Everlasting Love

everlasting love [2.10]

**Samantha's POV**

It was July and I was heading for New York to go see my very pregnant friend Tabitha and help her out with her baby shower. She found out that she was going to have a little baby boy so I've been having a blast buying a whole bunch of little boy things- the little clothes were so tiny and cute that I couldn't help myself when it came to picking them all out. Therefore, I had a whole suitcase dedicated to baby clothes for my trip. 

While I was standing in the line for security at the airport, I couldn't help but look down and admire my engagement ring. It has been four months since we've been engaged and it's been great- JJ has been super busy though and I haven't seen too too much of him, but when we do see each other, it's great. I do go with him wherever he goes though, he's had a couple photoshoots in Canada and some shoots in California and it's been great to stand back and see him be so successful in anything he does. 

I've been his date to every award ceremony and the same question I get asked over and over again is how I put up with his busy schedule. But what no one knows, is all of the history JJ and I have together. Sure, they know we've known each other since we were in diapers- but they don't know the heartbreak we've been through together or all of the love we feel for each other. So when I get asked if I hate being in the background, they don't understand that when JJ shines, I shine with him since his happiness is my happiness and vice versa. I finally landed in New York and was off to get a cab when JJ called my phone. 

"What are you, psychic or something? I just landed." I said to him. 

"I can read your mind, don't you remember that?" he said back to me. 

He was heading back out to California to do some work for Gatorade and he probably wasn't going to be back in Wisconsin when I got home and that made me a little sad. The nice thing was having the family only a few minutes away, Connie was always over and we would plan the wedding together- not that Justin and I were planning on getting married any time soon. At least, he hasn't mentioned it. 

I finally arrived at Tabby's beautiful brownstone apartment and I almost cried when she came to the door with her round belly looking perfect in a maternity dress. I could have never imagined Tabitha with this kind of life when we were 19, but she was different now- so much happier than she was back then. She herself never thought she was going to be married and pregnant, but here she was sitting in a rocking chair, singing to her unborn baby. 

She looked up from her belly, "How are things going with you and JJ?" she asked. 

"Yeah, he had a killer season!" her husband, Graham, said as he handed me my glass of lemonade. 

"Things are good, he's been super busy. He starts shooting his E:60 segment next week so I'm sure I'll have some interviews to do myself for it." I said with an eye roll.  

"Well that should be fun, and be thankful that you're not 7 months pregnant in the middle of the summer! It is the most uncomfortable thing in the world! And not being able to lay on my stomach at night? Absolute torture! But the foot massages are a definite perk." she said while running her fingers through her husband's hair while he sat next to her.  

They loved each other so much, and you could already tell they loved this little unborn baby to pieces and it made me happy for my best friend while also making me looked toward the future in mine and JJ's relationship. 

******

**JJ's POV**

This was my fourth photoshoot of the off season already, and as much as I enjoyed doing these kinds of things some times- it's also not what I initially signed up for. Obviously, I just thought I was going to play football, I wasn't expecting this sort of fame to go along with it. This was also the first photoshoot that Samantha wasn't here with me and that made me miss her like hell. She was always with me at these kind of things, giving me these cheesy pep talks and also making sure the make up artist knew for damn sure that I was her man. 

That always seemed to make me laugh, she was a spunky, territorial little thing ever since we got engaged a few months back. We haven't really talked about a date or anything just yet, but we've both been busy with traveling and work. I also told her, any decisions that need to be made about the wedding was all on her as far as colors and all of that stupid girl stuff goes. The only thing I want to be a part of is the cake tasting, anything else is entirely up to her. 

"Hey JJ, so are you ready for ESPN to come up next week and film some stuff for E:60?" my agent asked me while I was getting some last minute touchups. 

"Yeah, everything should be fine. I don't have to like do anything special for it or anything do I?" I asked. 

"No, no- everything should just be totally normal. Like a normal day at the Watt cabin. So speaking of the special, we were all thinking- you know how you put Samantha down as an interviewee? Well, we all kind of came to a conclusion that that wouldn't really be the best route to take with the segment?" he said to me. 

"And why wouldn't that be a good idea? She is part of my life and is with me more than anybody else. That doesn't make any sense." I said back to him. 

"Well, because she doesn't really have anything to do with the football part of it. Plus, the majority of people who are gonna be watching this are dudes or female fans who are obsessed with you. So the guys aren't going to be interested in some love story and the chicks don't want to watch if she's gonna be on it. I mean, she'll be in a bunch of shots and stuff but she just won't be interviewed." he said. 

I was pissed at this point, the one thing that sucks about this is you can hardly make your own decisions now. And most of the time it feels like Samantha was getting the short end of the stick- she gave up her career for mine, she stands in the background when really she should be the ones in front of the camera since she's the beautiful one and I'm not, she puts up with my busy schedule. My heart ached for her in that moment, I missed her more than ever when my agent was talking about how she doesn't fit into my TV special when really she is my world. 

Now, I just wanted to get this whole thing over with and go back home to Wisconsin to be with the people who really cared about me and my well being and not just concerned with whether or not I'll make them a buck or two. My family is the most important thing to me and I will not let my career get in the way for that. 

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{{Author's Note}}

Hey readers! Hope you liked this chapter, I promise it's going to get a lot more interesting in the next couple of chapters! I am going to try and post a couple more chapters this week since I'm kind of getting back into the groove of writing, but it is my birthday week so I may not actually get around to it so keep checking!

Also, if you haven't already- check out my other story on my profile, The Unknown, if you haven't already. I am really liking my writing in that so far! 

Please, please, please vote, comment, share and check out all my other work and give me some feedback on it!!! I'd love to hear any and all of it!

Thanks so much!

S.