Chapter 21 #2
“Right, okay, so Foster is making his run, and the crowd starts losing their minds. Screaming, cheering, yelling, there might have been a few tears because we were trailing by three, and there was like less than a minute on the play clock. I can’t remember exactly,” Nathan says.
“Forty-three seconds,” Hope tells him. She glances over at me and smiles, and I feel that smile inside my chest. The easy affection, something that’s always been there, but I was too stubborn to accept.
“Thanks, honey.” Nathan smiles at his wife. “So, the crowd is going insane, and little did we know, Foster’s cleat comes untied.” His smile grows, and even though I was there, it’s fun to hear his retelling.
“He doesn’t notice at first. He’s still sprinting, arms pumping, glory flashing before his eyes.
Until”—Nathan’s body shakes; he’s enjoying telling this one far too much, but it makes me smile—“his shoe flies off behind him like a discarded rocket booster,” he says, his voice rising with glee.
“One of his own teammates dives on the shoe while yelling, ‘Fumble!’ at full volume.” Nathan is sputtering with laughter, his body shaking.
“Jonesy swore it was the ball,” I add, chuckling.
Dude was embarrassed as hell, but we all gave him an A for effort.
“So, I’m running with one cleat, panicking but not letting it stop me,” I add, picking up the story because Nathan is still laughing too hard.
“I keep pushing, but I end up slipping. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I knew I was going down, so to try and save the play, I ducked into a somersault, and somehow the foot with the cleat landed first in the end zone. ”
“Touchdown!” Hope cheers, and we all laugh.
“The refs were stunned. The crowd grew silent for maybe half a second, then completely erupted. I think that’s the loudest game that school has ever heard,” Nathan says, his laughter finally under control.
“My teammates started calling me by a princess name we will not repeat,” I tell Eden. “They reminded me every game and every practice for the rest of the season to double-knot my laces so I don’t lose my slipper, meaning my cleats,” I explain.
Eden giggles. “I got that part.” She smiles, her eyes glowing with happiness.
“That’s one for the history books,” Nathan says. “A sixty-two-yard touchdown, assisted by gravity and poor footwear.”
“I love it!” Eden says, laughing.
“Thank you for this, Foster,” Hope says. “It’s been such a joy to get to spend some time with you.” She blinks a few times, her eyes misty.
Eden reaches over and takes my hand in hers. I latch on to her, and not for the first time since meeting this woman, I open my heart and my mouth, letting the words flow freely.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice. I’m glad you’re here,” I tell her. I take a deep breath and keep going before I lose my nerve. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me over the years. You saved me. I wouldn’t be where I am in life, in my career, none of it, without you,” I ramble.
“Foster,” Hope says, her voice cracking.
Nathan wraps his arm around her shoulder and pulls her close.
“You were our greatest gift. We were never able to have biological children. You made us parents.” She smiles, losing her battle as a tear slides down her cheek.
“Please don’t think that comes with expectations.
You set boundaries, and we’re more than happy to follow them, but know that in our hearts, you’re our son. ”
Fuck, her words cause my chest to crack wide open.
“I’m sorry,” I breathe. “I pushed you both away. Everyone I ever let close to me left me. Then Violet…” I say my voice trailing off.
“I let that rejection sink deep inside me, and if it were not for Eden, it would still be there, festering just beneath the surface.”
“Thank you, Eden. Thank you for bringing our boy back to us,” Nathan says, his voice gravelly.
Eden turns to look at me, our eyes meeting. Hers are glassy with emotion. “He brought himself back. All I did was love him.”
I don’t care that Nathan and Hope are watching us. I don’t give a single fuck who sees me love this woman. Leaning in, I press my lips to hers. “I love you.”
Her smile is radiant. “I love you, too.”
I turn back to Nathan and Hope. “Thank you for never giving up on me. I’m sorry for all the heartache I caused and for pushing you away. It’s not that I didn’t appreciate you. Love you,” I say quietly. “I was afraid of losing you, too.”
“That won’t happen, son,” Nathan says. “We chose you, Foster. We’ll never stop choosing you.”
“Oh my,” Hope says, fanning her face as more tears fall.
“Right?” Eden says, her voice raspy.
“I’ll stop.” I smile at the two most important women in my life.
“But there’s one more thing.” I make sure I have the undivided attention of all three of them.
“I want you in my life. I want more visits like this. You have an open invitation. My home is open to you, tickets to games, whatever you want. I want to provide it. I want holidays, and when I convince this woman to marry me, I want you to be there. I want you both there for all of it.”
Eden gasps.
Hope cheers.
Nathan chuckles.
Just like that, everything in my world is brighter. Lighter. Happier.
For so long, I let fear guide me. Fear of my past, of being rejected, of losing someone I love. Eden helped me see that. She loved me through all of it, and I let her. It’s because of her that I had the confidence to change the play.