My mouth dropped open as the truth hit me like a ton of bricks. “I came because I couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing you for myself, not knowing whether you’re okay or not…” I trailed off, my eyes watering as I met his loving gaze. “I came because…because I’m in love with you.”
There. I finally said it.
“Holy shit!” I muttered, staring at him wide-eyed. “I love you, Ivan Willard. I really, really love you.”
He looked at the hallway behind us that was bustling with people, and then motioned to the door behind him from where his teammates could be heard. “Not exactly my idea of a romantic reunion,” he said with a teasing smile. “But what the hell! I love you too, Cassandra Young.”
He leaned over then to kiss me. I kissed him back, our lips meeting passionately. In the distance, the signal for the second half sounded, making us break apart in alarm.
“Go get them, tiger!” I told him. He took me into his arms for a quick hug, sweat and all, before heading back inside.
Back in the bleachers, I leaned forward excitedly, eager to see the game through to the championship. As the players went back to a huddle, they were chanting “Hut! Hut!” which blended with the crowd’s chant of “Warriors! Warriors!”
I could feel the exhilaration heightening around me as the second part commenced. The cameras focused on Ivan who seemed to be blocking the other team’s defensive players very efficiently. Even the commentator said he seemed rather inspired this second half, much more than during the first.
The game went on, both teams seemingly playing even. Each side scored another two touchdowns, so it was still tied toward the end.
Alex had the ball. He decided to make a run for it toward the opponent’s end zone, jumping and turning along the way to avoid tackles from the enemy. Meanwhile, Ivan was right beside him thwarting any attempt to dislodge the ball or bring down the quarterback. They worked as a team, covering yards together, making the crowd roar as the time ticked like a bomb.
“There they go, such amazing teamwork, dodging tackles and weaving their way to the goal!” the commentator said animatedly over the rumbling sound of the crowd. “One more yard to go! Will the Warriors make it? Here comes the defenders charging once more to try to stop the ball…Willard blocks the Big Bruno, paving the way for the speedy quarterback to take it to the end zone!”
I stood up in anticipation, along with the others in the audience. I held my breath.
“Touchdown!” the commentator yelled. “Another score for the Windfield Warriors!”
The buzzer sounded, ending the game. Everybody went wild. I saw Alex and Ivan give each other a high five right before they were hoisted up the shoulders of the other players.
“Congratulations to our new champions--- the Windfield Warriors!” the commentator announced. The fans went wild. I screamed at the top of my lungs too, punching my fist in the air in a victorious gesture.
As the crowd dispersed, I rushed down the bleachers toward the field just as I saw Ivan jumping down from his teammates’ shoulders and hurrying to meet me. At the boundary, I quickly climbed over and sprang to the ground. Ivan pulled me into a sweet embrace, both of us laughing as we turned around together.
Behind us, the Warriors were still cheering along with a drumbeat while the cheerleaders did their victory routine. Our laughter faded on our lips as we stopped spinning and stood there just gazing into each other’s eyes and holding each other closely.
“Congratulations, Mr. Willard,” I said in a formal voice, but with a mocking smile on my lips. “You were spectacular out there!”
“Thank you,” he answered, chuckling. “I believe a certain gorgeous blonde was responsible for that final surge of energy and skill that allowed me to help bring about this championship.”
I giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck. “So…what now?” I asked coyly.
“So…” Ivan echoed. “How about celebrating with me by going as my date to the victory party?”
My eyes brightened and my heart soared. “I would love to!” I answered without hesitation.
Our lips met in a sweet, gentle kiss. Ivan placed his arm around me as we walked to the exit together, smiling like silly lovebirds.
“So what happens after the party, Cassy?” he asked, his tone a bit edgy. “Or do we just take it one step at a time? You’ll have to go back to Paris soon and---”
“Just shut up, you!” I told him with a playful nudge. “I’m never going to leave you again so you better get used to having me around just like old times.”
Ivan laughed, his eyes twinkling with surprise and delight. “Well, that’s good news. Glad to have someone to annoy again every single day, city farm girl!”
I laughed too, hugging him as we walked. “Looking forward to that,” I said sincerely, realizing how much I’d missed this kind of banter.
I beamed at the man I loved, visualizing the wonderful days to come. Surely there were loads of great fun and happiness in store for us. I couldn’t wait.
Epilogue
Ivan
Sunny Saturday mornings for me are much more special when it’s not football season. I often start out with a quiet run around the perimeter of our Burchnell neighborhood, just as the sun’s beginning to rise, splashing the dark sky with streaks of pinks and oranges.
I love the feeling of my feet pounding against the earth instead of pavement with the cool breeze blowing on my face and the smell of morning dew blending with the fragrance of flowers. Everything’s always so serene, except for the occasional moo of a cow in the distance or the excited bark of a dog across the street.
