Game On (Game On 1)

He smiled. “See ya.”

He started to walk down the steps, then stopped and turned back. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot.”

Trying not to blush at the fact that I’d intended to watch him walk away instead of going back inside, I said, “What?”

Resting his bag down on the steps, he tugged the zipper open. As he straightened up, he pulled out a rectangular box.

“I bought you this yesterday,” he said, and I walked towards him as he held it out to me.

“What’s is it?”

“Open it.”

He grinned again as I lifted the lid. I put my hand inside and took out its contents. It was a small plastic dome filled with clear liquid, with a black top hat and tiny carrot floating inside. Along the edging at the bottom, were the words 'Florida Snowman'.

I laughed out loud and Radleigh said, “A tacky souvenir from Florida, just in case you haven't bought one yet.”

Looking up at him, I grinned. “It's perfect. Supreme tackiness.”

“I thought you'd like it.”

“I do,” I told him. “Thank you.”

With the snowman in one hand and the box in the other, I reached up and gave him a hug. The warmth of his arms around me was a little more than I could handle, but I didn't want to let go. He’d remembered that, all that time ago, I'd told him about my love for tacky keepsakes. As far as I was concerned, there was nothing nicer he could have done for me.

Throughout the morning I had to keep mentally shaking myself to stop from grinning like an idiot at the thought of Radleigh. His gift had completely thrown me because it was uncharacteristically sweet of him. I wasn’t ready to declare him a decent human being just yet, but he had selflessly entertained Jamie, been nice to my brother and sister-in-law and looked adorable every time he held Grace. He hadn’t faked a second of it, I knew it.

Of course, trying to figure him out had got me in a lot of trouble in the past, so I forced him out of my head and focused all of my attention on my last few hours with my loved ones.

Saying goodbye was awful. We’d had so little time together and although I was grateful for what we'd had, I wished it could have been more. Jamie cried again as I said goodbye to him, asking me to stay, which obviously, I couldn't. I hated the thought of leaving him. I'd felt like myself again when I'd been with my family. It was all so easy, so simple.

I cried all the way to the airport, and most of the way home.

I entered the training ground weighted down with unhappiness. I wanted to be with Josh, Christina, Jamie and Grace. I thought I'd be all light and happy after being with them, but the reality was, I hated having to be away from them when I knew they were still in the country. If they’d gone home again it may have been marginally easier.

Ironically, I was looking forward to seeing Radleigh. I never thought that day would come. Only a few hours had passed since I’d seen him, but he’d been there with me and my family. It made me want to be around him, if only to help me hold on to the memories for a bit longer.

He spotted me as I walked around the edge of the pitch on my way to check in with Richard, and he jogged over to me. Had he been waiting for me? No, of course not, why would he? However, he smiled as he approached and my bleakness lifted a little.

“Hey,” he said. “You’re back. How was the rest of your morning?”

“Good, thanks. Jamie talked about you non-stop.”

“That must’ve been annoying for you.”

I nodded. “It was.”

“Did you miss me, Leah?”

“You wish,” I laughed. “How about you? Did you get here on time?”

“Only just. I’d rather have had the extra couple of hours in Florida though.”

“Jamie would have loved that.”

I would have loved it.

I wasn't sure where all this soppiness was coming from, but it startled me. My over-emotional state was really messing with my head.