Damn it, Emilia. If she didn’t want to talk to me, fine. I could forego all of that. I didn’t need all that bullshit drama in my life. I had a big game coming up. I had to just focus on that right now. My future was in the NFL and the opportunities that it brought along. Commercial deals, sponsorships, endorsements and maybe cameos in television shows or movies – all of those could be mine if I kept on pursuing my career. All of those could vanish if I dropped everything to play husband and father for Emilia and Jeremy.

At the same time, however, I wanted to be there for them. I was falling for Emilia so fast it felt like I was dating her ever since that night in college. Losing her now would be a big blow that I might not recover from.

Then there was Jeremy. He was only four and just a little kid but he was mine. That fact alone was something I had to wrestle with… I mean, holy shit I have a kid of my own.

I spent the next few days debating about this revelation at Mercury Wild. While I wasn’t going to tell Trevor, Marcus and the others about Emilia and Jeremy I did let them know I was at a crossroads in my life. Fortunately for me, they were being really good friends and just decided to drink along with me.

For the rest of my free time, I spent it out of town, going back to my team and my agents and coach so I could prepare for the game in London. I wasn’t the best quarterback in the NFL but they gave me the position for this European game. This would let me prove myself to the rest of the NFL that I could be the best player in the world. I could guarantee myself an MVP award if I led the team to victory in London.

Before I knew it, the thoughts of Jeremy and Emilia had once again faded into the background. There was nothing left in my mind except the sound of football players slamming into each other and the feel of the grass. There was nothing to bother me except for the strategy of each play and the goal of scoring another touchdown before each session was over.

After a week had passed, I was solely focused on the game. By the day of the game itself, I had nothing else – no other agenda – but the game. We were going to win and I was going to make sure that would happen.

The field was dark green and the benches were filled with over a hundred thousand spectators. It was a marvel to witness and a miracle that I was a part of it all. My teammates, who all come from different NFL teams to forge this one “dream team” of players, saluted me as I came onto the field. Even though some of them had been my rivals in previous games, this time around we were allies and we all had respect for each other’s skills and talents.

For a brief moment, my eyes lingered and I glanced at the crowd. There was a part of me that hoped she would be there but I knew the reality of that happening was beyond slim. She was back in Stateside, taking Jeremy to preschool and preparing for Jackson and Amy’s wedding.

I should be preparing too. I checked my schedule and it turned out I could attend the wedding and be the Best Man. However, I had to deal with what was right in front of me – I had to deal with the game.

Before long, the referee was out on the field. There was a coin toss, the ball was handed, and in just a few minutes we began to clash against each other on the grass. I could hear the announcers speaking on the PA system and the sound of commercials playing non-stop. I could feel the grit of the grass every time someone tackled me down whenever I tried to dash with the ball or throw it to my running back.

Mere minutes passed and we had scored our first touchdown. The opposition had struggled after and our defensive line managed to push them back several yards until they had no choice but to try and kick it through the goal posts for a measly three points.

I was determined to win, however, and I made them pay for that small success by launching a new game plan with my teammates. It was risky, sure, but with my speed and ability to trick our opponents I made a mad dash across forty yards to score yet another touchdown.

The crowd went wild. I could hear my name being chanted on and on. When I looked at the big screen I could see my face. This was a dream come true. I knew the boys at Mercury Wild knew what this felt like. They’ve all gone through their own ups and downs and a taste of massive success.

Now it was my time and boy, I did love it.

The whistle sounded off and once again my mind shifted to the game. Despite how busy we were on the field, however, in the very back recesses of my mind, I thought of Emilia. I could picture her soft, tight little body that turned me on. I thought of her sharp mind and the funny things she’d say. I thought of Jeremy and how sweet of a little boy he was and how smart he was for a kid his age.

In the snap of a second, all of that evaporated as one of the opposing players slammed into me. The distraction was enough to knock me off balance before I could toss the football off to my runner, and before I knew it I was overwhelmed by another tackle and then a third. I was down on the ground, eating dirt. That was our first down. I had to keep my head in the game.

When I got up, I dusted myself clean and cracked my knuckles. There was no time to think about Emilia and Jeremy. I had a game to win.