by Nicole Casey
The field was dark green and the benches were filled with over a hundred thousand spectators. It was a marvel to witness and a miracle that I was a part of it all. My teammates, who all come from different NFL teams to forge this one “dream team” of players, saluted me as I came onto the field. Even though some of them had been my rivals in previous games, this time around we were allies and we all had respect for each other’s skills and talents.
For a brief moment, my eyes lingered and I glanced at the crowd. There was a part of me that hoped she would be there but I knew the reality of that happening was beyond slim. She was back in Stateside, taking Jeremy to preschool and preparing for Jackson and Amy’s wedding.
I should be preparing too. I checked my schedule and it turned out I could attend the wedding and be the Best Man. However, I had to deal with what was right in front of me – I had to deal with the game.
Before long, the referee was out on the field. There was a coin toss, the ball was handed, and in just a few minutes we began to clash against each other on the grass. I could hear the announcers speaking on the PA system and the sound of commercials playing non-stop. I could feel the grit of the grass every time someone tackled me down whenever I tried to dash with the ball or throw it to my running back.
Mere minutes passed and we had scored our first touchdown. The opposition had struggled after and our defensive line managed to push them back several yards until they had no choice but to try and kick it through the goal posts for a measly three points.
I was determined to win, however, and I made them pay for that small success by launching a new game plan with my teammates. It was risky, sure, but with my speed and ability to trick our opponents I made a mad dash across forty yards to score yet another touchdown.
The crowd went wild. I could hear my name being chanted on and on. When I looked at the big screen I could see my face. This was a dream come true. I knew the boys at Mercury Wild knew what this felt like. They’ve all gone through their own ups and downs and a taste of massive success.
Now it was my time and boy, I did love it.
The whistle sounded off and once again my mind shifted to the game. Despite how busy we were on the field, however, in the very back recesses of my mind, I thought of Emilia. I could picture her soft, tight little body that turned me on. I thought of her sharp mind and the funny things she’d say. I thought of Jeremy and how sweet of a little boy he was and how smart he was for a kid his age.
In the snap of a second, all of that evaporated as one of the opposing players slammed into me. The distraction was enough to knock me off balance before I could toss the football off to my runner, and before I knew it I was overwhelmed by another tackle and then a third. I was down on the ground, eating dirt. That was our first down. I had to keep my head in the game.
When I got up, I dusted myself clean and cracked my knuckles. There was no time to think about Emilia and Jeremy. I had a game to win.
10
Emilia
Every day since Damon and I last spoke I spent the time pacing around aimlessly, pondering about what to do. Whenever Jeremy was at school I’d drive over to Mercury Wild where I could get a drink and just gossip with Lyla or Jasmine and get my mind off of Damon. Other days I spent with Amy and helped her plan her wedding with my brother. It was due in three more weeks.
When I tried to call Damon I discovered he had already left town. His agent called me back and told me Damon was out with the football team – they were practicing for the upcoming exhibition game in London. Their coach even told me he was the main star of the event – a young quarterback who could prove his prowess if he leads the team to victory.
That didn’t sit well with me, however. I needed to fix this issue with Damon, especially now that he knew the truth.
My mind was this muddled two days before the big game. I was back in Mercury Wild – Jeremy was out with Amy at the zoo – and I was out with Carrie, Dylan’s ex-girlfriend. Rumors were spreading that she was also filing a lawsuit against him but nobody could tell for sure. Dylan was one of the more powerful billionaires in Mercury Wild and I didn’t want to get involved with their personal issues.
“So, what do you plan to do?” she asked me as we sipped on our Margaritas. It was three in the afternoon and I was set on getting smashed until late at night. At this time of day there were already some patrons here at Mercury Wild.
I shrugged, sipped and then answered, “I don’t know. Oh, and please don’t tell anyone else what I told you, okay? The last thing I need is gossip flying about. Can you imagine all the chaos that would happen if Trevor and the others bugged Damon about Jeremy?”
She nodded and finished her drink, “I wouldn’t worry about it. Gossip flies quickly but it dies as fast too. Seriously, though, you need to consider your options. He might leave you again and this time for good.”
“That doesn’t really scare me anymore,” I revealed. I sighed in sorrow and took a moment to listen to the old 80s music playing in the background. I then turned to her and explained, “I just think that by the end of the day things will just go back to the way they were – just me and Jeremy living our lives. We got by several years without Damon – we can do it again.”
“He needs a father,” Carrie tried to point out. “Back then he had no experience with a father figure but now he has. If you keep pushing Damon out this way then you’re not doing anything good; you’re just going to make Jeremy feel lonely.”
She was definitely right about that. While Jeremy still only thought of Damon as “mommy’s new friend” who we hung out with, he was already feeling the burn of not being around him. There were days where he’d ask where Damon was and if we were going to go out again. He obviously missed Damon.
“What else can I do?” I asked Carrie.
“Do the crazy thing,” she answered with a wicked glint in her eyes. “I know I would do the craziest thing if I was in love the way you are.”
