After I’d cleaned up and we were both under the covers, Jude curled up next to me, I thought about it again. For twenty-four years, I’d been lonely, isolating myself from the world. Just a few months ago, I’d been sitting alone in my Calgary apartment, convinced that no one would ever want me for me. Now, I was here, in England, with a man who loved me with his whole heart, building a life I’d never imagined possible.
“Cody?” Jude’s voice was sleepy, murmured into my shoulder. “Are you still awake?”
“Yeah.”
“I just wanted to say I’m so glad you stayed.”
“Me too,” I said, and I meant it more than I’d ever meant anything in my life.
35
Jude
The first touch of the springy grass beneath my football boots felt like coming home.
“I want you to take it easy.” Jorge, the physio who’d been in charge of my treatment plan, was watching from the sidelines, scrutinising my movements as I moved through the warm-up routine. “Remember, it’s your first day back.”
“I know.”
He gave me a thumbs up. “You’ve got this.”
Just running down the pitch was enough to make me smile. I’d been hobbling around for the past fortnight, taking care not to put too much weight on my ankle as I religiously stuck to the rehab plan, and it seemed like it had paid off. My ankle felt completely normal, with no twinges or instability.
Harvey nodded at me as I joined the rest of the squad for passing drills. “Looking good, lad. How’s the ankle holding up?”
“It’s great. Feels like I’m fully recovered.”
“Brilliant. We’ll ease you back in over the next few days, and I’ll check things over with Jorge, but all being well, you should be available for selection this weekend.”
“Thank you. I won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t.” He smiled before clapping his hands together. “Now, get back to it.”
“Yes, sir.” I saluted him with a grin.
Jordan sidled up to me during a break in training, a bright blue isotonic drink clasped in his hand. “What’s the verdict? Are you gonna be back for the next match?”
“Looks like it. Hey. Speaking of the match… Do you wanna come over after for a house-warming thing?” Hopefully, Cody would be okay with me inviting everyone to our new place, three days after we’d moved in. We’d spoken about having a house-warming but hadn’t made any solid plans. He had to be used to my spontaneous decisions by now, though, didn’t he?
“Fuck yeah, as long as I don’t have to make a cake.”
“No cake. And no PowerPoint presentations, please.” I grinned when he gave me the middle finger. “I guess I should warn you that we won’t have much furniture. There’s garden stuff that the previous owners left behind, but not much inside until our deliveries turn up.”
He glanced up at the sky. “Pray for sun. Or borrow Grant’s waterproof gazebo. That thing’s massive.”
By the end of the training session, I felt like myself again. Match fit and ready to prove myself to the team. And ready to show my new house to my teammates, who had unsurprisingly all said yes to my impromptu house-warming invite. Who turns down a chance to poke around someone’s house?
When I was heading to the car park, my gym bag slung over my shoulder, my phone buzzed with a text from Cody.
Cody:
How did training go? How’s your ankle?
Me:
Great. My ankle’s fine. It looks like I might make the squad on Saturday
Hope you don’t mind but I invited people to ours for a housewarming
