As Lance's gaze fell on Sue, his nose tingled with emotion.
For a long time, he had thought he should maintain some distance from Sue and Alan. After all, he was an adult now, and children eventually grow up to carve out their own place in the world.
But seeing the scene before him, he was reminded of his own parents and the original Lance who had disappeared. No matter what, he was now Lance, and from now on, he would continue to live as Lance.
When it came time to speak, it turned out to be easier than he had imagined.
"Mom, don't worry about me. I'll take care of myself."
Sue wiped her eyes messily and straightened her back, looking at Lance again.
"How can I not worry?"
"No matter how old you are, you'll always be a child in your mother's eyes. Worrying about you is my job, and it will be, even when I'm old."
"If you're ready, then go out and face the world bravely. I believe in you. No matter what happens, I'll always be here waiting for you."
Her words were calm yet powerful, like a harbor silently watching over Lance.
Lance nodded firmly.
Sue smiled and beckoned everyone, "Come on, let's eat before everything gets cold."
"Oh, Jake, you mentioned we could watch the game on TV?"
Jake was a little confused.
The family in front of him, speaking a mix of English and Chinese, fired off a rapid exchange. He could only understand parts of it but realized that things might be more complicated than he thought. Trying to remain unnoticed, he quietly held his breath, feeling a bit guilty, thinking he might have stirred up a hornet's nest. He wanted to apologize but sensed the atmosphere wasn't right, so he swallowed his words.
Then, suddenly, the conversation shifted toward him. Jake blinked in surprise and quickly nodded.
"Yes, yes! You can catch the games coming up…"
Jake looked nervously at Lance, hoping for a sign. Should he keep going, or was this not the right moment?
Lance chuckled, "Jake, just make sure to turn on the TV for the games, alright?"
Jake nodded enthusiastically, visibly relaxing as he exhaled a sigh of relief.
"But can you guys even understand football?" Lance asked, smiling.
"Football? Why wouldn't we understand football?" Alan asked.
"Not soccer. In America, soccer is football. What I'm talking about is football—what they call 'football' here is a sport with an oval-shaped ball that you throw."
"What? I've been in America for so many years, and this is the first I'm hearing about it."
"Oh! I remember now," Sue interjected. "Honey, remember last time we saw a group of kids in the park tossing around a brown ball? We wondered what kind of sport that was. That must've been football, right?"
"Right, Mom. That was football," Lance confirmed.
The chatter continued, and the atmosphere warmed up again.
The Christmas holiday was still underway, and this year, New York had been covered in snow. The streets were blanketed in white, while Christmas carols echoed through every corner, filling the air with a festive spirit.
But professional sports never stopped—
The NFL had scheduled games on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year.
On Christmas Eve, Friday night, the Cincinnati Bengals faced off against the Houston Texans. On Christmas Day, Saturday, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers' historic rivalry took place in the afternoon, followed by the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs in the evening.
For the first time ever, Lance spent Christmas at home with his parents, watching football and teaching them the basics of the game.
The "Steelers-Ravens" matchup is always a legendary rivalry in the NFL, and over the years, it has produced countless classic moments. This year's Christmas showdown was no exception.
The two defense-heavy teams engaged in a hard-fought battle, with the scoreline remaining tight until the last minute. The Steelers finally clinched victory with a game-winning pass touchdown in the dying seconds, defeating the Ravens at home.
Final score: 27–31.
With this win, the Steelers ended the Ravens' four-game winning streak and eliminated Baltimore's chances of making the playoffs, bringing their season to an early end.
Though the Steelers' defense was as strong as ever, the Ravens' offense—especially their dismal running game—was an unmitigated disaster.
The team's top running back, Kenneth Dixon, managed only 57 rushing yards and fumbled once, leaving Baltimore's already struggling offense in tatters.
After the game, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh unleashed a rare tirade, clearly frustrated with how the season had ended so abruptly. Since their Super Bowl triumph in 2012, the Ravens had missed the playoffs in three of the last four seasons.
Later that night, the Denver Broncos faced the Kansas City Chiefs, but it was a one-sided affair.
After winning the Super Bowl last season, legendary quarterback Peyton Manning had retired, bringing an end to his 18-year career in the NFL.
Rumor had it that the Broncos' head coach felt Manning didn't fit his ground-heavy offensive system, and the team had shifted to a defense-first strategy—just as they had when they won the Super Bowl. The team's general manager agreed, and they both pushed Manning to retire.
It was either a graceful exit or an ugly season ahead.
Manning chose the former.
Since Manning's departure, the Denver Broncos had struggled to find their rhythm. The offense, which had been the league's most dominant for the last five seasons, crumbled. This year, they were ranked dead last in offensive efficiency, completely losing their way.
Against the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver's offensive struggles continued, scoring fewer than ten points for the third consecutive game, and they were thrashed on the road by the Chiefs.
Final score: 10–33.
This defeat officially knocked the Broncos out of the playoffs, ending their streak of five consecutive playoff appearances and their hopes of defending the Super Bowl title.
On the other hand, while the Chiefs secured a playoff spot with the win, their head coach, Andy Reid, wasn't smiling.
Since their star running back, Jamaal Charles, tore his ACL in Week 8, the team's ground game had been dismal. None of their four running backs had stepped up.
In this game, Spencer Ware, who replaced Charles as the lead back, continued to struggle, rushing for fewer than 30 yards, effectively nullifying the Chiefs' ground attack.
Reid was in such a tight spot that he had to rely on rookie wide receiver Tyreek Hill to play as a running back, trying to salvage some offensive balance.
While the victory was theirs, Reid knew they wouldn't go far in the playoffs with such a crippled running game.
As the Christmas holiday came to a close, some were left celebrating while others faced disappointment. The NFL regular season had just one week left, and the final push for the playoffs was on.
Meanwhile, the 2016 NCAA season was entering its final stages, with the major bowl games and the national championship just around the corner. The race for the title was heating up!
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Powerstones?
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