, but the job’s not finished.”

“Quoting Kobe is crazy.”

“You know Kobe quotes?”

“I know a lot of things about a lot of stuff.”

“Crazy response, but I like it. You’re more of a basketball fan than football?”

“Yes. I don’t like how dangerous football is, but society built entire cultures around it, especially in Texas.”

“What’s dangerous about football?”

I looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. The genuine curiosity twinkling in those beautiful brown eyes of his made me reel back my initial response to a more kind one. I didn’t want to offend him by answering his question with unnecessary sarcasm.

“Everything. The sport allows for potential injuries in the whole body. Bones, joints, muscles, and organs are all affected by getting hit on the field. Players have had heart attacks on the field and suffered traumatic brain injuries that change the entire trajectory of their lives.”

He hummed. “Every sport has a risk of injury. Soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, track and field, and every sport in between. Everything has injury risk.”

“You know what isn’t common across most of those sports you named?”

“What?”

“CTE. Men are rattling their brain chemistry and doing damage to their entire chemical balance because of hard hits on the field. Memory loss, behavioral issues, and mood swings are just a few of the effects of CTE. Do you know how crazy it is that football, boxing, and military service members are the highest at risk for getting CTE? Men and women who go out to war with grenades and machine guns have the same risk as a nigga running up and down some fake grass on television. It’s scary because people have to die to be diagnosed with certainty.”

“I didn’t know you felt so strongly about this. I never even put much thought into it.”

I chuckled. “Most people don’t. I’ve had several patients in my care who I suspected of having CTE. It’s the same reason if I have kids I would never let them do boxing or MMA fighting. Too dangerous. I still don’t know if I would want them playing football professionally, either.”

“You gon’ be a strict mama.”

“Not at all. I’m going to present my kids with the risk and rewards for whatever they might want to do so they can make informed choices on their future careers. They don’t have to sacrifice their lives to get us out the hood because we won’t be struggling when they explore different paths.”

“Aye, man, I got my folks out of the hood. Went from a real trench baby to a nine-figure baller. There’s a lot of money in these sports. I would never interfere with my kids securing generational wealth in whatever capacity they are passionate about.”

“That’s a real blessing, but at what cost? You don’t even want to let your body rest and heal while you stress about getting back on that field as soon as possible. I get it. This is your heart and soul, but your body is begging for a break.” I grabbed my iPad and made notes for today’s meeting. I took pictures of his full leg to make a note of the differences since the start of my time here.

“Women think men be lying when we say ball is life. I deadass will give my life to the sport I love without a second thought. Football runs through my veins. My heart pumps because of the grid iron. This shit is my life, and I’d die for it.”

Before I could respond, Seddrick walked into the living room. He had on a sweatsuit and some spotless designer shoes, with a shiny diamond chain around his neck and a stud earring in his ear. He looked good . . . but not as good as Platinum.

“So, did y’all figure out if Meadow’s moving in after the surgery? I need to set up the money transfer today, if so, and get whatever she needs to move in with ease.”

Platinum and I locked eyes as if we were silently asking each other the same question. I raised a curious brow.

“Am I welcome into your home, Mr. Platinum?”