Page 136 of Comeback
Graham continues pouting and griping to anyone and everyone who will listen. By the time the third quarter starts, he’s getting a wide berth from the team and coaches. A bad attitude can spread, and this second half is going to take all we’ve got.
Coach changes things up and Graham is left on the sideline. He tosses his helmet and gets a side-eye from the coaching staff.
I pause beside him to put on my helmet before taking the field. “Don’t worry, Graham. I’ll put you in the backpack today.”
Without waiting for his reply, I take the field. Petty? Probably. But damn, it feels good.
“Ready to get into the end zone?” Cody asks me.
“Hell yeah.”
He lets a grin slip, then calls the play. As I get into position at the line of scrimmage, adrenaline pumps through me so hard that I have to wiggle my fingers to release some of the energy ready to burst out of me. The Vikings’ defensive line is big and ugly, and ready to pummel us into the ground.
At the snap, I move quickly, slipping by the purple jerseys and running down the field.
At the fifty-yard line, I glance back. The defense is making it hard for Cody to make a throw, so I keep going, watching and waiting. Cody shuffles left and gets off the pass as he’s taken down.
Everything goes quiet for me. I don’t hear the crowd yelling my name or the defense chasing after me. It’s just the ball sailing toward me and my legs pumping hard down the field. I lift my hands as the ball inches closer and drops into my outstretched fingers. I catch it and hold the fuck on as I sprint into the end zone.
The noise comes back in a wave as I stop running. My heart is still racing, and the ball is palmed in one hand.
Brogan is the first to reach me.
“Unstoppable!” he yells, getting right up into my face, then backs up to give me room to have my moment in the spotlight. I lift the football in my hand as I jog the width of the end zone in my usual celebration move. I stop in front of a camera that’s following the action, toss the ball, and hold up half a heart for my girl.
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When I get to the sky box after the game, Sabrina rushes forward like she’s going to launch herself into my arms. I drop my bag and catch her the moment she does just that. She kisses me as I spin us around.
“You were fantastic! Amazing! Incredible! You won! I’m so turned on right now!” She says all of it in a rush, beaming at me and holding my face in her hands.
A chuckle tries to break free but then she’s kissing me again. Winning has never felt this good.
I tangle one hand in her hair, and I kiss her with everything I have. Today was because of her. Because I knew she was here cheering me on, loving me like no one else has. Because she showed me what it is like to stand up and fight for what you want.
She could have given up when Graham bought the studio, but she didn’t. She didn’t even consider it for a second.
Being with her has made me want to be a better man. She’s made me realize what’s important and what’s just noise.
I feel her go still in my arms and then she says, “Oops.”
I pull away from her slowly and finally look at the other people crowded around us. They’re all staring at us. Brogan hides his smirk by glancing down at the ground, and I feel my face heat as I smile at Sabrina’s parents.
Loosening my grip, I let my girl slide down my body until her feet are on the ground.
“Good to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock,” I say, wrapping one arm around their daughter.
Her mom is a few inches shorter than Sabrina with short blonde hair and gray-blue eyes that crinkle in the corners when she smiles. The adoration as she looks at her daughter is hard to miss. Her dad too. He’s a big guy – tall and stout. He has a thick head full of gray hair and a beard that’s trimmed short. He’s wearing an old Mavericks jersey donning the name of one of my all-time favorite wide receivers to play the game.
“That was quite a game,” Mr. Whitlock says, extending a hand.
I shake it and thank him.
“I don’t know the last time I enjoyed watching football so much.” Sabrina’s mom steps forward and embraces me. She’s a hugger. I just met her last night, but I bet she hugged me a dozen times already. It’s nice. Makes me think of my mom and wonder what she would have thought of Sabrina. I know she would have loved her, but I still would have enjoyed seeing them together. I’m not sure how I feel about God and the afterlife, but I like to think she’s smiling at me wherever she is.
We linger in the sky box. Most of the stadium has cleared and the field is empty. Sabrina and I are standing with her dad while he asks me about the season and tells me stories about games he’s been to. He’s been a Mavericks fan longer than I’ve been alive.
