Mike walked George to the entrance of the academic building, and the two said their goodbyes there.
Next, Mike planned to head over to check in with the math team.
"Well, well—if it isn't Coach George. Packing up already? Where you headed?" Gritt asked just then, arriving at the building entrance with his son in tow.
He wore a familiar, practiced smile, giving no hint at all that he'd made things difficult for George before.
"Cut the act. I've already resigned from the team. Happy now?" George frowned at Gritt, not giving him any room to play nice.
"Hey, don't put that on me. You leaving the team has nothing to do with me," Gritt replied, dropping the fake smile, his tone turning openly smug. "It's just that you weren't good enough."
"Believe whatever you want," George said flatly. Having already made up his mind to leave, he didn't bother arguing. He took one last look at the Melford campus, then turned and walked away.
"Coach, I'm really sorry. I didn't know my dad would act like this…" Sam, who had been following behind his father, stepped forward, as if trying to apologize to George on his dad's behalf.
Sam knew all too well what his father was like. Having gone through some personal changes himself, he'd begun to realize that his dad's behavior wasn't right.
"No need to apologize, Sam," George said, looking at his former player, his expression softening. "This is between adults. It has nothing to do with you." Then he added encouragingly, "You do have some talent in football. If you decide to keep going down this road, just remember to train hard."
Strictly speaking, Sam wasn't a top-tier talent, but he was better than a lot of kids out there. If he focused on developing his skills as a running back or a defensive end, even if he never went pro, he'd still have no problem playing in local leagues down the road.
"I will, Coach," Sam said, nodding seriously.
After being tested in the summer league, he'd finally turned a corner, truly feeling the pull and excitement of football.
"Alright, Sam," Gritt cut in, grabbing his son's attention. "He's not your coach anymore. Now we're going to meet the new head coach and start getting you ready to be the quarterback next year…" He shot a smug glance at George and Mike as he spoke.
This year, Gritt had donated money to the school's football program, bought his way into the sponsor circle, and deliberately targeted George. All of it had been carefully planned for one goal—to make sure his son became the team's starting quarterback.
After all, to people who didn't really understand football, the quarterback was the most glamorous position on the field.
Watching Sam get dragged away by his father, George almost said something—but then he realized that he was no longer the head coach. It was a problem best left for Coach Wayne to deal with.
In truth, given Sam's personality and potential ceiling, he wasn't suited to playing quarterback at all. Forcing him down that path wouldn't just hurt the team—it would also waste his natural strengths as a running back or defensive end.
Shaking his head to clear those thoughts, George said goodbye to Mike once more and left the school.
Driving home alone, George found his wife in the living room when he walked in.
Mary's job at the church, aside from the low pay, was actually pretty decent.
She only had to work full days on weekends, when services were held. On weekdays, when there wasn't much going on, she usually only worked half days at most.
"George, why are you home already? Doesn't the team have practice?" Mary asked from the couch, where she was knitting wool gloves.
With the Texas summer coming to an end, she was getting ready to make some gloves and scarves for the family.
"I was just about to tell you," George said, setting down his things and grabbing an ice-cold beer from the fridge. "I quit my job with the team."
Under normal circumstances, because of his health, George wasn't supposed to drink beer.
But right now, Mary didn't even notice. She dropped her knitting needles and asked in shock, "Why? The team did so well this year. Wasn't the school about to give you a raise? And if you don't have this job, how are we supposed to handle the household expenses?"
The Cooper family's finances had only just started to improve. Losing his job now was a major blow.
Mary's modest church salary was nowhere near enough to support three kids.
For a family of five, money wasn't just important—it was a very real concern.
"Don't get worked up. I'm not finished yet," George said calmly after taking a sip of beer. "The truth is, another school wants to hire me. They're offering a really good salary…"
Mary's expression changed instantly, and a smile spread across her face. "Which school? Austin? Or Houston?"
High-paying offers, in her mind, could only come from the powerhouse programs in Texas.
"No, no, no—neither of those," George said, shaking his head. After she guessed several Texas schools in a row, he finally grinned and pulled out a letter. "It's a school in Oklahoma."
During this time, Mike wasn't the only one receiving invitations from other schools. Thanks to his team's strong performance, George had also caught the attention of other programs.
The letter in his hand was exactly why he'd dared to resign so decisively.
But when Mary saw the letter, the smile on her face froze for a moment. "Oklahoma?" she asked. "In Oklahoma State?"
"That's right," George said, completely missing the change in her expression. "It's one of the best high schools in Oklahoma. Their football program is really strong…" He continued excitedly, "The school board has already promised me a high salary—and that's not even the most important part.
"You know this—good teams make it easier to get good results. If I do well there, I might even get an offer from a college program…"
George usually acted laid-back, but when a real opportunity came along, he wasn't about to let it slip.
Because of how the system worked, high school football games didn't sell tickets. College football, on the other hand, did.
That meant if George could make his way back into college coaching, his salary could easily multiply several times over.
With more money, the family's quality of life would naturally improve.
Being able to fulfill his own ambitions while taking care of his family—that was George's ultimate goal.
"Wait a second, George," Mary said, her smile gone now. "I really do want to support your career. But if our whole family moves to Oklahoma… what about Mom?"
Compared to her husband's excitement, Mary's face had turned serious.
If they moved to Oklahoma, she wouldn't just lose her church job—she'd also have to start over socially, adapting to an entirely new environment. For a stay-at-home mom, that was difficult and overwhelming.
She wasn't ready to accept such a drastic change.
"It's fine," George said optimistically. "Oklahoma isn't that far from Texas. We can always drive back to visit Connie."
Oklahoma bordered Texas, after all. It wasn't that far—close enough to make the trip in a day.
"Alright, George," Mary said, her eyes flickering with uncertainty. "This new job affects the whole family. I think we should ask the kids what they think."
"Of course," George said confidently. "The kids' opinions matter. But I'll convince them…"
Even now, he still hadn't noticed that something about his wife's expression felt off.