Page 56 of Catch
I looked at them. They both were anguished. I had to be honest. “A divorce at this point in the season will hurt your credibility as a player. One of the reasons you came back to the NFL was because of the money, right?” Grayson nodded “You want to set your family up for the future. This will hurt your endorsements and it will hurt the team. Honestly, I think the best thing to do is wait until the season is over and make this happen as quietly as possible.”
Grayson nodded even though he looked devastated. “I thought you might say that. This is killing me. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t.”
“Is this why you’re having a rough time at work?” I asked.
“Yeah. I know I sound like a complete idiot right now,” he said.
I stood. “You don’t, Grayson. Love is hard and sometimes we make choices when we’re young that we regret. I would really like for you to think about flying under the radar until after the season. Don’t go out. Don’t get caught with her in public. Everybody has cell phones and they take photos and videos and sell them to the highest bidder. It would destroy your family if word of this got out.” I could feel myself getting angry, so I slowed down. “Do the right and respectful thing. Don’t cave to a moment of weakness that could affect everything you’ve built up to this point.” I felt for Parker and the girls, but I also couldn’t be mad at Grayson for finding love. I was here to offer advice as a coach about what would cause minimum damage. “After the season, there will be less blowback and trust me, it’ll come.”
“Do you get harassed a lot for being your true self in the NFL? Have people been cruel about you and your relationships? It has to be hard for you.”
His question didn’t faze me in the least. I’d been asked it a hundred times since I joined the league. “I think people are upset that a woman is in charge more so than a lesbian. I get plenty of crap for being gay, but honestly, if I were straight, they would probably give me more shit. I guess most people think that being a lesbian means you know a lot about sports.” I shrugged.
There was a look of pity on Parker’s face, but it was directed at Grayson, not me. “Living authentically is hard.” She turned to me. “You’re so brave.”
I walked over to Parker. “Are you really okay with all of this?”
“Like I said, this wasn’t only Grayson’s decision.” She truly seemed to be at peace. I was missing something here. The whole situation gave me a weird vibe. “I want us both to be happy. Right now, we aren’t. Grayson is a good man, and a great dad. None of that will change. And I deserve happiness, too.”
Her words made my heart clench. According to her confession on the phone, she hadn’t had sex in a long time. She must have resented him because she stayed home with the kids, while he was off screwing somebody he was in love with.
“Why didn’t you do this sooner?” I lowered my voice to let them know I wasn’t judging them.
“My parents wouldn’t allow it. They were very judgmental when I first brought up that we were going through some things,” Parker said.
“Your parents are assholes,” Grayson said.
It wasn’t my place to say anything, but I was so with Grayson on that one.
“They aren’t perfect, but they have tried to give me the best life possible.” Parker shot back. It was a weak retort, but we didn’t comment.
“Let’s get back on track. What do you need me to do? I’ll do whatever I can to keep this between us. The team doesn’t have to know. The fewer people who know, the better.”
Grayson stood in front of me and put his hands on my shoulders. The weight of his hands was uncomfortable. “Sutton, I don’t think you’re getting it. I’m gay.”
I stood in front of him and gaped for a solid ten seconds. “What?”
“You met my boyfriend on Halloween.”
“Uncle Matt?” I barely got those words out. My teenage years came rushing back and flooded my mind with horrible memories. Grayson stealing my girlfriend only to end up leaving her years later. “Who knows? Do the girls know?”
“No, but they are starting to figure out that something is going on. Nobody knows for sure but us and Matt’s parents. My parents don’t know.”
“Where is Uncle Matt now?”
For the first time all night, Grayson smiled. “It’s just Matt. The girls call him Uncle Matt because they’ve known him since they were little, but you can call him Matt.”
“What does he think about all this?”
“It was too hard to be apart, so Matt moved up here and we decided it was time to move forward with our relationship.”
I wanted to explode. Grayson and Matt had made a decision for Parker and they hadn’t even consulted her. She sacrificed everything for their relationship. No wonder she was heavily involved in her daughters’ lives. While he gambled with their privacy, Parker had to play the docile wife who followed him wherever the NFL sent him.
“What do you think about what I’ve said? Do you think you can keep your relationship with Matt quiet for two more months?”
“It’ll be hard but if you think that’s for the best, then I will. I know he’d like to know what’s going on. Do you mind if I invite him over?” Grayson asked Parker.
“Of course not. Sutton’s car is already in the driveway. The neighbors will just think we have company over.”
