Page 94 of Dominate
It’s his.
It’s his and it’s ours.
It’s our family’s moment.
And I’m so proud that he has let go of the pain of the past to be in the present with us. He’s not only my father.
He’s my kindred spirit.
With a clearing of my throat, I take the mic back from Sloan and state, “Thank you.”
My siblings go back to their partners and leave me standing out in the middle of the pitch, staring up at a crowd that has watched me turn into a man on this very grass.
“Tonight I bid a fond farewell to this stadium and the wonderful game of football.” I pause, a knot forming in my throat as I fight through the emotions growing inside of me. “I’ve been playing defence for over a decade, and it’s time for me to play some other positions in life.”
The crowd cheers loudly, banging their feet on the concrete with encouragement.
“A fan, a friend, a brother, an uncle, a husband…a father.” My voice breaks and I sniff hard to fight through my words. “I’ve proudly called this pitch my home for many years, but it’s time for me to put focus on what I cherish most in life…My family.”
I look over at Sloan and she hits me with a smile that I am fully prepared to grow old with. A smile that feels true, and sincere, and honest. I’m not one to say I believe in destiny, but the fact that I needed my suit the exact same night everything fell apart in her life feels kismet. We were both free falling in life and became each other’s parachutes. We united together and all the pain in our pasts surrendered and allowed us to dominate. Together.
We are so much more than one thing.
We are everything.
She presses her lips to our son and squeezes the hand of our daughter. If I ever doubt leaving this beautiful game of football, all I have to do is look into their eyes. My family.
“My love story with football is special and complete with tragedy, triumph, highs, and lows. But, there comes a point in your life when you have to start thinking with your heart instead of your head. And my heart is calling me home. To my family.”
The End