I rolled my eyes, “Define crazy.”
She laughed and bit down on her lip, “Sweetie, men love it when we go out of our way to show them we love them.”
“So what happened between you and Dylan?” I dared to ask.
Carrie shrugged it off and said, “He got too rich to care anymore. It’s okay though. I can survive. Now come on, do the dumbest, craziest thing you know you could do for the name of love. If you think you’ve come up with the wildest idea then you know it’s the right one.”
My mind raced as I thought of all the crazy things I could do to let Damon know I love him and that I can forgive him for being so brash the day I told him Jeremy was his son. I had to ask for his forgiveness too for being a stuck-up bitch that day and being so demanding when I should have been more lenient and patient about the situation.
How could I let him know all of that? A simple phone call wouldn’t do the trick. A text message or Facebook message would seem lame and nowhere near as sincere as I’d like it to be.
That was when something popped into my head.
“Carrie, I have to go,” I suddenly told her as I got up from my seat. I handed her some cash to pay for our drinks. “Here, tell Jasmine I said hi. I have to go – thank you so much, you really gave me a good idea.”
She laughed, took the cash and said, “Go girl, I’ll take it from here.”
I waved goodbye and made my way through the crowd. I walked out of Mercury Wild and through the parking lot. As I got back in my car I whipped out my phone and called Amy.
“Amy?” I called out as soon as she answered. “How’s Jeremy?”
“Huh? Oh, hi there Emilia!” she replied. “Yes, he’s right here, actually. We’re looking at the lions now. We just passed by the zebra exhibit.”
“Can you guys drive back home?” I asked. “I need to take Jeremy with me.”
She paused and then asked, “Wait, what? Where are you guys going?”
“This is probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever done but I’ve got to give a try, Amy,
” I explained. “I need to take Jeremy and go to London. I need to be there for Damon. We need to be there for him.”
“What? Why? What’s going on?”
“Damon is Jeremy’s father, Amy,” I told her. “It’s time we spend time together as a family.”
11
Damon
The half-time show for the exhibition game was weird beyond a doubt – pop singers, movie trailers, video game presentations and more were showcased but there were politicians dancing, celebrities trying to be funny and even a skit making fun of heavily criticized world leaders. It was cringe-worthy but fun all the same.
When it was all done, however, it was time to get back into the game. Even with the rest, we were all very tired. We had a big lead ahead of our opponents but at the cost of three injuries and multiple replacements on the field, particularly for our defensive lineup. We had to maintain our lead or help it grow otherwise the opposing team could take advantage of our weakened state and turn the table around. We might lose this game if I didn’t think of something fast.
As soon as the whistle blew and the first play launched into action we knew we were in trouble. We lost several yards despite having the ball. We got pushed back a good thirty yards and in one more round, we’d lose possession.
I looked around, hoping I could think of something radical that way we could gain the advantage. That was when I saw the close-up video of the crowd on the big plasma screen.
There were Emilia and Jeremy, seated up there, cheering me on.
What the heck were they doing all the way here in London? Since when did they get here? My mind was so muddled with so many questions but none of them really mattered. What did matter was the fact that they were here.
That could only mean that Emilia was willing to talk to me about Jeremy. She was so adamant last time about me taking responsibility. I wasn’t sure I could handle it. The sudden shift in my life and career was scary, to say the least.
Smack!
“What the fuck?” I cursed as I turned to see my teammate had thrown the football at me.
“Dude, you were spacing out,” he told me as he ran up to his position. “Focus, man, you’re the one who’s got to think of a way to win.”
I shook my head, hoping to shake off the dizziness, and then clapped my hands to get a plan going. I huddled my teammates and told them, “Look. We need to get one more touchdown to seal the deal here. We’ve got the lead but they can take over if we don’t push our lead a little further.”
“Yeah, but they’ve shifted their team to really bolster their defense,” my running back, Rory, answered. “It’s not going to be easy to find an opening and pass me the ball. Even if you do, I don’t think I can get very far with the tacklers they have in place.”
I nodded in agreement, “I know, that’s why we’re going to do something very different. We’re going to do a false run.”
My teammates looked at me with expressions of confusion. They knew what I meant but they didn’t see how it would work in our favor.
“We’re not going to do a one-turn false pass,” I elaborated. “We’re going to do it twice.”
Everyone in the huddle voiced out their concerns simultaneously.
“We can’t do that,” my running back said. “One pass is already hard enough to get through, how much more to do two?”
“Trust me,” I said. I then pointed to my left flank runner, “I’ll pretend to pass the ball to you but then make a dash at the last second. I’ll then pass it to Rory and he’ll pass it to you once you’re clear. Make a run for it and just pass the ball back to me the moment you’re close to the field goal.”
Rory still didn’t seem to like that idea, “That’s too risky, man. When did you ever see a play like that? There’s a reason a quarterback only passes the ball once or runs with it.”
“I know, dude,” I shot back. “Just trust me on this. They push out all their effort on the first tackle but they don’t have anyone leaning back. We can zigzag around that opening once we get the ball behind them.”
