A Flame From The Past

40: Miami

"I can't believe we're flying to Miami". Ally squealed in my ear as we boarded the plane. She had been in a slump lately, Allen and her had just created a mess of their relationship. They were a mess, a clinical and cynical mess that needed to be sorted out efficiently. She needed a break, I could see in her eyes how stressful dealing with Allen and their complicated relationship had become for her.

I held Ray's hand down the aisles, he read them out loud, checking back with me to see which row was ours. I gestured to the row as he pulled me forward, begging for him to be allowed to sit in the window seat. He squeezed in without asking and I went in next, then Ally.

My big elaborate plan of flying out to Miami, was to surprise Luca, after hopefully a win against the team he was playing .Luca was playing in Miami this week, he had begged me to come, he withheld many activities from me, and this was his little surprise.

Luca had bought Ray and I tickets, on some pricey airline. I sold the tickets to some guy online, who then funded Ally, Ray's and I's tickets for another day. Luca had gone a day earlier, and I had so much to do. I knew I couldn't fly out the same day as him. But today worked even better. I had arranged for a night in our secluded hotel.

The messages had gotten worse over the past couple of days, this game was huge to Luca. Huge to his team, huge to his legacy. They were filled with threats, filled with messages all meant to harm me in the worst ways. And I knew it would only get worse, as time went on and I planned to tell him after Christmas. He was so happy now, so full of joy. How could I tell him someone followed me home one day, and rolled down their windows and took photos of me, how could I tell him that.

The messages were scarier, the fan base was larger, the messages were at a higher volume and they never stopped. Even after the game, these people would leave us no peace, I didn't get why they just wouldn't be happy for us.

I set Ray up with a movie, while Ally shared her drama with Allen to me and any listening ears in distance of a couple of feet. She was fuming throughout the whole ride, and I was glad Ray wasn't listening and was peacefully watching the Lego Movie.

And by the time we had landed, Ray was fast asleep. I had to carry him and Ally was working all of her arms at this point. Layla was in town too for the game, and she had come to pick us up from the airport. She was being very helpful, chatting up to Ally. The second we exited the doors, Layla ran to Ally and hugged her like it had been years. Ever since Thanksgiving they had become very close. I put Ray in the backseat, slowly slipping in next to him, hoping to not disturb him. Layla had gotten us last minute tickets in her section at the game, so we could watch him play. And that was all Ray could rave about once I told him we were going, but he was right, watching Luca play was like magic coming to life, a fairy born in your eyes, a talent falling into place.

"My brother is obsessed with you, like insanely obsessed". Layla spoke, airing out Luca's maddening obsession with me. We had arrived at the stadium, parking in a spot as I bit my cheek, thinking about the other night. His drunk speech about falling in love, his hand being offered to me. Growing up I always wondered if I died, would anyone cry. Would anyone care? But Luca, he shows in every language that he cares, his words are full of passion, full of fire and feelings, his feelings are so extravagant and he's great at displaying them. I lack in that field, I never had someone to show my feelings to growing up, it made it harder to create them and to share them especially. And Luca didn't seem to mind it, but everyone needed affirmation, they needed words of love, acts of it too. So here I was, arriving at his game in surprise, and I just wanted to see the twinkle in his eyes.

"He came back drunk the other day, and he well... asked me to marry him". I said shyly, as they were both walking but they turned around to look at me with eyes wide open, even Ray. They all looked at me crazily, until Layla squealed happily.