Page 36 of Comeback
“And now you’re engaged to one of them,” I say, pointing out the irony.
“Life does work in mysterious ways.” She smiles at me and then we both turn our attention to the field. The guys stretch and warm up. Brogan and Archer spend as much time standing around talking as they do preparing for the game, but there is a gravity in their stance and movements that tells me they’re taking it seriously.
“Did you ever imagine having a brother that was a professional football player?” London asks while I’m trying not to notice how good Archer’s arms look in his jersey. Now that I’ve seen his tattoos up close, I can picture the intricate details wrapped around his muscles.
“No. I wished for a sibling a lot, but I never could have imagined this,” I tell her honestly.
I thought about it of course. I always knew that I was adopted and so I wondered like any adopted kid what my birth parents were like. Did I look like them? Did I get my habits or mannerisms from them? I never felt like I missed out. My mom and dad were all I knew, and I had a great childhood. They were loving and playful. They wanted kids so badly and by the time they finally gave up trying to have their own and adopted me, they were so beyond grateful that they never took a second for granted.
Or that’s what they tell me. My dad said he took one look at me in my little pink hospital hat, cute button nose, and just knew their family was finally complete.
“You just have the one sister?” I ask.
“Yeah.” She nods, smiling. “Sierra. She’s great. And for what it’s worth, I’m really glad you moved in so you could get to know Brogan better. He’s ecstatic. I can’t even tell you. He’s trying to play it cool and give you your space, but he’s really happy.”
My chest squeezes. I’ve been so worried about overstepping or infringing on his space and to hear that he’s been holding back for the same reasons, is comforting and also makes me feel silly for keeping my distance.
“I am too,” I tell her. “The more I learn about him, the happier I am to have found him.”
London takes a sip of her drink and fires another question. “And Archer? Are you also happy to have found him?”
With a small laugh, I glance out onto the field directly at the man in question. “Yet to be determined.”
“Fair.” A smile stretches across her face. “For what it’s worth, I can vouch for him generally being a good guy. I know he’s been a bit of a bear lately. He’s really protective of Brogan. I love him for it, but sometimes it makes him come across like…”
“An asshole?”
Her mouth pulls up at the corners. “So you have noticed?”
A laugh escapes from my lips. “It would be pretty hard to miss.”
She winces. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. I understand him even if I don’t agree with his view of me.”
“Sounds like that might be changing. For both of you.”
I hope so. “I would never hurt Brogan intentionally.”
“I know.” London reaches over and squeezes my arm.
“The reason I left…” I trail off, voice wavering.
“Hey, you don’t owe me any explanation,” she says when it’s clear I’m struggling to finish the sentence.
I nod.
We fall quiet for a few beats until I find my voice again. I need her to understand, at least part of why I left.
“The thing is, I’ve had a lot of time to wrap my head around everything. How I was adopted but Brogan wasn’t. All my life I wondered why my birth parents didn’t want me.”
“Oh, Sabrina.” Her voice is soft and sympathetic.
I shake my head because it sounds sad, but I don’t want her sympathy. “I would tell myself all sorts of stories about how they did it to give me a better life or they were spies who didn’t want to endanger my life,” I say with a small laugh. “But until I met Brogan, I couldn’t stop wondering. Then after hearing some of what he went through, it made me realize how lucky I am. I already knew my parents were amazing, but the past year has really put things in perspective for me. So the thing is…” My throat is tight and burns as I swallow. “I am glad that Brogan has someone like Archer. Even if it means he hates me.”
“He doesn’t hate you. He’s just worried. You’re right, Brogan went through a lot. And Archer had a front-row seat. But he’ll come around. In fact, I think he already is. He wouldn’t stay up all night with just anyone.”
Another laugh slips free. My emotions are all over the place. I can’t decide if I’m going to laugh or cry. I’m glad I found Brogan when I did, but I wouldn’t change my parents for anything. Imagining what he went through, wondering if I would have been as resilient as him, makes me appreciate my life so much.
