บท 4: First Birthday
June 24, 2000
Andrew's time in Kindergarten had ended just a few weeks ago, much to his relief. It was vacation time again, and almost a year had passed since he transmigrated into this new body.
Spending four hours a day with five-year-old boys and girls was challenging for Andrew. In his past life, he had been sixteen when he had a heart attack and transmigrated into this new body.
He was essentially the babysitter for dozens of kids his age. He couldn't say no to them. The only upside was that he could organize teams to simulate a football game, using stuffed animal footballs and playing touch football, where tagging an opponent counted as a tackle.
His training was going well. In addition to improving his agility and coordination, he focused on basic strength training: push-ups and squats using his own body weight, keeping the repetitions low and prioritizing proper form.
He also did exercises like knee planks and lying leg raises to strengthen his core.
He listened to his young body and was very careful. He also worked on improving his speed, which was already very good. He couldn't remember how fast he had been at five years old in his past life, but he felt this body had better genetics in that regard, something that would only make him a more complete player.
Today was his sixth birthday. It was summer. The day was sunny and cloudless—perfect for celebrating. He was woken up by Cameron and Mitchell, who brought him breakfast in bed.
Little by little, he was getting used to how affectionate and good parents they were. He had lost his grandfather Richard when he was just ten years old.
After that, he ended up with some old friends of his grandfather's who barely paid him any attention. He didn't blame them—they gave him food and shelter, and that was enough for him.
Also, his grandfather wasn't exactly affectionate or… how to put it, gay—not using the term in a bad way, of course. Richard showed his affection differently: playing catch with him, watching games, taking him to the stadium, scaring him, watching movies together, or through playful roughhousing—love punches, like Garp, Luffy's grandfather, but maybe not as extreme.
After breakfast, they gave him his birthday present: an official NFL football! He finally had a real ball with the weight he was used to.
"Thanks, dads!" Andrew said with a big smile, hugging Mitchell and Cameron, who happily accepted the embrace.
"It was obvious you wanted it. You're always watching games and playing with your rubber ball," Mitchell said with a smile, noticing how Andrew admired the football.
"I'm going to practice in the backyard!" Andrew said enthusiastically, jumping out of bed.
"Change first. Your friends and family will be arriving soon. You need to look presentable," Mitchell said.
Andrew looked at his clothes—he was still wearing his pajamas, which had lots of Darth Vader helmets on them. He was a big Star Wars fan.
"Hehe, right," Andrew said with a sheepish smile, scratching his black hair, a little embarrassed for not being able to control his excitement.
'How cute,' Cameron and Mitchell thought, seeing Andrew's smile. Their son was absolutely adorable when it came to football.
Cameron and Mitchell left the room while Andrew changed out of his pajamas. He put on a plain white T-shirt, denim shorts, and black sneakers.
'I'm still not used to this little face,' Andrew thought, looking at himself in the mirror.
His hair was black and messy, giving him a slightly rebellious yet adorable look for his age. His eyes were green, and his left eyebrow had a visible notch. This was from the fall he'd taken almost a year ago, the one that nearly killed him—or rather, where the real Andrew had died.
"Well… time to play!" Andrew murmured enthusiastically, grabbing the football and heading out of his room toward the backyard. He had to take advantage of this time before the kids started clinging to him and forcing him to play with them.
"Is all the food ready?" Mitchell asked, glancing at the clock nervously.
"Yes, there are so many kids… Andrew sure has a lot of friends," Cameron said with a proud smile. With each passing day, Cameron felt prouder of Andrew, and the same was true for Mitchell.
Their son was kind, enthusiastic, and energetic. He had many friends and, on top of that, an extraordinary talent for football. Only a blind person wouldn't see it.
Mitchell turned his head and, through the window, saw Andrew throwing the football from over fifteen meters away, passing it through a small hoop.
Recently, with his parents' help, Andrew had hung several hula hoops at different heights and distances using ropes tied to trees or anything else that could hold them.
'Hmm… My hand isn't big enough,' Andrew thought, a little annoyed but still happy to be using a real football.
"What six-year-old can make a throw like that?" Mitchell asked, still amazed despite having already seen his son's precise passes.
"Only our son," Cameron said with a smile. He understood more than Mitchell just how incredible Andrew's throwing ability was. Cameron believed Andrew had the skill level of some of the greatest quarterbacks teenagers or perhaps he was overestimating his son's talent.
"Your parents are coming today, right?" Cameron asked, and Mitchell's expression darkened.
"Yes, what a lovely coincidence that they'll both meet Andrew on the same day…" Mitchell replied sarcastically.
His mother, DeDe, had been away on a trip and had just returned. Of course, she wanted to meet her new grandson, as well as her other grandson from Claire, Luke.
His father, Jay, had been notably absent this whole time. He never visited or met Andrew, which angered Mitchell, though he didn't show it.
Mitchell got along better with his mother since she was more accepting when he came out and introduced her to Cameron.
