Only One Chance (Only One 2)

New Year… New BeginningsChapter 35LaylaI walk over to the outfit I wore last night. The outfit I picked out especially for the night. I was going to bite the bullet and go to him. I bend over, grabbing the dress and the top, and throw it in my walk-in closet in the corner.

I picked out the outfit and did my hair. My stomach was in my throat as I made my way there. My hands shook when I walked into the ballroom. My eyes found him right away, and my heart broke when I saw him dancing with someone else. I lifted my hands when he looked at me and smiled. In the end, I want him to be happy, and if she makes him happy, then I have to accept it.

I left within ten minutes. Candace saw my face and knew I needed to get out of there. She ushered me into a cab, and I went to Grandma’s house. She opened the door for me, her smile dropping off her face when I tried to block my sob with my hand. I toasted the New Year with her and made a decision that it was time for me to leave. When I got home, the emptiness screamed out, and I knew deep in my heart that I couldn’t stay there.

Grabbing my jeans, I slide them on and huff out when I see they are a bit loose. I walk over to the bag in the corner and take out the Dallas jersey that the radio station gave me for today. My job is to interview the players' families and get the inside scoop on how they prepared for the day.

I’m already dreading it. I grab my press badge and slip on my heeled boots.

When I arrive, I park where they told me to park and look around to see if I see Candace or Ari anywhere. They scan my badge, and I put my phone in my back pocket, where my ID is with my credit card.

“Hey,” I say when I get to the radio station booth that is set up there. They are on the air right now, and Tony waves at me and then says my name on air.

“Okay, where do I go for this?” I ask the woman who is holding the clipboard, and she looks and finds my name.

“You are going to go through that tunnel there.” She points at the white tunnel. “Families have been told and are already there.” I grab the mic from her. “Press record on here.” She shows me how it works, and I walk away, amazed at how they transformed the football field into a hockey rink. People are going crazy behind the scenes to make sure it’s perfect. I look up in the stands and seeing that fans have started to trickle in.

I walk into the tunnel and spot Candace, who is with Ari. Ari claps her hands the second she sees me. She is dressed in a Dallas jersey with her dad’s name on the back, and Candace has two green bows in her hair. “Are you excited?” I say, grabbing Ari from her and kissing her. “You are the prettiest little girl,” I say to her, and she points at Candace, calling her mama.

I pick the microphone to my mouth. “What did your dad do to get ready?” I ask her, and she just says dada. “Okay, Auntie Layla has to get her work done so she can enjoy the game.”

“How are you feeling?” Candace asks, and I shrug.

“Shitty,” I tell her the truth. “Okay, I see some family members.” I hand Ari back to her. “I’ll catch up with you later,” I say, turning around and seeing a family I’ve never seen before.

“Hi, guys,” I say, smiling, “I’m with the radio station, and if you don’t mind, can I ask you some questions?” They are all wearing Dallas jerseys, but I can’t see the name on the back.

“Sure,” the woman says.

“How excited are you guys to be here?” I ask, and she smiles.

“So excited. We never thought you could have ice outside in Dallas,” the woman says.

“You and me both,” I say, laughing. “It’s Dallas.”

“Right,” I say. “How different is this to when you brought them to their games when they were younger?”

Her eyes light up. “He hated hockey,” she says.

“I’m sorry, who is your son?” I ask her at the same time I see him walking toward us.

“Hey, guys,” he says and then bends to kiss the woman on the cheek. “Mom, Dad,” he says and then looks at me. “Layla.” He says my name, and I just blink because the words are stuck in my throat. “Guys, this is Layla.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” the woman says, and I look at her and smile.