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FOR THE FIRST time in a minute, my chest didn’t feel tight.
Everything about my life felt like it was going exactly how I wanted it to.
I was in love. Not only with the woman of my dreams but with the child I thought I would resent.
She’d become everything to me and the center of our world.
I’d weathered the storms that the media tried to throw at me and I had survived.
Not only that, but life was even better than I imagined.
I had more sponsorships than I ever had and Ami and I were set to star in a baby food commercial around the first of the year.
They wanted to include Sterling but she refused, saying that she was far happier only being seen in the small footprint of our lives in Texas and with the team.
She wasn’t about to start jumping in front of the camera and giving people more bullshit to say about her.
She wasn’t scared, she simply didn’t want the headache for something that she didn’t care about, anyway.
She had already stated that she wanted to have input on what Ami wore, though.
Nobody was going to have her baby out there looking a mess.
With the way I started this year, I never would’ve considered that it could’ve ended this good. Loving the child that I didn’t think was mine, to learning the hard truth of that situation and learning to be okay and secure with myself again.
“You ready to play?”
Runt pounded his fist on my shoulder pad to hype me up and I just gave him a smile.
“You're blocking and I’m scoring, bruh. Send these fools back home with a lump of coal from Santa for Christmas in the form of this L.”
Runt grinned and nodded before pulling his helmet down over his head. He was a mountain of a man but moved with the type of fluidity that someone his size shouldn’t possess.
My thoughts always ran wild before I ran out on the field and today they were focused on gratitude. How I could’ve stayed off my game if God hadn’t sent me an angel in the form of a premature baby with a crazy egg donor. And that blessing led to all the others that followed. Sterling.
I couldn’t wait to get home so that she could see what was waiting for her under the tree.
Billy had expedited the paperwork for the adoption since there was no one to contest it.
Ami’s egg donor being dead and her parents locked up on extensive charges.
I hadn’t thought their threats were a big deal, but apparently Texas didn’t take kindly to extortion, threatened or otherwise.
Theft by coercion was a big no-no and if it rose to a first-degree felony, they were facing at least five years in jail.
I already knew the people around us were going to go for the maximum because of Ami being involved.
The offensive line was announced and I got ready for them to run through the rest of the offense. The fireworks going off at the end of the tunnel flashed across my face and I again thought of how excited I was for her to know that in all ways, Ami was officially her daughter.
Of course, that wasn’t the only thing under the tree for her.
I had a ruby and diamond bracelet that I had designed for her.
It was nice enough so that anyone looking at her knew how I felt about her but wasn’t too gaudy that she couldn’t wear it everyday.
Sterling spent so much time running from her wealth that she didn’t have time to live in luxury.
I was going to change that, not because I wanted to change her, but she deserved the world and I was going to give her as much of it as I could.
“Give it up for Number 8, Aldrich Fast Money Dinerooooooo!”
I grinned and pulled on my helmet before running out of the tunnel. We were wearing our limited edition all black Jerseys. The only color was the Desperado blue of our numbers. Even our names were in black. I ran out to the noise of the crowd ready to play.
I met up with Ant on the sideline and he was shaking his limbs out.
About halfway through the season, he started doing kickoff returns and his ass had run two of them back.
I was so proud of my dawg, because he was so far into the black of his contract Parker was happily cutting incentive checks when he exceeded expectations.
I hit my salary escalator once I surpassed a thousand yards and every hundred over that was another tier.
I was hoping to surpass two thousand, not just for the money but also to exceed my personal best.
“You good?”
He was working his neck from side to side and I knew what was causing his nerves.
“I’m good, bruh. I ain’t want anything but to play my adult life but I’m ready for this game to be done.”
I understood his anxiety because I was feeling the same way.
He was going to propose to Aphrodite tonight and why this fool thought she was going to say no.
The ring was beautiful and we’d gone at the same time to have the girls’ rings designed.
Aphrodite’s was a classic diamond but a four-carat heart shape on a pave band.
Since Sterling’s favorite color was red, I was sourcing a pigeon-blood Burmese ruby ring.
The jeweler that Jacoby had hooked us up with was named Nevaeh and she seemed to find anything.
She’d let me know this week she’d found the perfect stone and it was just under six carats.
She explained that the cushion cut wasn’t going to show up as big because of the dimensions and if Sterling thought it was too big she’d set it in a pendant for her.
I was happy either way and gave her the green light.
I knew Sterling would want to celebrate Ant and Aphrodite for a minute, but as soon as I got that ring in hand it was going on her finger.
“You’re going to ask the woman you love to marry you. She’s gonna say yes, so play with the confidence that by the end of the night you’ll be earmarking more bread to spend on a wedding.”
He grinned, my words the happy thought he needed to get him through the game. “True. ’Twan said since her daddy is a fuck nigga he’s gone be the father of the bride and pay for it.”
I bust out laughing because he was forever collecting people up. I remember when Ant joked Antwan volunteered to walk Aphrodite down the aisle. It was clear he wasn’t just talking.
We watched as special teams lined up to kick the ball so they could punt it to the other team. We were playing the Minnesota Marauders and although they weren’t a playoff contender; we weren’t going to take it easy on them just because.
It was Anthony’s turn on the field and I dapped him up because I needed to get my ass to my huddle and go over the gameplay with Coach J.
“Go out there and give them people another reason to keep your name in their mouths. We get this win then you make things permanent with Aphrodite.”
“That’s real. I’m proud of us, bruh. Everybody had something negative to say and now they having to eat their words.”
“Facts. Best part about it is, it’s only up from here and they can stay mad.” We did the handshake that we’d created while we’d gotten close lifting with one another at the start of the spring. It ended with us embracing one another and I gave him an extra pat on the back to hype him up.
He ran off and I jogged down the sideline, feeling the metal of the chain that Sterling had gifted me hitting against my chest. I pulled it out with each score and kissed it so she knew I was thanking her, not for the gift, but how her love had been the driving force for me to become the man I was.
One who could lead a family, love even deeper than before, who could look at himself in the mirror and smile.
And more than anything, I was becoming a man that I know my father would’ve been proud of.
With that gladness, that joy in my heart I made it over to Coach J who was looking at me like I’d lost my mind.
“Money, you get lost?” Chris and a few of the scout team players grinned cause they knew how we joked.
I had cut it close because, as usual our defense was playing like they were hungrier for the ball than our opponents.
The stadium was loud, the energy as high as ever and I could feel myself getting hyped.
“That’s my fault. I had to take a minute to myself and get my mind right. Reflect on my gratitude and thank my pops for watching over me.”
Coach J nodded and since he was privy to a lot more than others, he wasn’t gone get in my ass too bad. “You ready to work? You close to your goal.”
I hesitated only for a second and his face started to shift with concern. I smiled and nodded my head the warmth that spread through my chest a hug from my dad reminding me he was watching over me.
“Always. Let’s give these people even more reason to hate us.”
The End