"Don't be so tense… It'll be a lovely family party… I hope," Cameron said, though with a hint of doubt.
Mitchell's parents had been divorced for over ten years and were now about to see each other again after such a long time.
It wasn't planned for both of them to be at the birthday party, but Claire had convinced Jay to come without telling Mitchell that she'd also arranged for their mother to come.
Andrew had been practicing his throws at the hoops for almost an hour. The only downside was that he had just one ball, so he had to go fetch it each time. But he made the most of it, running at full speed to retrieve it before repositioning himself. This way, he trained his speed, endurance, and accuracy.
"Look how much you've sweated," Cameron said with a slightly furrowed brow as he noticed Andrew's sweaty forehead.
"Sorry," Andrew said with a little laugh.
"I can't be mad at you," Cameron said with a smile, gently ruffling Andrew's hair.
"There's the birthday boy!" an enthusiastic voice exclaimed. Andrew looked up and saw his Uncle Phil coming in with Claire. Each of them was pushing a cart. Little Haley was by their side, holding a gift.
A smile spread across Andrew's face, but before he could greet everyone, Haley ran over and jumped to hug him tightly. Thanks to his training, he stayed on his feet and didn't even take a step back.
"Happy birthday, Andy!" Haley shouted, hugging Andrew tightly. Andy was the nickname his cousin had given him.
"Hey, Haley… Thanks, you're getting stronger every day," Andrew said with a kind smile, returning the hug.
Unlike the Haley he'd seen in the show, this Haley was much more affectionate with her family, though she still had her strong-willed personality.
That was because she wasn't a teenager yet. She was very close to her dad, Phil, and now to him. Over time, Andrew had become like an older brother to her, even though they were the same age.
"I told you to call me Hal! Have you forgotten?" Haley said, puffing her cheeks and looking at Andrew.
"Of course not. I just wanted to tease you a little," Andrew replied with a playful smile.
"Mean, mean, mean!" Haley repeated several times, lightly hitting Andrew, who just laughed. Speed = 100. Damage = 0.
"Haha, I was just kidding, Hal," Andrew said. Haley, hearing the nickname she'd insisted he use, calmed down and smiled.
"You two get along so well," Claire said, watching her daughter and nephew with a smile.
She'd been worried that Haley's strong-willed and stubborn personality might leave her without friends, but that wasn't the case. She'd become friends with Andrew and many other kids.
Claire had also noticed that Andrew got along with all his classmates. He was a sort of leader who brought everyone together.
"Sweetheart, give him the gift," Phil reminded his daughter, who had started rambling to Andrew about random things and forgotten she was holding his present.
"Here you go, Andy!" said Haley, extending her arms so Andrew could take the gift.
Andrew took the gift and quickly unwrapped it. His eyes lit up with excitement when he saw a San Francisco 49ers jersey—a very famous football team in California. They had won five Super Bowls and had a rich tradition in the NFL. The jersey was his size and of excellent quality.
"Amazing! Thank you, Aunt Claire and Uncle Phil!" Andrew exclaimed, hugging both of them, who returned the hug with smiles.
"It's nothing, buddy," Phil said, roughly ruffling Andrew's hair.
When the hug ended, Andrew noticed Haley's expression, which clearly said, It's my turn now.
"Thank you too, Hal…" Andrew said, and with no other choice, he hugged the girl, who hugged him back with all her strength. That's why he hesitated to hug her—Haley still didn't know how to control her strength. Her hugs were deadly. Though, admittedly, they were a good treatment for back pain.
Just then, the doorbell rang again. Mitchell opened the door, and in walked Grandma DeDe—a middle-aged woman with blonde hair and light eyes.
"Mother…" murmured Claire with a decidedly unenthusiastic expression. Her current relationship with her mother was complicated.
"Hello, everyone! It's been so long!" DeDe said with a bright smile and an animated tone.
After greeting the adults, she greeted Haley, Alex, and little Luke with kisses, hugs, and a warm grandmotherly smile.
"Mother, this is our son, Andrew. Andrew, this is your grandmother DeDe," Mitchell said.
"Oh, you must be Andrew. Mitchell spoke a lot about you in the letters he sent me. Nice to meet you, little one," said DeDe with a smile, patting Andrew's head in an odd manner.
"I'm sorry I couldn't bring you a proper gift for the occasion. Because of the flights and all the bureaucracy, I didn't have the time," DeDe said.
"It's fine…" Andrew replied with his usual smile. He could feel the distance DeDe maintained and the difference she made between him and his other cousins: Haley, Alex, and Luke.
It didn't bother or affect him. In the first place, he didn't like DeDe's character on the TV show. He had transmigrated at sixteen years old, so it wouldn't affect him if someone he barely knew didn't want to connect with him.
Cameron shot Mitchell a sharp look, but just then, the doorbell rang again.
This time, it was several of Andrew's classmates from kindergarten. With no other option, Andrew started playing with his classmates, acting as the older brother, making sure they didn't get hurt, and trying not to seem like the typical boring adult.
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