An old friend? Who?
I know this isn’t the time to be jealous that anotherman is with Fin while she’s in labor, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. I should’ve trusted my gut this morning and gone to her, regardless of the consequences. I could have gotten kicked off the team, but at least I’d be there to hold her hand.
Sydney’s phone rings, her dad’s name and photo flashing across the screen. He’s probably calling to find out why she stormed onto the field, took his cornerback in the middle of a playoff game, and left. I’m sure I’ll be punished for it—anything from a suspension to being released from the Renegades, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. I just hope she doesn’t get in trouble for any of it.
“Hey, Dad,” she says in greeting, and I expect to hear his booming voice bleeding through the line. Mr. Grant is known to be a great man, and he’s definitely an amazing team owner, but I can’t imagine he’s very happy right now. The longer the conversation goes on, however, the more surprised—and confused—I am by what I hear.
“Yeah, I have him. We’re on our way to the airport now.”
She pauses for a moment, listening to her father speak and nodding her head as though he can see it. “So, it’s ready to go? Do I need to tell them anything, or did you already talk to the pilot?”
Another long pause.
“I will. I’ll see you guys later tonight, then. Love you.”
She hangs up and tosses the device back into her purse just as we pull around to the backside of theairport. Confused, I look back and forth between the window and her, my mouth opening and closing several times, but no words come out. I have no fucking clue what’s going on, but with Sydney, that’s par for the course.
“Is that the team plane?” I ask, even more perplexed as my mind tries to make sense of everything. My teammates and I arrived on that exact jet yesterday, just as we always do when we play on the road. But the game is still going on, and the guys aren’t here, so why the fuck are we?
“Yep,” she replies. “We’re hijacking it.”
My eyes go wide, rivaling the size of the tires on this goddamn car. “What?” I squeak, my tone about seventeen octaves higher than normal. She’s crazy if she thinks we’re stealing a plane to get back to Cleveland. I’d at least likea chanceat keeping my job, thank you very much.
“Oh my God, you should see your face,” she chuckles. “Relax, big guy. My dad knows we’re taking it. He set everything up.”
“He did?” I croak, emotion tightening my throat. “Why?”
She looks at me, one shoulder lifting into a shrug. “Because he’s a dad, and he knows how important it is to be there for every milestone. As soon as I got the call that Fin was in labor, he was on the phone, making arrangements.” A smirk pulls at one corner of her mouth. “To be clear, I’d have stolen the jet if I had to, but thankfully, he took care of it.”
I make a mental note to thank Mr. Grant profuselyfor facilitating this entire thing. I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t at leasttryto make it back to Cleveland before the baby was born. There’s no guarantee that I’m not already too late, but at least I’m on my way. I just want to be by Fin’s side, telling her how amazing she is…and how much I love her. No matter what the future looks like for us, those two things will always remain true.
We jump out of the car at record speed, ascending the stairs and buckling into our seats as fast as we can. It takes a while for a runway to open up for us, so I use the time to reply to the texts from my mom and sister, letting them know why I left the game and promising to keep them updated. They offer to jump on the next flight out of Savannah, but I tell them to hold off because I don’t want to make that decision without Finley’s approval. She may not even wantmethere, seeing as how she was the one who left, and I certainly don’t have the right to bring more people in if she’s not on board with that.
After what seems like hours, but actually isn’t, we’re in the air. The captain tells us that we’ll be landing at Cleveland Hopkins International in roughly ninety minutes. Although it’ll be cold as balls when we get there, it’s clear skies ahead for the entire journey, which I’m grateful for. Because I need to get to my girls as soon as possible and do whatever it takes to bring them back home where they belong.
THIRTY-EIGHT
FINLEY
“Alright,Fin. Here comes another one. Let’s breathe through it,” Stella says as she watches the monitor above our heads. As soon as I arrived at the hospital, they got me into a room, confirming what I already knew.
Baby Norah is on the way.
Luckily, Stella was just finishing up her shift, so when she heard that I was here, she rushed to be by my side. I’m grateful for that, because she’s keeping me from going into a full-blown panic.
“Okay,” I reply, closing my eyes as pain begins to radiate throughout my stomach and back. I do my best to focus on my breathing, but with the amount of discomfort I’m in, it’s not easy. The last time the doctor came in to check me, I was four centimeters dilated, but judging by the intensity and length of these contractions, I’d say I’m progressing.
My stomach cramps, slowly snaking down my body and into my legs. I inhale deeply through my nose,letting it out shakily in an attempt to quell the accompanying nausea. Stella calmly praises me, letting me know when the worst of it is over. It goes on for well over a minute, until slowly, the extreme tightness releases me. I’m exhausted already, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
“There you go,” Stella says. “You did it. Do you want more ice?”
I shake my head. “No thanks. I think I’m going to try the ball again. My back is killing me.” They brought in a few items when I arrived, including a big pink yoga ball that has been providing some relief for me. I thought it was weird at first, but as soon as I sat down on it, rotating my pelvis like the nurse instructed, it took the edge off just enough for me to feel like my spine wasn’t being put through a wood chipper.
Graphic, I know. But it’s the truth.
I carefully slide out of bed, step over to the ball, and lower down onto it. Stella puts her hands on my shoulders until she’s sure I’m not going to lose my balance, letting go as I grip onto the side of the mattress and begin shifting my weight around. The pain in my lower back dulls, and I close my eyes, enjoying the small reprieve. I know I’ll be taking on another contraction in just a couple of minutes, so I’m trying to soak it in while I can.
I can’t stop my mind from wandering to Theo and wishing he were here with me right now. When Vince asked if he could call anyone for me, it was a challenge not to beg him to somehow get Theo here. Instead, I said I wasgood, thinking I’d be able to do everything on my own. After all, that’s the reason I left in the first place. I thought I was better off not relying on him, but now I know how unbelievably wrong I was. I’m just hoping that he’ll hear me out and give me a chance to beg for his forgiveness.
