Acquiesce

Chapter 43

After Liam's stunt with the music we made a real effort. We went on so many trips all over the place with or without the kids. We stuck to England but I'd never really been too far from London, it was like being in a different country. We were out of the loop for most of the summer with everything except the family. We needed our escape, our whole relationship was built on escape. There was no point denying that if we stood still, we wouldn't last.

One of our trips was a complete surprise to Liam. It was so hard for me to arrange it because I had no idea what I was doing so I got some help from his brother Paul. He knew how to get tickets to a match, he said he used his season ticket.

Paul explained that it was the first game of the season, they were at home and were going to play Portsmouth. He explained a lot of things to me so that I could try to sound like I had a clue when we got there. They were in the first division for a second season, the one below the Premier League. Frank Clark was the manager. The squad was 40 strong with senior players but apparently that wasn't good for the club or the players but they wouldn't go to other clubs. Uwe Rösler was still one of those players, half of Quinn's namesake. The kit was different, it was Kappa, not Umbro, it was laser blue, the badge was different. The bookies had them as second favourites to win the league and be put back into the premier league. I didn't like football and things sounded exciting so I was sure Liam would enjoy it.

I did my best to keep what we were going to be doing but once we were in Manchester he had his guesses. I even tried to convince him that we were just using the stadium's car park when we got there but he knew it was the first day of the season.

"Didn't you have gigs here while I was pregnant?"

"Yeah." He smiled, remembering. "They were two brilliant nights."

"Why were they so good?"

"I dunno, fucking being home." he shrugged. "This is fucking home and family and that since we were kids and they welcomed us to play there."

"Oh..."

I didn't get chance to say anything before Paul rang to ask where we were. We went off to meet him. He gave us our tickets and put a scarf around my neck because I couldn't go in without one.

We went through the turnstiles and found our seats. I was concerned all these men who were around us would want Liam the rockstar, not Liam the Man City fan but they didn't. The brothers made conversation strictly about the football with the people around them like one of them wasn't hugely famous.

I looked around and realised it was all men and boys all around us. Me and Poppy were the about the only female fan present. It was a man's game and I couldn't have stuck out more.

I started talking to the twins. "What is happening here? Mummy's at a game of football and Daddy's just like everybody else."

"It's weird that he's not mithered here?" Paul asked.

"Yeah, that hardly ever happens. It's strange and it's strange that this isn't normal to me already."

"Good job strange is good for ya or you wouldn't be here."

"True."

Our conversation was cut short by the players coming on the pitch and their names being announced. I didn't know any of them apart from number 28 Uwe Rösler. We cheered every one of them and booed the other team.

The match kicked off with the referee's whistle. The football went on and on, it felt like a lifetime. Everyone else enjoyed it. I couldn't understand why all these people wanted either team to score, I didn't see the point of it.