Today, however, was different. The eight of them had come together and discussed how to go forward. They had a plan, but he was a key piece of it. He was glad of it and yet also found it to be a responsibility he wasn’t certain he was worthy of taking on.
As they took to the pitch, he couldn’t help but allow his gaze to wander into the stands to where Minnie was sitting, assuring himself that she was still there, still safe, under no threat from anyone who might wish her harm.
“Tommy,” Colin called out before running over to him as Rhys took to center field to inevitably lose the coin toss. “I know you well enough to know that look on your face. Your head is not in this game.”
“But Minnie?—
“I know. I get it. I do. But there’s nothing we can do from the field. You need to focus on the match and make sure that you do all you can for the team. Besides, nothing is going to happen until after Blackwood realizes that you’re not following through with his demand to throw the game for him.” Colin studied Tommy before shaking his head. “Don’t let him win. Because if he gets in your head and you don’t play well, then you’re only giving him what he wants.”
“You’re right,” Tommy said, letting out a breath, releasing all that fear as he looked around him, taking in the opposing team, the navy-clad Old Foresters Football Club from London. “It’s a football game,” he said more to himself than to Colin. “Just a football game.”
“That’s the spirit,” Colin said, hitting him on the arm. “Here we go.”
The umpire signalled for the game to begin, and the Old Foresters started with the ball, passing it amongst themselves with much more accuracy than Tommy remembered from the last time they had played one another. They would have to be on their game today.
Tommy’s heart was still pounding, and when he glanced once more at the stands, the glimpse he caught of Minnie’s golden hair and reassuring smile somewhat calmed him, and he took a couple of deep breaths as he forced himself to focus on the game at hand.
The Old Foresters came out strong, their forwards pressing hard against Manchester Central's defense. Tommy found himself constantly on the move, darting and weaving to evade his opponents and create openings for his teammates. But the London club was well-practiced and physical, matching them in their every attempt for the ball and the upper hand.
After an even fifteen minutes in, disaster struck. A miscommunication in Manchester Central’s backline allowed an Old Forester striker to slip through before he beat Hardy, the keeper, one-on-one to put the visitors ahead.
The few fans from London erupted in cheers as Tommy's heart sank. This was the opposite of what they needed at this moment.
Rhys’s voice boomed across the pitch. "Heads up, lads! Plenty of time left. Let's get one back!"
Spurred by their captain's words and their competitive spirit, Manchester Central surged forward with renewed determination. Colin won a challenge in midfield, pinging a perfect through ball to Tommy. He bounced it off his chest, let it settle at his feet, and then shot it forward, only for the ball to sail just wide of the post.
Chances came and went for both sides as the half wore on, the play fierce and fast-paced. Tommy's lungs burned and his legs felt like lead, but he pushed through, determined not to let his team down. To not let Minnie down.
Halftime was called with the Old Foresters still leading 1-0. At the Manchester Central bench, the mood was tense but determined. Rhys made some tactical adjustments, urging the wingers to tuck in and support the central midfielders.
"Tommy and Colin, I need you two to lead the press," Rhys instructed. "Force their defenders into mistakes. The goals will come."
Tommy nodded, catching Colin's eye. An unspokenunderstanding passed between them. They would leave everything on the pitch in this second half.
While the entire team was usually in synch, Tommy and Colin had played together since they were children and knew how one another moved almost better than how they moved themselves. They knew how to create openings, to distract when possible, to find the space they needed to score.
As play resumed, Manchester Central came out firing, trapping the Old Foresters back in their own end. Near the middle of the second half, Colin stole the ball from a dawdling center back, sending it to Tommy, who easily stroked the ball into an empty net, tying the game.
The home crowd roared as Tommy wheeled away in celebration, his teammates mobbing him in delight.
The Old Foresters fought back, but Manchester had the momentum now. With twenty minutes to go, Tommy collected the ball after a cleared corner kick, cut inside onto his right foot, and curled an unstoppable shot into the top corner, making it 2-1 Manchester. The stadium erupted as Tommy and Colin celebrated with the rest of the team on the field.
The final minutes were a blur of desperate defending and frantic counter-attacks as the Old Foresters were not going down without a fight.
Hardy, however, played brilliantly, and along with Jonny and Mickey defending in front of him, they were able to keep any attacks at bay. The final minutes ticked down until, finally, the umpire called the game with Manchester ahead.
Tommy looked up to the stands, as he had periodically through the game, finding Minnie standing there, smiling down at him, clapping her hands together. Tommy kissed the tips of his index and middle fingers of his right hand and then lifted them, pointing at her, to show her that this was for her. Everything he did in his life was for her now.
It was still crazy to think that mere months ago, she hadstill been a dream. A beautiful woman just out of reach. Now, she possessed the entirety of his heart.
“We did it!” Rhys called out in elation as the team gathered around him. “One more game, lads!”
To Rhys, winning the FA Cup was everything — well, almost everything, besides Emmaline.
Tommy found winning fun — who didn’t? — but for him, it was more about the team, the family, the time they spent together.
They were defending champions this year, and it meant something to Tommy that they had come this far, but if they didn’t win, that was fine with him. All that mattered was that his family — including his wife and the men around him — were happy and safe.