“Well, here’s hoping, dude,” Rory relented and we all clasped hands for one last play.
It was a good thing they all trusted me on this, no matter how ridiculous the idea was. I then turned my attention to the big screen – the cameras weren’t focused on Emilia and Jeremy anymore. I looked at the crowd but I didn’t have an idea where they were.
“Well, this one is for you… son,” I whispered as I got ready and positioned myself on the field.
In an instant, the world shifted. Everything seemed quiet as my mind cleared out all the noise and I focused solely on the task at hand. Then the whistle blew and I dashed back, preparing to throw the ball at my left flank runner.
From the corner of my eye, I saw a tackler rushing towards me. He was going to try and stop me dead in my tracks but I quickly twirled and made a mad dash to the left, defying all of their expectations – they thought I was going to throw.
Instead, I made a dash a good twenty yards and then passed the ball all the way to the right to Rory. He caught it with only one tackler trying to jump in and intercept the ball. Rory landed, dashed and was met with two opponents. He barreled through them and at the very last moment he tossed the ball back to our left flank runner.
We scored a touchdown. The crowd went wild. With the next kick we were now way ahead of our opponent. Even if we were to cut some slack now to recuperate from the replacements and injuries we would still win the game.
Even the opposing team knew. They did their best but even then we wouldn’t just let them take over. We focused entirely now on our defense and they couldn’t even score a single touchdown after. The remaining twenty-five minutes of the game was a sore sight for them to go through.
By the time everything was over we still had a big lead.
“Hey, I bet you’re going to be named MVP of the game,” Rory told me as soon as we hit the benches to relax.
I shrugged, “If I do, can you do me the honors and get the certificate and trophy for me? I got somewhere I need to be, man.”
He looked back at me with confusion, “Dude, we just won the best exhibition match in a century and you’re going to leave early?”
“My son is here,” I told him. “Hey, I promise man, I’ll make it up to you in the next season. We’re teammates if the trade-off goes out well.”
Rory nodded, “My contract with my team ends so yeah, I’ll likely move to your team. Well, I’ll see you on the flight home – unless you’re going to go with your kid. It was a good game, man. I’ll be seeing you.”
I did have to make a longer excuse with my coach and the agents. The team president of Team USA had a long talk about me leaving Europe on my own. I didn’t tell them yet about Jeremy and Emilia but I assumed our talk would be even longer than this one. Boy was I in for a lot of heat.
I didn’t really care though. I ran out of that stadium as fast as I could and started going through the crowd, hoping I could spot Emilia and Jeremy. Thousands of people flooded out of the stadium now that the game was over but many more remained to watch the celebrations and other festivities.
“Hey,” a familiar voice then called out from behind.
I turned around and saw them both looking at me. They were just ten feet away, standing next to a popcorn stall.
“H-how’d you two find me?” I asked blankly.
“We saw you leave the stadium on the big screen,” Emilia answered.
“You were so good!” Jeremy then exclaimed and the sound of his praise made me smile.
I picked him up, held him close to me and then turned to Emilia, “Emie, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything – for acting like a dick, for not realizing what you guys mean to me… I’m sorry!”
She cupped my face and gave me a warm, sweet kiss on the lips, “Damon, I love you.”
“I love you,” I told her back.
“Ew, you guys are disgusting,” Jeremy cut in and he stuck his tongue out jokingly.
We all laughed and I rubbed my nose against his chest.
“Hey, how ‘bout we all go back to the hotel? Let me introduce you to all my teammates and get some autographs,” I suggested.
Jeremy raised an eyebrow, “What’s an autograph?”
“It’s when famous people sign something for you,” I answered. “You can then show it to all your friends as proof that you met that someone.”
“Wow,” Jeremy exclaimed with his eyes wide. “That’s so cool! Come on, mom, let’s go with him and get some autographs!”
I looked at Emilia and she simply smiled back at me and nodded. With Jeremy up in my arm I took Emilia by the hand and we strode back into the building. As we walked in almost everyone we passed by looked at us and the paparazzi didn’t waste time taking photos and asking if Emilia was my wife and if Jeremy was my son. I didn’t care to answer any of the questions and simply said “all will be revealed in due time.”
Of course, Emilia tried to dodge the media as well and Jeremy was just enamored at all the attention we were getting. It took a while until we got back in the safety of my team’s private rooms and there I got to introduce Emilia to my agent, Johnson.
When Johnson learned about my history with her and how Jeremy was, indeed, my son he completely accepted it. I expected him to lose his mind but Johnson told me that we could turn this into a positive story for the media.
“Today’s most popular NFL star reunites with kid and old flame,” Johnson said. “It’s the perfect story to celebrate your triumph here.”
That was also when Jeremy himself found out. I was worried he wouldn’t understand but the kid was so smart he immediately started jumping up and down in joy.
“Does this mean I can call you daddy now?” Jeremy asked me. He then turned to Emilia.
“Of course, sweetie,” Emilia answered and she gave me a hug. “I did tell you before your dad’s a big star.”