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Killian waved to the parking lot attendant as Emma drove through the familiar employee parking lot next to Raymond James Stadium. She pulled into the familiar parking spot labeled Nolan-Jones and turned off the car.
After taking a glance into the backseat at the two kids looking at their electronic devices, Killian glanced over at Emma. She smiled over at him and Killian felt warm and grinned as he glanced at the wedding band resting on his finger. He had worn the ring for nearly nine years now, but he never grew tired of seeing it glisten on his finger.
Next to the familiar wedding ring was his Super Bowl ring. He rarely wore it, other than for special occasions like today. This year was the ten-year anniversary of the Super Bowl win, and today there would be a halftime ceremony reuniting and honoring the mostly retired team from that year. Though it had been a while since he wore the ring, it felt heavy and unfamiliar and a flood of memories returned as Killian stared at it.
He and Emma got out of the car and the kids, Hope and Liam, followed suit. After they walked through the special entrance specified for coaches and players, Killian wished Emma luck before they went their separate ways.
Though Killian sometimes missed coaching, he had found a new purpose once Hope arrived. Not wanting Emma to give up her dream of coaching, Killian had become a stay-at-home dad. It was quite an adjustment, but he loved his kids and valued their happiness. Besides, he and Emma still spent many an evening dissecting game footage and discussing game plans once the kids were asleep.
Hope was eight and took after her mother in terms of looks and passion for football. She had asked both of her parents numerous questions about the game over the years, but overall seemed more interested in playing rather than coaching.
Liam on the other hand was six and looked more like his father. While he supported the family business, he was more introverted than Hope and would spend more time drawing than watching the game.
David called out to them as they walked into the familiar halls of the stadium. Killian greeted his father-in-law as the kids ran towards their grandfather. David knelt down to their level and gave each of them a hug.
“What time do we need to be at the field for the ceremony?” Killian asked as David stood back up.
David paused for a moment before answering, “Try to come down at the beginning of the second quarter.” Killian nodded before leading Hope and Liam to their usual box.
As they were the first ones to arrive, Killian let the kids play in the box as he looked out at the field below. He watched Emma lead the team out onto the field for warmups and grinned when she glanced up in the direction of the box. His mind briefly flashed to their wedding that had taken place on the middle of the field. He couldn’t help but smile at the memory, his and Emma’s happy beginning.
As he watched the players warm up, he heard the sounds of the stadium start to fill up. The door to the box opened up and he turned around as Hope called out, “Aunt Ruby! Aunt Belle!” The two women walked into the box followed by their two kids, Julie and Vernon. Killian gave them each a brief hug and said hello to the kids as they began to play with Hope and Liam. Julie and Hope had been inseparable since birth, while Liam and Vernon got along well due to their quieter natures.
In all of the years since he had first met Emma’s best friends, they had continued to remain a part of their family. Ruby had expanded her sports bar business with franchises all over the country while Belle had started a book recommendation site of her own that rivaled Goodreads. Despite their success, they always made time to see the Nolan-Jones family at least once-a-week and they did their best to be present for every Tampa Bay Buccaneers home game.
“Are you nervous?” Ruby asked as she settled in next to him. He saw her looking at the field, watching as the players went back into the locker room to prepare for the game. Leaning back in his seat, he thought about the halftime ceremony.
Killian instinctively caressed his prosthetic hand. “A little,” he confessed. Though he would never forget the joy of winning the Super Bowl, he couldn’t deny that the memory of losing his hand hours later still hurt. Though he had gotten used to his prosthetic hand and had started throwing again in a parents’ football league, he still wondered what things would be like if he hadn’t been so drunk and stupid that night.
Still, the past was the past and Killian was still happy with the direction that his life had taken since then. “It’ll be nice to see everyone again,” Killian added. Though he kept in touch with a few of his former teammates, he hadn’t seen many of them in years.
Ruby nodded and the stadium staff brought in a lunch buffet for the box. They all grabbed lunch and settled into their seats as the team ran back out of the tunnel to start the game. After the pregame events, the first quarter featured a Buccaneers’ touchdown and a Saints field goal.
As soon as the clock indicated that the first quarter was over, Killian stood up. “We should probably head down,” he said to Ruby and Belle. Hope and Liam stood up and waved goodbye to Julie and Vernon before making their way to the field. The security guard waved them through, and they joined the crowd of former teammates and coaches, along with their spouses and children, that had already assembled in the hallway.
“Hello, coach,” Killian said upon seeing his former head coach standing closest to him. Regina and her wife Mal turned to face him, smiling warmly towards him. They had seen each other a few times over the past decade and Emma still kept in touch with her.
“Good afternoon, Killian,” Regina replied. “Is everything going well for you and Emma?” Killian nodded and Regina introduced her and Mal’s daughter Lily before saying hello to Hope and Liam.
Killian felt a tap on his shoulder, and he turned to embrace his friend and former receiver, Robin Locksley. Robin was standing with his wife Marian and their son Roland. Killian caught up with the rest of his former team, introducing Hope and Liam to them.
