Page 133 of The Way Home

His attention snapped back to the screen as the referee blew the whistle to start the match.

Only… neither team moved.

Instead of breaking into their positions, both teams slowly drifted toward the center of the field, gathering together in a tight circle.

“What are they doing?” Bri asked, looking over at Caleb. “Is this normal?”

“No, I have no—” He stopped mid-sentence as the two captains leaned in close to whisper to each other. A moment later, Dillion reached into the pocket of her shorts and pulled out a large bundle of fabric, handing one end to the Arsenal captain.

Walking apart from one another, they began carefully unraveling it. A massive rainbow flag spilled open across the pitch, held on the edges by all the players.

“Oh my God,” Caleb breathed. Jamie’s hand tightened around his, gripping so hard it almost hurt. On the television, Sally quickly brushed tears from her face while Angie flashed a smile toward the nearest camera. Dillion raised her middle finger high in the air.

Camera crews flooded onto the pitch, swarming the captains. “We will not be playing today,” Dillion said clearly into the microphone, the Arsenal captain nodding solemnly behind her. “When the League decides to put sports and competition over people, we as athletes cannot just stand by. The harassment and discrimination in this league have gone too far, and we’ve been told to stay quiet and complicit.”

She glanced over her shoulder at her teammates before turning back to the cameras.

“And, yeah. Fuck that.” The broadcast didn’t manage to bleep the word in time.

“Hell yeah!” Mike whooped from the other side of the room, one of the nurses quickly agreeing with him. More hospital staff started filing in as they heard the commotion, peering around the doorway and chiming in with“whoa, that’s crazy!”and“good for them!”

Caleb heard a soft snort from the hospital bed behind him and turned just in time to see his father shaking his head, a quiet chuckle rumbling out of his chest.

“Thought I’d see some sports today,” Derrick muttered, closing his eyes and lying back in his bed. Caleb felt his stomach drop until his father added quietly, “Good for those girls.”

Caleb turned back to Jamie, who watched his friends on the screen with a wistful smile. His green eyes were watery.

“I’m so proud of them,” Jamie said softly. Then his eyes shifted and locked onto Caleb’s. “And you.”

“Did you know they were doing this?”

Jamie nodded, looking a little guilty. “I’m sorry. They told me not to tell you. They didn’t want you to fret about it.”

They were right, he absolutely would have fretted. He didn’t even realize he had tears in his eyes until Jamie leaned forward and brushed them away gently with both thumbs.

Across the room, Bri and Mike were chatting excitedly with the nurses, talking about how incredible it was that the players had stood up for each other like that. His phone began dinging frantically in his pocket, but Caleb barely heard any of it.

All he could see was Jamie. His Jamie.

“I am not going to let them cut you from summer camp, Caleb,” Jamie said seriously. “Neither will the girls. If you want to put that on your medical school applications, youwillbe there. You and Sally and anyone who wants to should be allowed—”

Caleb cut him off by capturing his lips. His free hand slid around Jamie’s lower back, pulling him closer.

“I love you so much,” he whispered against his lips.

“I—I love you too,” Jamie said softly, leaning in for a second kiss. When they pulled away, Jamie pushed his glasses up his nose, suddenly looking very nervous again.

“Could we… step outside for a moment?”

Caleb frowned slightly. “Now?”

Jamie’s gaze flicked to his family and then to the door. “Yes, now. Right now.” Jamie’s green eyes locked back onto his, a mixture of excitement and fear shining in them.

“There’s, erm, something I’d like to ask you.”

Epilogue

3 months later