“Not bad. The team looks just as good as last year.” I slid through the door he held open.
“Gotta get us a repeat this year.”
I tried not to flinch at the words. The same ones that had been going around ever since we won a few months ago. Every day we got closer to the start of the season, the more the pressure mounted to repeat our previous success. Something I was trying very hard to ignore.
“We’ll certainly try,” was all I could manage. Before he could say anything else, I said a quick goodbye and headed for the elevator.
Multiple sets of eyes were on me as I waited for the elevator doors to open. Thankfully, they did before anyone could come up and talk to me. Edwin’s words echoed in my head, but I quickly shoved it all away, not wanting to think about that any time soon.
At least I had other things to keep me occupied than stressing over the new season. When the doors slid open, I shoved the anxiety away. Out of sight, out of mind.
My empty apartment greeted me as I sat my gym bag bythe door and toed my shoes off. Thanks to my mom’s constant nagging growing up, I learned to always take my shoes off the moment I stepped through the door.
As I made my way to my en suite to shower, my gaze caught on the view beyond my floor-to-ceiling windows. It was one of the bigger selling points when the real estate woman showed me this place.
The entire wall in the living room consisted of windows that looked out at the city of Buffalo. The view was beautiful from up here. Being this high up, I could see the Niagara River separating the US from Canada on one side and the entire city on the other. I spent countless hours just sitting here and staring.
Stripping out of my clothes, I stepped under the warm water, that had not one buttwowaterfall shower heads. All the sweat from practice washing away. Bracing my hands on the tile in front of me, I bent my head down and let the water hit my back to encourage my muscles to relax.
I spent more time than I should have standing under the water, my mind going a million miles a minute. Thinking of different plays, the upcoming season, my family… If I didn’t have to meet my brothers, I would have gone to the gym to try and silence my mind a little.
Knowing I needed to get going, I finished up before padding to my bedroom to get dressed. Being this high up made it easy for me to do my favorite thing—walk around naked. I pulled out a pair of blue board shorts and a green shirt, slipping them on before fishing for my shoes.
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to fix it enough to look halfway decent. The sides were cut shorter with the top and back being a bit longer. Over the years, my sandy blond color turned a few shades darker, making me look even more like my two brothers.
Once I looked presentable to go outside, I snatched mykeys and wallet before heading back out the door. Even though the restaurant we typically went to was just a few blocks over, I decided to drive. I wasn’t in the mood to be stopped every ten steps to talk about football. Not when I had my family waiting for me.
Our go-to restaurant in Buffalo was this hole-in-the-wall pizza place, Alessandro’s. It was similar to the one back home in Toronto. When I was younger, my brothers and I had a weekly tradition of going out to eat to catch up.
Since I lived in the US now, we couldn’t go to that place, but whenever they managed to come visit, we came here. I walked down the sidewalk after finding a parking spot, and then I heard a childlike voice yell my name.
“Maty!”
With pure reflexes, I turned around and squatted just in time to catch a little body running at me. The little blonde head tilted back so I could see the bright green eyes staring at me, toothy smile so wide.
“And who are you?” I made my face scrunch up like I was confused on who the little girl was.
“It’s me, Uncle Maty! Kai!” she screamed, not caring about bursting my eardrums.
“Oh, Kai! I didn’t recognize you from how big you’ve gotten.” I twirled us around, making Kai squeal, the sound making me grin.
Catching sight of the couple walking toward us, I moved Kai to my hip. At five she was easy to carry around.
“I didn’t know you guys were bringing the kids.” My older brother, Landon, and his wife, Lydia, walked up with smiles. I knew they weren’t directed at me but the little girl in my arms.
“We figured it would be a while before we all saw each other with your season starting,” Lydia said, arm wrapped around my brother. It was hard to believe the two of themused to hate each other, and now here they were six years later, married with a daughter.
Before I could reply, another round of voices interrupted. I turned with Kai in my arms to see Wyatt walking toward us, his wife, Josie, pushing a stroller beside him.
My face split in half at the sight of my other niece and nephew as they got closer. Kai wiggled in my arms to be put down. The little girl in Wyatt’s arms did the same thing. We all stood there watching as the two girls ran toward each other.
Wyatt and Josie’s daughter, Wrenley, was best friends with Kai. Since they lived by each other, Josie and Lydia had play dates for the kids constantly.
Wrenley’s twin brother, Jayden, waved his cute little chubby arms in the stroller as my brother and Josie came to a stop in front of us. Before anyone could say anything, I reached down and pulled him from the harness and into my arms.
“My little man.” I tossed him in the air, making him laugh.
“Mateo Boone!” Josie snapped. “Don’t you even dare.”
