Page 46 of Personal Foul
Truth be told, that was a question I hadn’t given a lot of thought about when I was younger.
I always knew I wanted to be a mom, although I thought about motherhood coming long after I settled into a career. It didn’t look picture perfect, coming with marriage, building the house with the white picket fence, and children after we settled in. I knew I could give a child a family and love, and however it came for me I knew it would be meant to be.
Life never seemed to work out like that for me.
“I’ve found my career, my passion, and what makes me happy. It’s something many spend their whole lives searching for, but I think we’re lucky to have found it.”
“I agree.” He nods.
“Outside of that, I mean, I hope I’m settled down and have a family of my own.”
“Really?” He sounds almost surprised, perking his head up, staring down at me. His eyes flash over to the water, lost in thought.
“Yeah, I would love to have kids. A family to come home to, ya know?”
He rolls onto his side, running his fingers over my cheek and through the strands of my hair, brushing it away from my face. The saltwater air blows around us, and my feet are hanging off the edge of the blanket in the warm sand.
“What about you?”
He’s quiet for a moment. I start to wonder if he’s picturing it in his mind and if it’s something he’d want, too.
“I want what you want,” he whispers.
His words, the way they roll off his tongue, spoken with so much conviction, wrap around my heart. I start to picture what our future would look like, flipping through the different phases of life together. Colson retiring from the NBA, seeing him sitting behind a broadcaster table breaking down the game. I see him as the hands-on father, cheering on from the sidelines with a whistle and a clipboard, just like my dad would do as a coach.
“I always hoped I’d finish off my career in Chicago, but the more I’m here with the team, with you, I realize this is where I want to be. I want to play for the Blaze until I retire, get married, and have a family. Who knows how many more years I’ll have left in the league, but wherever life goes from here, I know I want you next to me.”
I’ve thought about Colson and how great he was with the kids down at the Boys and Girls Clinic many times since the Community Cares event. I know without a doubt when he has children of his own, he’ll be a wonderful father.
“You know, I was thinking…” I whisper, getting an idea. “We have the Miami Blaze Foundation banquet dinner coming up next week. Will you be my date?”
“We haven’t even finished up our date tonight and you’re already asking me on another?” He holds his hand to his chest, his jaw dropping with mock surprise.
I playfully swat at his chest, sending him rolling onto his back. He laughs, rubbing where I hit him, wincing as if I hurt him.
“Fine, I’m sure I could find someone else who would want to join me. Jaxsen’s still single, right?” I raise my brow, leaning up on my elbow to stare down at him. I’m unable to contain my smile seeing his gaze turn from playful to dark.
“Not going to fuckin’ happen,” he chortles.
“Why not?”
“We have a no-trade clause, which means you’re stuck with me on your team. I’m your forever date now.”
