EPILOGUE 2 #2
Harrison, ever reliable, limits himself to two glasses of wine in solidarity even though he doesn’t have to. But I knew he would because that’s just how my Harrison is, always thinking of me. Always putting me first.
He knows how nervous I am about tonight but he’s always there beside me, holding my hand or with his arm over my shoulder. There’s a camera trained on me the whole night, just as there are with the other front runners and that doesn’t add to the nerves at all. Not one bit.
It takes us all the way to round twenty-four, the final round for eligible votes before I poll the last three votes that takes me to the top of the leaderboard, and I am announced the winner of the Brownlow Medal.
My teammates crowd around me as camera shutters go off and applause and victory music fill my ears.
I can only focus on Harrison as he grabs my face and kisses me, hauling me back down to earth.
I somehow make my way up to the stage where I am presented with the Brownlow Medal from last year’s winner and ushered to the microphone.
I gaze out at the packed room, all eyes on me but I have eyes for only one person, and I find him, the most beautiful person in the room who is not even attempting to hide the tears in his eyes.
I take a breath and look out at the crowd.
“Wow. Thank you,” I begin, fingers clutching the cool metal of the medallion around my neck.
“I’d love to say I didn’t expect this, but with the betting odds in my favour all year, I was starting to worry not winning would’ve been the real scandal.
Still, the truth is… actually holding this feels completely different.
I’m genuinely touched, and maybe just a little relieved.
“I want to say thank you to my family, my parents and sister Luna for supporting me and putting up with me over all the years. Thank you to my Fever teammates for the best year we’ve had.
I’m lucky to be part of the best group of guys ever who bring out the best in each other every week.
Thank you to Mick Brabham and our coaching team for believing in me and trusting me to do my job each week.
Thank you to the trainers, the medicos, the admin, everyone behind the scenes who makes our awesome club tick. ”
I take a deep breath and seek out Harrison’s reassuring eyes again. Then I continue.
“I wasn’t sure if I’d be standing here tonight.
There was a time in my career when I knew this dream would never have been possible.
Three years ago I was suffering from a debilitating adductor injury.
” I pause as I take a breath. Both the Fever and the Dragons somehow managed to keep the seriousness of my injury out of the spotlight so this would be news to most in the room.
“I was in almost constant pain, and it was impacting every part of my game as well as my life,” I press on. “I’m not sure I’d still be walking, let alone winning the Brownlow, if it wasn’t for the phone call from Mick Brabham that changed my life three years ago.”
I pause again. There’s interest in the eyes of the crowd in this story because no one really knows the truth about why I upped and left the successful Elsternwood Dragons to throw my lot in with the new interstate franchise.
“And I’ll be honest, I nearly told Mick Brabham where to go but even I knew better than to disrespect a hall-of-famer.” There is a smattering of laughter at my words before I continue.
“Mick offered me something nobody else had been able to do—and that was hope.
Hope for a pain free game through a different type of injury treatment that the Fever had access to.
And that was enough to convince me to move away from everything I knew and loved to try something different with the Fever.
“And it is honestly the best thing I have ever done for myself. The Fever brought in medical expertise from the English Premier League to treat me. And that’s how I met Harrison Thornfield.
” I pause again as I share a smile with my boyfriend, seeing the love he has for me in his eyes.
“To say he turned my life upside down is an understatement.”
There’s another round of laughs from the crowd as I turn my attention fully on the man I love.
“He literally saved me. Saved my career from being over before it started.
And he saved me from myself a few times too.
He was the one who made the decision to bench me in my first ever game with the Fever and I remember pleading with him to let me play.
I remember telling him he had no idea what this game meant to me.
And Harrison just looked me in the eye and said he knew exactly how much this game meant to me and that was why he was not letting me take to the field before I was ready.
Because he wanted my career to last long into the future.
He wanted to sit in the crowd and watch me play pain free, to one day have a chance at winning a Brownlow Medal.
“Harrison doesn’t have the easiest task, dealing with me every day and trying to keep me grounded.
But he believes in me, even when I haven’t been able to.
And I want to say thank you to Harrison and I love you for everything you’ve given me.
This is every bit as much for you, Harrison, as it is for me,” I say as the crowd breaks into applause and Harrison’s beautiful face is shown up on the big screen.
I had more to say but emotions are choking my throat as my eyes lock with my boyfriend’s, and he is all I can see.
I have never loved anyone the way I love him, and the best thing is that I can see it all returned in the way he looks at me.
The way he’s always looked at me. He’s my future in every way.
If I could go back in time with just this tiny glimpse into what my future would hold for me, I would know that things like being the number one draft pick, things like playing for the biggest club in the league with the biggest supporter base, things like winning the flag or even the Brownlow Medal are but a blip in the road when compared with how fulfilling Harrison has made my life.
How I would give up everything for him and his love. How he is my number one, my number two, my number three, four and five every single day of the week, now and for the rest of forever.
THE END