The evening continues with quiet but content conversation, it comes to an end after Ellie, Sadie and Stephanie finish their dark chocolate cake with espresso crumbles. Which was so good, Elle ordered two pieces to take home and freeze for us to eat after the game. She claims it can either be celebration cake or comfort cake, either way it’s something to look forward to.
???
“The drought is over! Forget the Wild Card, folks! The Wolves are your Division Champions! The Pack is in the playoffs!” The announcer’s voice booms through the stadium nearly drowned by the cheers and screams of our fans. They showed up and showed out at the Phantom’s home base.
Ty is grinning ear to ear. My chest is heaving, my blood still pounding as he wraps me in a hug. This hug is more than just a we did it thing. “You went through hell this past year, and managedto come back on top.” He yells in my ear to be heard above the noise. I squeeze him back because he was instrumental in this on and off the field.
This feeling is pure joy. We won! The Phantoms slink off the field I look out to the stands; I know that Ellie is out there in the jersey I bought her in a fit of nonsensical jealousy. She and Sadie made the trip to Sadie’s hometown for the final game of the season.
They’ll be driving home tomorrow, they both took personal days to be here. A gesture that I know Ty appreciated as much as I did.
I want to call her but I know I won’t be able to hear her over the noise of the crowd as they try to get out of the stadium. I have to focus on showering and then catching the flight home. I’ll call her tonight when I get to our apartment. They’re staying the night at the Thompson’s so they can make the drive home in the daylight.
I take a steadying breath, just a few hours. I can wait a few hours. A few hours and I get to hear my girl’s voice.
Chapter 53
Archer
The following week is a blur of grinding gruesome practices. There is no rest for the wicked as Coach says. We practice our asses off in preparation for the Divisional round. We get a slight reprieve over the weekend to watch the Wild Card Games.
The Vipers beat the Monarchs in a blowout. The Sentinels beat the Pioneers by a field goal. The Grizzlies defeat the Chimeras in OT. The Knights fall to the Phantoms.
This sets us up playing The Sentinels at home for the Divisional game.
The weekend of the Divisional Game arrives. Within the first 13 minutes of the second quarter, The Sentinels Quarterback Logan Petrichelli falls to what is believed to be an ACL tear. No one wants their season to end like that. We made quick work of The Sentinels after that. The victory feels a little hollow knowing they weren’t playing at their full strength, but a win is a win and we’re moving onto the Conference Championship.
Cameron comes over and jumps on us. “We’re hostin’! Guys! We get thehome game! We’re hostin’! We’re mother fucking division champs! We get home field advantage for Conference!”
Laughter erupts out of me. Our rookie’s joy is infectious.
After the post-game is wrapped up, we get on the plane to head home. I roll into our apartment around 2:30 am. Ellie is waiting up for me even though she has to be up in a few hours for work.
She wraps me in a hug; her vanilla and lemon scent a grounding beacon for me. I sink into her embrace, my larger frame engulfing her. She holds me for I don’t know how long before she lovingly tells me I stink, again. Apparently, our charter planes have a ‘funk’ to them.
Laughing I head to the shower and wash off the airplane funk. I step out of the shower to my favorite sweats, an old Ridgecrest hoodie that my mom left for me when she visited, and my slippers laid out for me on the bed. The simple gesture brings a triumphant smile to my face. I follow my nose to the scent of chicken penne pasta on the stove and Ellie nursing a what looks like hot cider. I can see her internally debating on whether it’s worth going to bed tonight. I make a mental note to plan a relaxing vacation for both of us once the season is over.
I give her a long slow kiss conveying all the gratitude I feel before sitting down and digging into the pasta she prepared.
“This might be the exhaustion talking,” I say around mouthfuls of pasta. “But this is the best chicken penne I’ve ever had.”
Elle laughs through her own exhaustion. “I shall pass your compliments onto chef Bertolli.”
“Will you come to bed tonight with me?” I ask, knowing I sleep much better with her beside me.
“Yeah, I’ll try to be quiet when I get up so I don’t wake you.”
“I don’t mind if you do, you stayed up and waited for me, the least I can do is get up with you and help prepare for your day.”
“You’re so sweet.” She smiles. “But I was sleeping on the couch while I waited for you.”
“Well, I was planning on crawling back into bed the moment you left.” I say as I finish off the chicken penne.
She smiles sleepily, “You ready for bed then?”
“Yes.”
Chapter 54