After my run, I take time to rest before helping out my mom with some farm chores. Then afterwards, we enjoy breakfast together in our humble home, exchanging stories from the previous day or just laughing about silly things. Next, I take a cold shower that wakes me up even more, making me alert and lively, ready to take on the full-blast energy of my little football players.
This has been my Saturday routine for a year now, except when I have football practice or a game scheduled.
I thought today was going to be another one of those Saturday mornings. I had no idea.
As I bounded over to the football field of Burchnell High in a jersey shirt and a pair of sweat pants, I was surprised to see that it was empty and silent. Usually when I arrived, there were already a bunch of kids hanging around.
I was pretty sure I didn’t forget to send out the text reminder to their parents. I checked the time. It was rather unusual that nobody was here yet.
I walked to the center of the field and decided to do some stretching. Maybe they were all just late.
Suddenly, to my astonishment, static sounded from the loud speakers. It was followed by the first few chords of an upbeat love song. As the intro played, one of my students came out from behind the bleachers. It was 7-year-old Pete, holding a balloon with the letter T.
“Hey, Pete,” I said, approaching him. “What’s that balloon for?”
He didn’t answer. Before I could follow him, several others came out with balloons too. I watched in amazement as the kids formed a vertical line, each one holding a balloon with a letter, a silly grin plastered on their faces. Soon they had formed the words “THANK YOU”.
I couldn’t help chuckling. “Who put you up to this?” I asked, already knowing who was behind it.
Another student of mine appeared, holding a giant balloon printed with the words “Happy Anniversary!” I smiled broadly.
Then before I could say anything else, Cassy came last, looking gorgeous and spirited in a red dress that matched the red heart-shaped balloon tied around her wrist. She rushed to my arms and gave me a sweet kiss on the lips. The kids hooted and whistled behind us.
“Happy first anniversary, Mr. Football Star,” Cassy said with a beautiful smile on her face, her eyes shining with great joy. “Thank you for everything. I love you so, so much.”
“Oh, you…” I said, laughing. “I love you s
o, so much too. But this is too much!” I waved my hands over to the kids who had all released the balloons now into the air and were all cheering and clapping.
I placed an arm around Cassy’s shoulders as she also released her own balloon. “May the heavens bless our relationship,” she whispered to me.
“Indeed,” I said as we looked up in the bright sky and watched the balloons quickly climb up and disappear behind the clouds.
“Where’s the cake?!” an overweight kid screamed. The other children burst out laughing.
“Don’t worry, you’re going to get the cake I promised you,” Cassy assured him as she leaned over and ruffled his hair. “Once your coach here gives the go signal.”
“Okay, guys,” I said, clapping my hands and motioning for them to gather around me. “We’ll have an hour of drills and then we can stuff our faces in cake and all the food I’m sure Cassy here prepared for us. Is that okay?”
“Yeah!” they shouted in unison.
Some of them began to chant “Hut! Hut! Hut!”, signaling everyone to form a line.
“Thanks for the surprise,” I whispered to Cassy before starting my class officially.
She simply smiled and sat on the bleachers to watch us. “Go, kids! Show your coach what you’ve got!” she yelled cheerfully.
We did a couple of cone drills that the kids were already familiar with. They certainly sweated it out, but were obviously improving their speed and agility. Even their footwork was a lot better. I, of course, pointed this out and congratulated them. “Next meeting, we’re going to play football! Are you ready?” I said loudly.
“Yeah!” they all bellowed, still full of energy after the mighty workout.
Their parents were coming one by one to pick them up. Cassy, however, asked them to stay for some snacks. They happily relented, expressing their joy at seeing the two of us still so happy together.
Not long after, a delivery boy came with several boxes of pizza and a huge cake. There were also drinks, fries, and doughnuts--- more than enough for everybody.
“You are the sweetest,” I told Cassy, giving her a peck on the cheek.
She grinned up at me. “Oh, it’s nothing. It’s only a little surprise. Consider it my payback for that super romantic gesture you did for me at the horse farm lake.”
I laughed and gave her a hug, my heart soaring with immense gratitude, bliss, and love.
It was really amusing to watch my girlfriend playing and chatting with the little boys. Who would have thought a city-bred woman like her who’d grown up an only child actually had a natural way with children? She talked to them so easily and even told jokes that made them laugh. And the more I watched her do that, the more my heart seemed to melt for her.
I realized then that over the past year, I kept on discovering new things about Cassy that made me fall in love even more. It seemed too good to be true, but I certainly wasn’t complaining. I just couldn’t keep thanking the stars for this dream come true that I’d never even wished for at the beginning.
She’d make a great mom, I found myself thinking. I felt alarmed immediately after the thought appeared in my head. Where did that come from? It was the first time I’d ever imagined her in that manner. For some reason, I pictured us living in our own little farm with a bunch of jolly kids. It made me laugh.
