Chapter 26 Austin Graham

Delayed

Two Days Until Christmas

I stare at the message as I try to come up with the right response. I don't really have the words that could properly express how it means everything to me that she believes me.

And that's why I feel like I want to wait until I'm in person to properly thank her for that.

I'm also afraid if I call her and talk to her that I will blow the surprise. I’ll do something stupid like end the conversation with see you soon or something equally dumb that would give away the fact that I have a ticket on a flight tomorrow after practice. It'll get in late, and I'm not even sure exactly where her grandparents live, but I figure I'll make up a story about wanting to send a gift so I can get their address ahead of time.

I decide to text back rather than call even though I want nothing more than to hear her voice and Mia’s. I glance at the clock and realize Mia’s sleeping by now anyway. I also realize that she doesn’t know that if I was in trouble because of the drug test, I wouldn’t be at practice.

Me: That means everything to me. I miss you both and I'm sorry I've been quiet. It's been a brutal week.

I leave it at that even though it’s vague, and I head to bed. I'm up and at ’em early in the morning for practice, and I see a reply from her.

Kelly: Sorry it’s been brutal. Wish I was there to help.

She is helping, and she doesn’t even know. She has no idea how just that one little text telling me she believes me was exactly everything I needed.

I have the trust and faith of somebody who means everything to me.

I head to practice, and I'm a little early.

Asher is in the locker room, the only one here as early as me. “Merry Christmas Eve,” he says.

I nod. “Same to you.” I sit on the bench inside my locker and start changing shoes.

“What are your plans for the holiday?” he asks.

“Kelly is in Chicago with her family, so I decided to grab a flight out tonight after practice to spend Christmas with them.”

“Wow. You’re really all in on that, huh?” he says.

“Yep. A hundred percent.” I finish tying my left shoe and get started on the right.

“You are a different guy with her and your daughter.”

“It means a lot that you noticed. I've been working hard to make them proud of me in part because I've seen that it can be done through people like you.” He knows I’m referring to when he first got here and ended up suspended for an entire year.

That was my year. My chance to prove who I was as a player, and I did well. But the second his suspension was over, he was back on the field in the place where I was supposed to be. Is it any wonder why I had a grudge against him?

It took having a kid and looking at who I was becoming as a man to help me check my ego. It’s because of Mia that I can admit that Asher Nash is a better tight end than I am, but that doesn’t mean I can’t keep trying anyway.

He walks over and slaps me on the shoulder. “You know, Graham,” he says. “I wish this was the guy who greeted me when I first came to the team. We could've been working together this whole time instead of against each other. We could’ve been good friends from the start.”

“You're right. And I'm sorry for that, but it's never too late, right?”

He nods. “You hear about Morgan?”

I shake my head. “How long?”

He shrugs. “I don't know, but I imagine it'll be whatever the league hands down plus some extra from the Aces.”

“Yeah, stupid move on his part. Do you think it's the end for him?” I ask.

He shrugs. “No idea, but one thing I do know is that there’s always time for second chances.”

This guy is really a great player, and the more I give him a chance, the more I see he's a pretty good dude too.

Coach works us extra hard in practice since we have a random midweek day off to recover. Once practice is over, I head home and grab my bag to get to the airport. I check in for my flight and see it's delayed.

I blow out a breath. This isn’t getting off to a good start, but I’m determined, and a determined Austin is one that will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

I was already getting in after ten in Chicago, and now it looks like I won't be getting in until after midnight, so it kind of seems like my options are limited if I'm going to surprise her since she'll be sleeping.

I shoot her a text.

Me: I would like to send something to your grandparents’ place. Can you send me their address?

She replies with the address so I know where I’m going once I land.

I try to hold onto some semblance of patience as I wait at the airport for my delayed flight. I play games on my phone. I grab a bite to eat. It’s Christmas Eve, and all I want to do is be with my daughter and the woman I plan to spend the rest of my life with.

Instead, I'm stuck in an airport in Vegas waiting for a flight that is now showing that it's delayed another hour.

I’ve been waiting for two days for this moment to arrive—to get on a plane and head toward my girls to surprise them with this huge gesture and give Kelly the gift I've been preparing the last few days. It feels like nothing is nearly as important as getting on the plane and getting to Chicago.

That’s when I hear an announcement.

“Flight 3741 with service to Chicago O’Hare is now taking off at eleven thirty-six.”

Fuck.

It’s another delay.

I head up to the counter, feeling a whole lot like the mom in that movie where they leave the kid at home and she's at the airport begging for a flight to Chicago.

“I know it's Christmas Eve, and I’m sure you just want to get home and be with your own family, but do you know of any way I can get out to Chicago tonight?” I’m begging, and I lay it on extra thick. “I have tomorrow off, and I’d love to be able to spend Christmas with my baby. It’s her first. Do you have kids?”

She nods. “Two. I’m so sorry, but the flights going into O'Hare are grounded because of the blizzard hitting the city right now. There's nothing I can do.” She presses her lips together apologetically.

“Is this flight going to be canceled?” I brace myself for the inevitable truth.

“More than likely, yes.” She leans in closer to me. “I'm a huge fan. Because of that I'm going to tell you a secret. Our airline doesn’t fly into Midway, but there are flights going out tonight, and one is taking off from gate B12 in twenty minutes. If you rush over there and they have room, which they do since I just called over to ask, they might be able to get you out tonight.”

Her words feel like a Christmas miracle, and I lean over the counter to give her a hug. She laughs, and I pull my phone out and open my contacts. “Put your name and number in here, and I'll set you up with four tickets to Sunday's game.”

Her jaw drops as she types in her details. “My husband is going to die when I tell him this.”

“Well, for both of your sakes, I hope that's not true, but we'll see you on Sunday.”

“Thank you,” she says.

I shake my head. “Thank you.” I emphasize the you and run over to B-twelve.