Page 210 of Forever

Jefferson just stood there, his eyes like saucers.

“Go get ‘em,” I said.

He gulped.

“You’ve got this.”

He slowly nodded, took a deep breath, and jogged out onto the field.

I heard a few gasps from the stands.

But Jefferson had this. I knew it. I pictured Brooklyn singing to her tomato plants. All those little Henrys. She’d made them thrive. And it felt like Henry Jefferson had tied us together somehow. Through the distance and time. And I was putting all my chips on him. He had to thrive too.

“Go Henry!” Kennedy yelled from the sidelines. And then she whispered to me: “It looks like he’s going to faint.”

“He’s got this,” I said firmly.

I held my breath as the ball was snapped. Smith caught the ball and placed it on the ground for Jefferson.

Jefferson’s foot collided with the ball.

The whole crowd hushed as the ball took off from the ground. It flew over the heads of everyone on the line. Above a defender’s hand who jumped to try and block it. Up, up, and right through the center of the goal posts as the clock ticked down to zero. The buzzer sounded, signaling the end of regulation time.

For just a second, everyone in the stadium was silent.

And then the cheers erupted louder than ever before.

The whole crowd was chanting: “Jeff-er-son!Jeff-er-son! Jeff-er-son!”

“Victory is ours!” Nigel yelled.

The team lifted Jefferson up on their shoulders and joined in on the chanting.

I breathed a sigh of relief and a smile spread across my face.Fuck yes!

Coaching this team had been the only thing holding me together for the past several years. They’d needed me. They’d relied on me. And normally I’d be out on that field screaming with them.

But I knew that focusing on coaching was just my attempt at filling a void. Because all I’d ever wanted was Brooklyn. To need me. To rely on me. To love me. She was all I’d ever needed. All I’d ever wanted.

I turned to look at the stands. Brooklyn was pushing her way through the crowd that was flooding the field. But the stadium was packed. She was barely halfway down the stands.

So I started running toward her.

Game days had always been the days I missed her most. Seeing flashes of her in the stands. I used to visit her grave a lot on those days to talk to the old her. When I first realized she was alive, I’d wanted to keep talking to the old her. But I was so glad we weren’t the old us. Because I loved this version of her even more. She was finally wearing a wedding band I’d given her. She was finally Brooklyn Caldwell. She had my baby in her stomach. Yeah, I loved the new her.

I pushed through the crowd. I could just make her out in the sea of people. All I wanted was her in my arms. Tocelebrate with a kiss. Just the way we used to when I was the one playing.

Even though we’d gone through so much pain to get here, I knew I was lucky. Lucky to get to fall in love with her all over again. Maybe the first time wasn’t meant to last. But this time? This was forever.

Chapter 47

Saturday

Brooklyn

I tried to run down the bleachers, but there were too many people in my path. It felt like I was in high school again, watching Matt play. Everyone cheering his name, but knowing he only cared that I was cheering for him.

I no longer saw him out on the field. He’d disappeared in the sea of people rushing the field to celebrate with the team. I ducked under someone’s arm and sidestepped someone else. I was barely halfway down the bleachers.

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