Page 106 of Lucky 22

He shifts again, kissing my shoulder before resting his headthere, something he knows I love.

“So, when this series comes out, are you going to dress uplike your character?” he asks. “Like…how alien-like are you? Enormous eyes?Tentacles? Will I have to hold the tentacles when we walk the red carpet?”

It’s the most ridiculous conversation ever, but it has thedesired effect. I’m laughing. And then we’re kissing.

And then it’s just the two of us—no TV, no baseball, and noaliens.

The quiet is filled with tender kisses, gentle caresses, anda promise that no matter what happens, we’ll always have each other.

Just the way it should be.

“We’re going to Toronto!”

Rolling over, I blink Christian into focus. “Um…what?” I askaround a yawn.

He looks happier than he has in weeks, and I know I’m goingto need some coffee to have this conversation.

Pushing my hair from my face, I sit up. “Toronto? Asin…Canada?”

As if reading my mind, a cup of coffee suddenly appears infront of me when he gingerly sits down on the bed beside me. “I know it’s notideal, and it’s only a one-year contract, but at least I’ll be playing.”

Yay.

Or not. I have so many questions, my head is spinning.

“I’m thinking we might fly up to Toronto next week so I canmeet with the team, and we can look at apartments. The good news is that we canplan accordingly. We know this is a one-year commitment. The Skyhawks are agood team, but they haven’t made the playoffs in a couple of years, and I knowI can help them.”

“I know you will,” I say, so many thoughts racing through mybrain. Christian makes every team he plays on better, but moving to Canada is awhole different ballgame that I had not even considered.

“I love you, Ella Rose, and I know we’ll make this work,” hesays with a boyish grin.

I take a sip of my coffee.

“So, uh…you accepted the deal?”

“I did.” He doesn’t look at me as he says it, and there’s asadness in his voice. “No other offers were coming in. It was either take thecontract or not play.”

We sit in complete silence. My mind is in overdrive.Selfishly, I had already allowed myself to dream of our life if he retired. Inever fully let my mind go there, but with no offers coming in, I began todaydream about what a “normal” life might look like with a healthy husband. AndI liked it.

Now, I sit silently,grieving the new life that was within my grasp, while also coming to terms withthe fact that we are moving to a different country. Am I even allowed to workin Canada? I know you need a work visa to be an actor there. I have somany questions.

Finally, Christian breaks the silence, “Ella Rose, Icouldn’t go out like that. I just couldn’t. To go from an MVP to a has-beenthat no one wants? I just couldn’t do it. I want to leave the game on my terms.I hope you understand.”

I don’t want to, but of course, I do.

“Please understand that I am just completely overwhelmed atthe moment, and I don’t know what to think,” I say quietly. “We’ll go toToronto, we’ll meet with the team, we’ll find a place to live, and of course,we’ll make it work,” I say, sounding exhausted. How am I going to balanceeverything now? This might break me.

Sipping my coffee, my thoughts remain in total turmoil.

Another move. Another team. Another city.

Another chance for my husband to get hurt.

How am I supposed to sit in the stands and cheer for that?

“I have a surprise for you,” he says, interrupting mythoughts.

A mirthless laugh is my first response. “I think you’vesurprised me enough for one morning, Christian.”