Page 65 of Georgia Pine
“I’m pregnant. A little over three months. I wanted to tell you sooner, but I didn’t want to upset you while you were recovering. It must have happened that day in the laundry room, or maybe it was on our hike. I started feeling tired and nauseous, and I was never hungry. I started to lose weight. It hasn’t been like any of my other pregnancies, so I didn’t know. I chalked it up to the stress of the storm and your surgery, and….”
Tim covered her mouth with his hand, stopping her jabbering mid-sentence. He was elated and floored, excited and overcome with joy. “You’re pregnant? Is this for real?”
Her smile reminded him of the dazzling sun breaking through the clouds. “Yes, this is as real as it gets,” she whispered, reminding him of his proposal. “And it’s aboy.”
***
Tim was escorted to the sidelines on the field at the two-minute warning, the anticipation of the half-time ceremony in the back of his mind. He was still reeling with the news that he was going to be a father; the father of a son.
Jessica had told him at the beginning of their relationship that she was as fertile as they came. Boy, she wasn’t kidding. She had been pregnant the whole time he was recovering, and neither of them knew it. He remembered thinking she looked pale or tired at times, but he thought it was because of the stress of everything that had happened. Her focus had been on him. No wonder she hadn’t seen or felt the signs. Jessica was already in her second trimester, the baby boy due in late March or early April. This would change their wedding plans for sure. And how would the girls react knowing they had a baby brother on the way? His mind was spinning with the news, and he didn’t realize it was time for the ceremony until the director tapped his arm several times.
Walking out to the middle of the fifty-yard line was surreal among the roar of the crowd. Flashes of lights went off in quick succession as his name appeared on the jumbo screens along with his infamous jersey number, nine. He was going through the motions, laughing and answering a few nonsensical questions from the famous commentators set up on the field. When they passed the microphone to him, he froze.
Looking out into the faceless sea of people, all he could hear was his own heart beating. He was alive, and he was going to be a daddy. Owner, Stuart Harding put his arm around Tim’s shoulders and squeezed, bringing him out of the awkward moment.
“You want me to speak on your behalf?” he said empathetically in his ear so he could hear, the look on his face full of concern.
Tim smiled and confidently shook his head. “No, Stu. I got this.”
Stuart nodded and aggressively patted him on the back.
Tim cleared his throat and slowly brought the microphone up to his mouth. “Hey, San Fran. How you doin’?”
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, some of them chanting, “We love Tim” over and over. Tim looked around in awe, the contrast of the last time he was on this field, striking.
“I just want to say, thank you, for all the prayers and letters over the past few months. It’s been a hard road since the Super Bowl. I appreciate you welcoming me back and remembering me for the totality of my career as we retire my jersey, number nine…”
More crowd noise erupted as the jumbo screen flashed his number and stats for all the world to see. Tim scanned the sidelines of his former teammates who were clapping and cheering for him, grateful for their incredible support.
“They say if you prove you’re a champion, people will love you forever. But if you fall short on the field, you will never be forgiven, no matter how you conduct yourself away from the game. That’s not true with the 49ers fans. In the past couple of months, I’ve felt real love and forgiveness from you, and it’s been incredible.”
The crowd quieted down as he spoke. Tim peered up into the stands, looking for the luxury suite where he knew Jessica was waiting.
“On a hot stormy night in July in the city of Atlanta, Georgia I did what I had to do to save someone I loved. I would do it again and again in a heartbeat. Some of you are now calling me a hero.” Tim swallowed as he tried to maintain his composure. “I’m just a man; a man who is deeply grateful to the powers that be for sparing my life and giving me the strength to do what I had to.”
“The NFL prepared me for that moment in time. I was strong, and I was focused. If it hadn’t been for this team of players and my decade-long career with the San Francisco 49ers franchise, I wouldn’t have been able to pull off what I did on that night.”
The stands of people erupted again as Tim choked back his emotions.
“Thank you, from the bottom of my heart for being here and supporting me and Jessica and our children.” He could see Stu on the sidelines nodding his head, the look on his face full of pride. A flash of yellow caught his eye, and Jessica suddenly appeared next to Stu and looked on, her gaze intense, full of pure love; the kind he had always pined for.
Clearing his throat, Tim finished his speech. “To fail is human, but it’s not fatal. It’s courage that counts. I’ve learned over the past two years that I’m capable of more than I thought I was. I’m capable of love, and I’m capable of forgiveness. Being a part of this American team was an incredible part of my life journey that has brought me to this day, and I want to end by saying, thank you. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of the best team in the NFL—the San Francisco 49ers!”
He thrust his fist into the air and then waved. Confetti cannons went off, and he could see Jessica running toward him across the field. When she ended up in his arms, he twirled her around, the brightly colored bits of red and gold confetti falling all around them like snow.
“I’m so proud of you,” she yelled into his ear among the deafening roar of the jam-packed stands.
“I love you, Jessica. God, I love you so much!”
“What?” she pulled back, smiling and cupping her ear to hear him. The freckles across her nose were adorable, and her azure eyes drew him in with intensity.
Shaking his head, he grabbed her by the cheeks and kissed her long and hard, his yearning for her pure and powerful. The camera crew captured the moment and displayed their affection on the big screen for all the world to see.
The closure with his career was complete, the baby in Jessica’s belly as real as it could get. Clasping her hand in his, Tim Ryan walked off the football field for the last time, straight into the next chapter of his incredible life.
THE END