“He looks just like you,” Will Scarlet said with a big smile as he was introduced to Liam. Turning to Liam, he declared, “I bet you’re just as good as your Dad was. You must already have college offers lined up.”
Killian noticed Liam tense at the comment and didn’t respond. Before either of them could respond, a member of the stadium staff quieted the group and told them that they were about to take the field. Killian heard the roar of the crowd and the sounds of Super Bowl highlights being played on the Jumbotron.
An announcer introduced the team and the group walked out onto the field together. The home crowd was deafening as everyone marched to the center of the field. It had been a long time since he had been in the public eye like this, but he still found that he enjoyed the sound of the crowd.
Killian found Emma in the crowd and walked over to her. “Good first half, love,” he said as he gave her a quick kiss. Emma smiled and they raised their hands with the rest of the team to show off their Super Bowl rings to the crowd. Killian glanced at the championship banner hanging in the stadium and smiled at the one next to it that Emma had won five years after their magical first season together.
David and Mary Margaret passed the Lombardi trophy to Regina, who held it up in the air for the crowd before passing it to Emma. Emma held up the trophy before passing it to Killian. The crowd cheered as Killian raised the trophy above his head. He passed it to Mary Margaret and looked down at Hope and Liam. Hope was clearly enjoying herself while Liam was still frowning as they stood beside him and Emma.
Emma walked up to the podium that had been set up at the center of the field and leaned into the microphone. “Ten years ago, my life changed for the better. I met my husband.” She glanced at Killian, who couldn’t help but grin at the declaration. Emma smiled back before continuing, “I found my calling as a coach and we brought home our first Super Bowl championship in a long time.” The crowd erupted and Emma waited for them to quiet down before continuing. “Winning the super bowl was a real team effort, but we couldn’t have done it without all of you cheering for us.” The crowd began cheering again and Mary Margaret raised the trophy above her head.
The crowd continued as the group marched triumphantly off the field. Killian kissed Emma again and wished her luck as he saw that Liam had run off. He and Hope broke off from the group and found him sitting in an empty hallway. “Have your grandmother go with you back up to the box,” Killian turned to Hope. She nodded and went to find Mary Margaret.
Killian saw down next to Liam and asked, “What’s wrong, mate?” Liam didn’t answer for a moment and Killian remembered how upset he had looked after Scarlet’s comments. “Is it because of what Scarlet said?” Liam looked hesitant and Killian assured, “You can be honest with me.”
Liam nodded. “Everyone expects me to be a quarterback like you. Teachers. Kids at school. Other parents. You and mom.” He took a deep breath. “Everyone talks about your ‘legacy.’”
“I’m sorry,” Killian said. “I know that it must be difficult to live with those expectations. But you’re wrong about your mother and I.” Liam glanced at him. “Your mother and I don’t expect you to be a quarterback. We just want you to be happy.”
“I like art,” Liam confessed, “Art makes me happy.”
A sudden idea crossed Killian’s mind. “Let’s go home,” he told Liam. “I want to show you something.” He quickly called Belle to ask her to watch Hope for the rest of the game before sending a text to Emma that he knew she would see after the game.
Killian stood up and led Liam to the car. The two sat in silence as Killian drove them home. As soon as they stepped inside the house, Killian said, “Follow me.”
He led Liam down to the basement and opened a filing cabinet downstairs. Pulling the contents out, he laid them out on the table. Liam’s eyes lit up at the sight of all of his doodles and artwork from over the years. “You kept them?”
Killian nodded. “Every single one.” He looked down at Liam and said, “You’re really talented.” He saw Liam smile and continued, “I love you no matter who you end up becoming. Your mother feels the same way. You are our son and we’re proud of you no matter what.”
“Really?” Liam asked, his face lighting up.
Killian nodded. “Really.” He added, “If you’re interested in art, we’ll sign you up for some classes.”
He smiled at how happy Liam looked and he added, “Your mother and I love football, but you don’t have to follow the same game plan as us. It’s up to you to follow your heart and create a new game plan that works for you. Thankfully, you have plenty of time to figure that out.”
Liam embraced Killian and Killian wrapped his arms around his son. “Thanks, dad.” After watching the rest of the game at home, Killian called Emma after her victory. He quickly explained the situation and told her that she was driving back to the stadium to pick her and Hope up. Emma suggested that they meet at Ruby’s bar for ice cream and Liam lit up at the suggestion. Killian called Belle and they agreed to meet at the bar in twenty minutes.
Killian drove him and Liam to the bar and found Emma, Hope, Ruby, Belle, Julie, and Vernon already waiting for them. Ruby took them to the private room in the back and the group placed their sundae orders. As Killian looked around at his family, he couldn’t help but smile at how far he had come in the past decade. He and Emma proved to be quite the team both on and off the field and he loved the family they had built around them. Though sometimes Killian missed the thrill of playing football, he wouldn’t trade his current life for anything.