I hesitate, feeling a little nervous about sharing. “I actually have a video call with my agent that I want to talk to you about.”
“Of course. One sec.” Gracie pours the sauce over the dough in the bundt pan and slides it in the oven before giving me her complete attention. “Okay, what’s up? Your tone sounds big.”
I grab her hands in mine. “Itisbig, I guess. And, well, I didn’t incorporate you in decisions I made regarding football before, and it was the biggest mistake of my life. I won’t do it again.”
She nods and gives my hands a reassuring squeeze.
Taking a deep breath in through my nose, I blow it out slowly through my mouth. I haven’t uttered these next words to a single soul. It feels right that Gracie is the first.
“I think I want to retire.” I shut my eyes tightly, not knowing how she’ll react.Shocked?Disappointed? “I just want to focus on the foundation and start really living my life. Of course, if you want me to play longer, I can do that, too. It’s a family decision.” I wait anxiously for her response.
“I’m so proud of you, Danny.”
I snap my head up and find a beaming Gracie.
Raising an eyebrow, I ask, “You don’t think I’m giving up too soon?”
She shakes her head. “You’ve accomplished big things. Football, the foundation…you’ve inspired so many people. Take the win.” Gracie punctuates her words with a soft kiss on my cheek. “Thanks for involving me.”
I hug her to my chest, resting my chin on her head. It feels so good to think of this as a mutual decision. But discussing our future together makes me wonder about our past, and I know I need to bring up Mae’s visit. It’s haunted me for years, not knowing if Mae ever told Gracie the truth. I can’t risk leaving her in the dark, not when I just got her back.
“I don’t want there to be any secrets between us.” My voice comes out quiet.
She tilts her head, and I hear a tapping sound. My eyes travel to the floor, where I find her bare foot pattering against the wood. “Is there something I don’t know?”
I swallow. “It’s just that, I’m not sure if Mae ever told you over the years. We never spoke of it past that day.”
Gracie takes a shaky step back when I reach for her again, so I keep my hands busy by picking at the skin around my nails.
“The timing of Mae’s visit to Ohio when we were teenagers after the last confrontation with your dad wasn’t just lucky. I, um, called her.”
A small gasp escapes her lips. “What?”
My words come out in one big rush. “I know it was wrong for me to do that without asking you. But I was seventeen, and I was scared, Gracie. I had all these huge feelings for you. Your dad, Florida…it all felt like an impossible scenario.”
“Soyoucalled Mae that night. That’s why she came to Ohio.”
“Yes. And I’m sorry. I never should’ve reached out on your behalf. And I should’ve told you sooner.”
Her eyebrows knit together. “Why didn’t you?”
I shrug. “Mae said she’d tell you when you were ready to hear it. ButI called her, so it’s on me. And I was wrong to make that decision for you.”
She nods slowly. “I’m trying to imagine what seventeen-year-old me would’ve thought about this, but—God, it’s impossible to get back in her head, and I don’t want to. It was terrifying there. All I can do is react to this now, and…I’m grateful. I’m frustrated that neither of you told me. But for calling Mae and bringing her to me when I wouldn’t do it myself? Today, I’m thankful you did that, Danny. I forgive you.”
My shoulders slump, and I wrap my body around hers, bowing my head in relief. “Thank you, Gracie.”
“DT! Good to see you, man.” Jeff sits at his huge, mahogany desk on my screen. “I’ve gotta say, I’m surprised. Usually, you want nothing to do with me during the off-season. You wanna do a commercial all of a sudden?”
Jeff Kranz has been my agent since I started in the league. He barely had a clientele back when I signed with him, which appealed to me. For years after Gracie and I broke up, I didn’t have much confidence in my own decisions. If I was blinded by my ambition that badly, what else would I miss? When it cametime to declare, I sought out a smaller agent in hopes of securing someone who could really focus on me. As my star power grew, so did Jeff’s client list. He’s now one of the most successful sports agents out there, but that hasn’t changed his good guy status.
I laugh and shake my head. He knows me too well. “You can fuck right off with that nonsense. I’d rather record a shout-out video with a stranger who accosts me on the street than film a commercial.”
He slumps in his brown leather chair, pretending to be offended. “You know, your lack of interest in sponsors and media opportunities is leaving money on the table for me.”
“Somehow, I think you’ll survive,” I joke. “But if you don’t like my continued disinterest in commercials, you’re really not going to like what I have to say next.”
That gets him to put his serious face on. He leans forward and puts both elbows on his desk, giving me his full attention. “Whaddaya got for me, D?”
