Julian reluctantly unloaded his Patriots duffle bag out of the small trunk of his rental car. The trunk wasn't nearly as spacious as his real car. But he didn't complain about it, he had other things to worry about.
He buttoned up his light gray suit and continued towards his teammates.
Light snowflakes fell out of the gray Boston sky as fans lined the sidewalks and filled the stadium to send off the Patriots to the Super Bowl. They held signs and flags, wore jerseys and Patriots gear to show their support for the team. Wives and kids, moms and dads, brothers and sisters all gathered to take pictures with their special players before they boarded the team bus bound for the airport.
But there was one wife missing.
Mara Edelman.
Julian wished his wife could be here, standing in the cold with him. She would huddle herself close to his body, blocking the wind. She would probably wear only a light jacket that was easy to take off so she could show everyone her Mrs. Edelman jersey. She always took pride in Julian's profession and loved watching him play. She was always Julian's loudest fan in the stands, cheering when he scored and then later at home critiquing him as they watched film together. Mara had always had a passion for sports, one of the reasons her and Julian were together in the first place.
Julian finally got to his teammates, bypassing the fans cheering from behind a rope blocking them from crowding the players. He spotted Danny first. He was taking a picture with his girlfriend Raven. She wore the same jersey that all of the wives and girlfriends owned. The one Mara wore proudly. Julian approached them with his rolling suitcase shuffling behind him.
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Raven's jet black hair flew behind her as the wind was blowing hard. Her mesmerizing green eyes looked to Julian with the same expression that everyone gave him. Sadness filled her eyes and she straightened her lips to show her apologies. She lightly nodded her head to show him that she understood, as her hand patted Julian's shoulder, eventually wrapping him into her embrace. "How is she doing? Any better?" Raven asked as she removed herself from the hug. She tilted her head slightly.
"The Doctor said I have to make her fall in love with me again because if she didn't remember me now, she never would," Julian said emotionless. Raven had nothing to say. Danny nodded his head and thinned his lips as he wrapped his arm around his girlfriend, holding on tightly to prevent losing her like Julian lost Mara.
Before either of the couple could respond to Julian, the crowd rose in an uproar. they let out loud whoops and hollers, thrust signs in to the air, and smiled from ear to ear. Julian's eyes drifted to the sky to where his quarterback stood on a balcony looking down on the fans in the Gillette Stadium parking lot. Tom spoke confidently and excitedly about their upcoming challenge, taking on the defending NFL Champion Seattle Seahawks. Tom looked down from the balcony at his most trusted Wide Receiver. Tom nodded at Julian and pointed at him.
"This ones for Mara," he said proudly before handing the microphone off. Julian nodded his thanks to Tom and clapped his hands.
After Mr. Kraft and Coach Belichick gave short speeches to the fans, the players said their final goodbyes. Julian stood near Danny and Raven as they kissed goodbye. "Julian!" Raven called as Danny and him began walking toward the bus. Julian whipped his head around and began walking back towards the petite woman. "Will they let me see her?" She asked. Raven sheepishly kicked at a stone between her feet.
"You could try it. They won't let me see her, but maybe they will let you. If you get to see her, please take a picture of her for me. I need to at least see her face," Julian begged her.
"I will," Raven promised. She patted his shoulder before he turned on his heel. He got s few steps away from her before she called for him again. "Julian!"
"Yeah?" He asked turning slower this time.
"Good luck," Raven said.
"You too," Julian said. He didn't know who needed more luck, him or Raven.
As Julian boarded the team bus, he found his seat. Coach Belichick made them sit in numerical order and Julian's spot was next to his quarterback. He got the window seat. He watched as the fans waved goodbye as the bus finally pulled into drive. Snowflakes stained the windows as the anxiety set in. Not about the big game.
But if leaving Mara right now would make things worse.
