by Sage, Aubrey
Annie put the back of her hand on her forehead. “Oh, nothing. I just got a little dizzy when I stood up.”
“Did you eat this morning? Are you sick?”
“Well…” Annie replied. She seemed resolved to sit on the ground for a while longer. “Can you hand me my purse over there?”
I turned around, suddenly feeling self-conscious about being naked, and fetched her purse that was sitting on top of a closed moving box. I handed it to her, and she began to rummage through its contents.
“I was planning on telling you tonight, but I guess now is as good of a time as any.” Out from her purse came a thick, white stick, roughly the size of the pencil. She held it out towards me, and I immediately saw the plus sign that was visible on the end.
“Are you telling me…?” I knew what I saw, but my mind was having trouble processing it as real.
“I’ve got a little Wrecker inside of me, apparently,” Annie teased.
“Are you fuckin’ serious?” I was primarily talking to myself at that point, and I had started looking off into the distance at random places around the room. “I’m going to be a Dad?! Holy shit!” I jumped up and down a couple times, then fell to my knees and wrapped my arms around Annie.
“So I’m guessing you’re excited?”
“Excited?” I breathed heavily. “I’m thrilled. I can’t wait to tell Mom and Dad that they’re going to have a grandbaby!”
Annie smiled, and I could see a sense of relief washing over her face. She pulled herself to her feet and I drew her in for a kiss.
“C’mon, we’ve got to get the rest of those boxes if we’re going to finish today!” she scolded and slapped me on the ass.
“Absolutely not!” I commanded.
Annie whipped her head. “What?”
“You need to relax. Now that I know you have a Mitch Jr. inside you, I want you to take it easy. No more lifting boxes. I’ll take care of getting everything inside.”
“Hey, we haven’t decided names yet, and it could be a girl.” Annie frowned playfully and put her hands on her hips.
“There you go. That’s a good idea. Go find a pen and paper and write down some baby names. I’m going to go finish unloading.” Annie rolled her eyes as I picked my pants up off the floor and headed for the door, giving a shout of victory and excitement as I passed into the hallway.
Right when I made it to the bathroom, my phone began buzzing. It was my agent.
“Hey, Brian. How are things?” I answered.
“Good, Mitch. Listen, I’ve got some really great news for you.”
“Yeah? What is it?”
“I got a call from the Seahawks manager. After your performance last night, they’re reconsidering a deal to get you on the team next year. And by deal, I’m talking millions…”
“Seahawks…” I muttered.
“Yeah, they love the way you’re been playing the last few games, and they think your play style has improved. They like the fact that you’ve been focusing on teamwork rather than taking it all on yourself.”
“Yeah, I’ve been working that…” Since the loss in Miami and the night that I was shot, I realized that I wasn’t invincible.
“So how about the 17th for a flight out to Seattle to meet with management? I’ll get everything roped in.”
“Brian,” I let out a big sigh. I had been aiming to get on the Seahawks for so long–one of my lifelong dreams. “I think I’m going to have to give the offer pass.”
“What?!” Brian yelped. “You’ve been itching for the Seahawks since we’ve started working together.”
“Things have changed. I’m going to finishing up my last two years at UCLA. Might even extend it to three years to spend more time at home.”
“Spend time at home?” Brian huffed. “What’s gotten into you Mitch?”
“I’ve got a little one on the way,” I said and grinned as I thought about the news. I poked my head out the bathroom door, looked both ways, and shut it. “And I’m about to pop the question,” I whispered lowly into the phone.
“Wow…” Brian’s tone lightened dramatically. “I can’t argue with that. Annie is a great girl, and it’s nice to hear you’re settling down. You’re not going to quit football are you?”
“No, I’ll still be on the field, but family comes first.”
“Alright Mitch. I’ll let the Seahawks know they’ll have to wait a couple years. And don’t forget to invite me the wedding.”
“Will-do, Brian. Take care.” I hung up the phone and jumped in the shower.
The warm water cascaded off of my skin and I inhaled a large breath of steamy air. As I washed my body down, my hands found one of the tiny scars from where I had been shot. I was lucky to be alive, and unlike the wounds from the car accident I had endured a couple years prior, that one had left a mark.
I bent my head down and allowed the water to pour through my hair. “Are you there?” I asked inside my head. “Are you there?” I repeated, this time speaking verbally.
The silence made me smile.
I really was free.
I no longer had a mansion and a seemingly unlimited amount of money, but with Annie and a baby on the way, I felt like the richest guy in the world. Mom and Dad had grown to accept our relationship, and when I told them that I was going to ask Annie to marry me, they were surprisingly supportive. After seeing how good we were together, their attitude towards the situation had completely changed.
I never mentioned my deal with an otherworldly power to anyone. If I did, people would think I was just crazy.
My deal with The Devil had saved me from an early death but turned me into a devil myself. But I guess even an otherworldly entity isn’t exempt from mistakes. Our final deal had backfired, pushing me towards something more powerful than he.
The love Annie and I shared and the faith she taught me felt like the most formidable force in the world. And we would share that magical force forever until we both stepped into the mysterious bright light.
End
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