“What?” Cassy asked, giving me a puzzled look.
“Nothing, nothing,” I said. “Just a weird, unexpected thought.”
“Well, what is it?” she probed.
“It’s not important,” I said. Then changing the topic, I asked, “So are you ready for tonight’s big event?”
She broke into a wide grin, her eyes lighting up excitedly. “Are you serious? I’ve been more than ready for a week now! I couldn’t sleep for days!”
“It’s going to be a huge success,” I told her confidently.
On our way to Miss Young’s farm, she told me about her new football-inspired collection of dresses, shirts, jackets, and skirts. Her bubbliness was contagious.
When she settled down, I took her hand and squeezed it. “Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything for our anniversary. It’s been a very busy week.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it,” she said sincerely, smiling at me. “I know you’ve been working your ass off at my shop, supervising the carpenters and artists, coordinating with the local caterer and stuff. And you have your football clinic too and farm duties on top of that.”
“Still no excuse,” I told her.
“You’ve put too much effort into the shop. That’s a gift already, unless you’re going to bill me!”
I chuckled. “Well, now that you mentioned it, that’s not a bad idea.”
She gave me a friendly slap on the shoulder, and we both laughed.
That afternoon, we were too hyped up to simply lounge around and wait for the time to go by. So we settled into the farm tasks we’d gotten accustomed to.
“Just like old times, huh?” I teased as Cassy went over to the chickens to feed them. With a mocking grin, I said, “How about showing me that dance again, the one you did when the chickens kept on pecking at your feet before?”
Cassy turned around and made a face. “Oh, shut up, Willard!” she cried out, making me chuckle.
“At least you’re not wearing designer boots now,” I pointed out. “Even if they are pink!”
Cassy looked down at her knee-high farm boots. “Yup! I got these at a thrift shop.”
It was funny how she was still a lot like the first Cassy who’d been exiled to this small rural town, and yet she’d also matured and changed in many ways. Just watching her expertly taking care of the farm animals made me so proud and amazed.
Soon we were fooling around behind the barn after watering the crops, skipping and hopping like little kids and ticking one another. The farmhands had all taken a break.
I caught Cassy in an embrace, pulling her closer and pressing my body against hers in the overcast afternoon. Our eyes locked in understanding, our bodies seemingly communicating.
We both leaned in for a passionate kiss as we wrapped our arms around each other. “You’re amazing, you know that?” I whispered when we finally went up for air.
“Yes, I know,” she answered, giggling.
I snickered. “Yeah, well, an amazing woman like you is surely lucky to have landed an even more amazing man like me.”
She wrinkled her nose in pretend disgust. “Right. Lucky me.”
“Seriously, though…” I began. “It’s not every day you get to meet a super handsome athlete who falls in love with you.”
She pulled away then and hit me playfully. “What did I ever see in you?!” she said in a joking tone.
We walked back to the house, hand in hand. “Well, I can list all the good traits I have that you probably saw in me.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but I quickly silenced her, saying, “But, but listen…no matter what they are, they’re only half as good as what I saw in you.”
Her annoyed look turned into an amused smile, and then into laughter. “Crazy,” she said.
“That’s why you love me,” I retorted.
After a while, we said our goodbyes so we could both get ready for the official launch party of her very first Creations by Cassy shop. Her mom had wanted her to open a boutique first in the city, but Cassy had insisted that she wanted the first one to be in Burchnell. After all, this is where her fashion business first came to fruition.
That evening when I picked her up, I was mesmerized. Even after all this time of seeing her in different scenarios, she still managed to take my breath away. Donning a tight-fitting shirt dress with a high slit that resembled a football jersey in style, her elegance and flair were still apparent. This was one of her newest creations, obviously inspired by all the football games she’d watched the past year. It looked stunning on her, of course.
The downtown boutique was already bustling with guests when we got there. I beamed at the end result of
the team I has supervised, admiring the classy window display and minimalist yet cozy interiors. We had incorporated some natural elements, as Cassy had wanted, such as vertical gardens on brick walls.
Cocktail tables had been set up in front of the shop. There were local media guests too covering the event. Everything looked absolutely perfect.
Meanwhile, Cassy was beyond ecstatic. Yet she maintained her composure and gracefully entertained guests and gave interviews for the media.
One side of the shop contained her new football fashion collection, while the other side exhibited the second country-inspired set of creations she had done a few months ago. In the center, there were low shelves and racks of everyday fashion items that were quite affordable but stylish.
“This is so fab!” Charlene exclaimed when she joined us. She was with our other friends, including Alex and Rosie.
Even some of my teammates who had become friends too with Cassy had shown up. One of them, Stryder, gave me an exaggerated pat on the back. “Well done, buddy. You’ve got one hell of a girlfriend here!”
“Thanks, man,” I said. “It’s about time you found yourself a real relationship too.”
Hard Game Page 17
