Fast-break layup.
Assist.
Three-pointer from the wing.
The gym erupted.
I had watched him do this since he was eleven.
Adrian watched like he had discovered a miracle.
Late in the fourth quarter, Evermere was ahead by three.
Thirty seconds.
Opposing team fouled Noah.
He went to the line.
First free throw.
Good.
Second.
Good.
Five-point lead.
The other team missed.
Game over.
The buzzer sounded.
Evermere High School had won the state championship.
Students poured toward the court.
Players tackled one another.
Coaches shouted.
The band played something unrecognizable.
I stood there crying like an idiot.
My coworker hit my shoulder.
“You did good, Dad.”
I barely heard him.
Noah found me through the chaos.
Just for one second.
