The place I’m constantly running towards is her. My end zone is Mia.
THREE YEARS LATER
“Babe, can you grab the diaper bag, please?” Mia tosses me a package of wet wipes as she moves around the kitchen island, cleaning up the mess from breakfast. The sun is streaming through the front windows of the home we built together in the last year.
Placing the wet wipes along with the extra clothes into the bag, I zip it up and sling it over my shoulder.
“Got it. I’m going to put this in the truck, I’ll be right back,” I say, walking towards the front door.
When I step outside, it’s quiet. It’s always quiet here. There’s open land all around me and a swing set out back. Planters in front of the white house with black shutters and a doormat in front of the door that says ‘wipe your paws.’ I bought this landbefore Mia and I were even engaged. I knew it was where I wanted to build a house and make a home, make a life… with her. It’s where we used to spend so many nights talking about everything and nothing, and now, we still spend our nights out in this field, but instead of it being an abandoned lot, it has four walls and is filled with love and laughter. It’s where we’re raising our family.
“Do we want to make a bet on whether or not we think Kristen will show up?” I ask when I step back inside.
Mia rolls her eyes as a loud huff leaves her chest. “Well, she’s oh for two, so I’m going to guess she also won’t be attending her child’s third birthday. God, it really bothers me. I know we’ve talked about it, but I’ll just never understand it. I mean, I look at our boys and I just melt into a puddle, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them.” And that right there is one of the many reasons I know I married the right woman.
“And that’s why you are mom of the year… of the century.” My hands latch onto her waist, as we stand in the kitchen. Did I ever dream I’d be married to Mia? I think in some life, some version of my dreams, I wanted it… but I just never knew it was actually possible. She still gives me a hard time about not saying anything sooner, but I give it right back to her. We both had some feelings that we didn’t think the other reciprocated and we were also both terrified as fuck to lose the other, but sometimes things are just too loud to ignore.
She leans up on her toes, kissing my cheek before walking into the other room where a light cry has started to only get louder.
“Someone is up,” I say.
Mia grabs the baby monitor, waving it around. “Looks like they both are.”
I follow Mia towards the bedroom where our sons sleep, the room that Mia so carefully and thoughtfully decorated. It’s full ofspaceships and stars, the moon and this pretty amazing picture of the night sky that I had framed for her. It’s the sky above the home we share. This place means something to Mia and I. It’s more than just a piece of land, a house we filled with furniture… it’s our home, our beginning, the place where our children will be raised. It’s where I asked Mia to be mine forever. It’s where I promised to love her for the rest of my life. We’ve shared countless milkshakes out in this field. Late night talks when we were just friends trying to figure out life.
Life is good out here. As of last year, theYour Mind Matters Foundationis in full swing. We’ve helped so many young athletes work through their mental health struggles. Providing them a safe and supportive community of current and former athletes to lean on for guidance. We have psychologists on staff, as well as other players from the NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA—local and out of state—who have come to speak and provide mentorship. They’ve opened up about their experiences and it’s only helped others understand their own struggles and ways to cope.
I still see Dana once a week and she volunteers her time with the Foundation often. I’m so fucking proud of it. I wanted to leave something meaningful behind as my legacy after football and I feel like this Foundation is it.
Mia just opened another studio less than five minutes away from here. She’s been killing it downtown and needed to expand. She hired her sister to help at the downtown studio and they’ve been working on their relationship a lot. I wasn’t wrong about Hannah, she truly is terrifying, and I stand by the fact that I think she’s Wednesday Addams come to life, but she’s also really fucking good with my kids and is making a really strong effort to help her sister. Returning all the years of support that Mia provided her.
“Oliver is going to want you, that little momma’s boy…so I’ll grab Luke.” I smirk walking up the stairs behind Mia. “Can’t blame him though.” I pinch Mia’s thigh as we walk up and she turns around to swat my arm, but I grab her wrist just before she has the chance to.
“You know, Mr. Campbell, when you’re old and gray and have lost all of your quick reflexes, you won’t catch me,” she teases.
“I’m always going to catch you, Smalls.”
After we get the twins from their room and have them dressed and ready to go, we head over to Chase’s apartment. I can’t believe he is about to have a three-year-old. Hell, I can’t believe I’m about to have one-year-old twins.
“Where are my boys?” Summer runs over when we walk into Chase’s apartment and reaches for the car seats I just set down near my feet.
“Take your pick,” I state. “Although Luke’s probably due for a blowout, he chugged a bottle before we got here.” My comment doesn’t deter Summer though, she reaches in and picks up Luke while Abby grabs Oliver and they walk away to the other side of the room with Mia.
“How’s dad life going?” Liam reaches his hand out to me, shaking it firmly.
“Little sleep. But fuck, give me ten more. I love my little guys. Plus, seeing Mia be a mom is so goddamn sexy.” It’s impossible to tear my eyes from her. I know how Ford feels. I get it. The desire to just be around one person all the time. It’s addicting. Liam nods, and we both look over at Chase who looks like he’shad about ten years added to his life since the last time I saw him.
I know all of this bullshit with Kristen still bothers him. He’s been a single dad now for three years and no matter how much we all offer to help and tell him that he’s doing a fucking rockstar job, I know he feels like he’s not doing enough. He’s trying to fill both shoes and I just feel for him.
“Happy three years of being the best damn dad,” I say, slapping his back. Now that I know how hard it is being a parent, I respect the hell out of him, especially doing it on his own.
“I can’t fucking believe Kristen… I sent her a text, like I have the last two years giving her all the details and she never replied and hasn’t shown up… probably won’t show up.” Chase hangs his head just as the sweetest soon to be three-year-old starts calling for him and he walks away.
“Hey babe, I’m going to sit outside with the girls. Diane is playing with the boys in the little ball pit over there.” Mia points to the living room and I watch my boys laugh as Chase and Abby’s mom plays peek-a-boo with them. Mia’s lips softly graze mine as she leans into me and my arms wrap her up in a hug, deepening the kiss just for a moment. When she pulls away, it only leaves me wanting more, like always. I’m breathless every time I kiss Mia.
She saved me. There’s really no other way to say it. I was a wrecking ball, a bull in a china shop… whatever kind of metaphor you want to use for complete chaos. Even before she was mine, she was always my safe space, my comfort, the sun in all my darkness. Every amazing thing I have in this life is because I met a girl one night at a party and she became my best friend for years, until finally she became mine.
“Can we just please take a moment to appreciate the hotness happening around us?” Summer says, staring through the window.
