path of heal - j.b.

21

As Elle and Joe stood in front of Sam's doorstep, Elle was genuinely excited to meet Liz. Sam was one of the dearest people she knew, and she knew that any girl by his side would be the happiest in the world.

It was a mild summer evening, and she had opted for one of her floral summer dresses, paired with her black sandals. Joe, on the other hand, was almost forced by her not to come in sports shorts, so he now stood next to her in light jeans and an oversized black Spongebob shirt.

Sam's dog Henry barked loudly before the door swung open, and Sam smiled at them. He wore shorts and a short shirt with some print that Elle couldn't quite make out. "Glad you're here. Come on in," he said, pulling Elle into a hug, while Henry eagerly wiggled around her legs until Elle finally relented and bent down to scratch his head. "You'd think he hasn't been getting attention all day," someone said.

Only then did Elle notice the woman casually leaning against the kitchen doorway, a friendly grin on her lips as she observed her and Henry. Elle couldn't help but be fascinated by her presence. The woman was undoubtedly beautiful. Her green-brown eyes stood out vividly, framed by dark brown curls that snaked wildly around her head. The smile she wore seemed genuine and warm, which immediately endeared Elle to her.

"Oh my God, you must be Liz," Elle exclaimed excitedly as she approached the woman. "Sam has told me so much about you. It's really nice to finally meet you." Elle spontaneously embraced Liz in a friendly greeting.

Liz returned the smile and accepted the hug willingly. "And you must be Elle," she said with an approving tone. "I've read a lot about you on my flight to Cincy. You're truly an icon in the sports world." Her grin widened as she looked at Elle.

Joe also joined them to greet Liz. Elle couldn't make out what he murmured, but his friendly demeanor was evident. He briefly hugged Liz and then smiled over at Elle.

Elle couldn't suppress her smile. After all the time Joe had insisted that Sam had made Liz up, since no one had ever seen her, she was finally standing before them. Seeing the way Sam looked at Liz, Elle realized how important it was for him to finally introduce this woman to his friends.

They sat around the dining table, and just a few seconds later, Sam placed the food on the table while Liz poured drinks for the two guests. They seemed like a well-oiled team already, Elle thought, as Sam scooped a bit of everything onto Elle's plate.

Baked chicken with rosemary potatoes and steamed vegetables. Just the smells alone made Elle's mouth water. They then raised their filled glasses of red wine and started eating.

"So, I have to admit, I'm a bit curious," Elle said, reaching for her wine glass, taking a sip, and looking at Liz, who sat across from her. "The last time I talked to Sam about you, he told me you were staying in Arizona for a while and that you would see each other again in the off-season. So, are you just visiting for a few days?" she asked.

Liz shook her head, taking the napkin to dab her mouth before folding her hands on the table. "No, I'm not," she explained. "I came to Cincinnati a few days ago because I had several job interviews here."

Elle looked at her in surprise. "So, you're moving here? I thought you had agreed to wait a while on that. Or rather, that you weren't ready to completely leave your family and home, which I totally understand."

"Oh, I still can't do that, so I found jobs that only require me to be here in Cincinnati part-time or that I can do from home, so I can still spend time in Scottsdale and be able to go to Cincinnati to Sam anytime," Liz explained.

"And did you find one?" Elle asked curiously. Liz glanced at Sam, who returned her gaze and placed his hand on her thigh before looking back at Elle and nodding. "She got the job offer this afternoon," he said proudly.

Elle couldn't help but smile at them. "Congratulations! I'm happy for you both!" she congratulated. "Thank you," Liz replied with a smile. "I was really excited to get this job," she explained.

"It's an art gallery where I can also paint and exhibit my work. I'll have to be there two weeks a month, and the remaining two weeks, I can do office work from home, which I can also do in Scottsdale. I'm so excited," Liz beamed.

"Yeah, Sam mentioned that you're an artist," Elle replied. "Yes, for example, the painting behind you is hers," Sam clarified, nodding to the large canvas on the wall behind Joe and Elle. Curiously, Elle turned around and stared impressed at the desert landscape during a sunset.

"Wow, that's... incredible," she remarked. "Thank you. It's a snapshot from a date Sam and I had. We watched the sunset together," Liz explained. "Oh God, you two are adorable," Elle blurted out. Sam and Liz grinned at each other lovingly.

"And how do you like Cincinnati so far?" Elle changed the subject. "Well, so far, I haven't seen much. But I think I'll settle in very quickly," Liz grinned at Sam again.

"Actually, Elle, I wanted to ask you if you'd mind taking Liz under your wing a bit. For example, she's still looking for someone to go to the gym with," Sam clarified.

Elle smiled. "I'd be happy to, Liz. Feel free to use me as a contact for anything. I can also introduce you to some other people from the team. The women are really nice and I'm sure they'd be happy to welcome you," she winked at Liz.

"As I think about it, a few other players and I were planning to go to a club on Saturday night. Why don't you both come with us?" she asked. Liz looked at Sam, who just shrugged. "If you want, we can definitely go," he muttered to her. "Okay, then we're in," Liz smiled.

"What about you, Joe? Are you in too?" Sam asked his friend, who, as usual, was more of a silent observer than a participant in the conversation. "Actually, no, but..." Joe began, but Elle interrupted him. "We'll surely convince him."

When they finished eating, Elle decided to help Liz clean up in the kitchen. Honestly, she was hoping for a bit of gossip without the guys around, so the two girls got up and headed to the kitchen.

Just before they disappeared into the kitchen, Elle leaned her head back towards the table and grinned at the guys. "While we're busy, why don't you guys talk about how Joe thought Liz was just a made-up story by Sam?" she winked at Joe, who immediately shot her a condemning look, while Sam stared at Joe in disbelief. "You thought I made her up?" he asked incredulously.

Grinning, Elle went into the kitchen with Liz. "It was really nice meeting you, and it's so sweet how Sam looks at you. He really cares about you, that's obvious," Elle chuckled as she watched the blush rise in Liz's cheeks.

"Thank you, I'm just happy we found a way to see each other during the season. Even though I'm not sure if I'll be a good football player's girlfriend," Liz admitted.

Elle laughed. "Don't worry about that. Just stay as you are and always cheer for your boyfriend, then you'll do just fine," she explained. Liz ran her hand through her curls. "Maybe I should first understand the rules of football properly for that," she muttered.

Psst...if you want to know the whole story of Sam and Liz read my "Arizona sunset" story🤫😉

WHO DEY🧡