Epilogue
Gabe
A year ago, I thought I was on top of the world, thought I had it all, but I didn’t. It’s impossible to have everything. Even in football, if you manage that elusive perfect no-loss season, you get hurt along the way, every play doesn’t work out the way you picture it.
This year, I gained a lot. And I lost a lot. My mother is gone. The girl I grew up with from a na?ve rookie to a seasoned pro is all but gone.
On the plus side, I’ve found the love of my life, found I have it in me to give so much more than I thought possible. That makes up for a lot, helps ease the painful parts of life on and off the field.
Damn, If I had a diary I’d be writing this shit down. As it is, I’m sitting in my kitchen drinking coffee, mooning over Mia as I watch her blend her juice. Wishing she were naked, but it’s still too cold and she’s bundled up. Gorgeous even with a fluffy robe and messed up hair.
She turns to me with her easy disarming smile and I get that same feeling I always do, like my heart’s leaping for joy from my chest to my throat.
“You ready to come up with our invitation list?” she says.
“Never readier.” I’m too gob-smacked by the fact that we’re getting married next year to be intimidated by an invitation list. “Hell, we’re just going to invite everyone we know, right? How hard can it be?”
She laughs and sits with me at our kitchen island—it’s ours now because she agreed to live here in East Boston with me, gets how special this place is to me. She treats my home—our home—with reverence. Pulling out a notepad and pen from a drawer she gets serious.
“Going old school with pen and paper?”
“There’s something about writing everyone’s name down that makes it more special.”
“You’re special.” She gives me an eye-roll.
“We invite the whole team?”
“Everyone who’s name I know,” I say and I mean it.
She laughs. “That’s a lot of people. What about those poor people who’s name you keep forgetting?”
“I have nick names for them. Cat will help me fill in the blanks.”
“What if they’re no longer on the team next year when we get married?”
I shrug, “They can still come to the wedding. Though that reminds me, I may need to add names to the list as we go, as we get new players.”
“Of course. Let’s start with our closest friends.”
“Denise is on the list,” I say, waiting for her reaction.
“I was about to say the same thing.” She sighs. I know she misses her friend, has some regrets. Reaching my hand out, I cover hers.
“She’ll be there. I’ll bet you anything.”
“Anything?” She grins. I’m ready to give her the world and lay it at her feet, so why does my heart stutter with anticipation? An old habit maybe.
“You know you own me, Mia. Lock, stock and barrel.”
She shifts in her seat and leans close so that her robe gapes open and I get a great view of her perfect breasts down to the rosie tips of her nipples. She touches her lips to mine in a searing kiss and I reach in and palm her breast until she moans into my mouth.
“On second thought,” she says, moving her lips to my morning-stubbled jaw, her hand running through my hair, making me ache for her. “There’s plenty of time for our wedding guest list later. Why don’t we go back to bed?”
Not bothering with an answer, I swoop her up into my arms as she giggles like a giddy girl, making my heart and cock swell like they’ve never swelled before and I carry her to our bedroom. Then in case of impromptu visitors, I kick the door closed behind us.
The rest of the day… well, it’s what happens when a man and a woman love each other like there’s no tomorrow.
# The End #