The Rookie and Me: Second Chances (COMPLETE)

One Year Later

It's hard to believe Tyler and I are coming up on our one year anniversary already. So much has happened in such a short amount of time. Tyler's team made it to the Super Bowl, making history with it being their very first time in franchise history to win the Super Bowl championship! The team received a massive trophy to display in the stadium, along with giant diamond rings for each and every player on Tyler's team. He was so ecstatic to win. All of the guys had tears in their eyes as the confetti fell around them. It was such an incredible moment to witness. Definitely a night I will never forget.

Cameron started his very first season of little league football last fall, with Jerry volunteering to be the head coach of his team. Everybody was so excited to have a former NFL player become the coach, leading his team to victory almost the entire season. Tyler takes Cameron outside nearly every day to run drills and practice. At first, I was worried that Tyler would unintentionally push Cameron the way that his father pushed him, but he never forces Cameron to do anything he doesn't want to do. Now, don't get me wrong, Tyler is definitely tough on Cam when they are practicing, but he is equally encouraging and helpful. Cameron often says he wants to play in the NFL, just like daddy. 

Chloe has been running around chasing them for a few months now. It took her until about 14 months old to start walking on her own, but once she started, she took off! Tyler and I are in disbelief that she is already a year and a half old. It's a weird feeling, being a mother of two. Most days, I forget what it was like before Chloe completed our family. She's been such an amazing addition to our family. Cameron adores her wholeheartedly. He loves drawing on the chalkboard wall with her, pushing her in the swing in the backyard, and watching her run around the sidelines in her little cheerleading uniform during his games. She definitely keeps us on our toes more than ever, but we wouldn't have it any other way. 

As for me, I found a new passion. Staying home with Chloe full time for the past year and a half has brought on all sorts of emotions. Emotions that I had no idea how to handle when they started coming on. I am exhausted 90% of the time, physically and mentally. It was starting to take my mind to dark places where I felt like there was no escape. So Tyler bought me a laptop. He told me to try writing and see where it takes me. I never had a plan really, I just wanted to get it all out so it didn't consume me. I started writing every day, mostly about how I was feeling in the moment and what happened that day. But then, without even realizing it, I started writing about my past. I wrote about my parents, how it felt losing them and how different my life turned out once they were gone. And that took me down the road of writing about Joe. 

He was the last person I ever wanted to write about. The last person I ever wanted to think about. But once I got started, I couldn't stop. The five years that I wasted on him turned into a 300 page book that Tyler encouraged me to send to publishing companies. Once I did, I got responses left and right. They all wanted to publish it, seeing the potential that it had to help the millions of other women around the world that are trapped in abusive relationships. I ended up taking a deal with one of the biggest publishing companies in New York, where I was invited recently to appear on national television to discuss my now New York Times Best Sellers book. 

Tyler and I dropped the kids off at Connie and Jerry's house and headed for the airport. We checked our bags and went through the security checks. We boarded the flight and found our seats in first class. 

Tyler takes my hand and says, "How are you feeling?"

I take a deep breath, "I'm good, I think. Just nervous. I can't believe this is happening!"

He grins, "I have all the faith in the world in you, baby. I told you you were going to do amazing things!" 

I grin back at him, "I love you, Ty."