Dreams (Jack O'Callahan)

five

After I left the pub, Jack hailed a cabbie for the both of us. He dropped me off at my hotel, telling me that he would see me soon.

I passed out on my bed- completely and utterly exhausted from my day.

The next morning, I woke up and began to pack up my things. We had a week until we met at the University of Minnesota, and I was planning on going home for a bit.

Once packing up my few scattered belongings, I walked downstairs to checkout.

I walked outside of the building to the sight of one specific BU graduate. He was wearing a grey Boston University hoodie with a pair of jeans, and in his hands he held 2 cups of coffee.

Once he saw me, he grinned before stepping closer to me and handing me a cup of coffee. I raised an eyebrow at him before asking, "What are you doing here? Don't you have a plane to catch?" He grinned cheekily at me. "I just so happen to know that we are on the same flight back to Mass- and that it doesn't leave until 6:00 tonight. So, I figured we could spend the day together, exploring this beautiful city, yeah?"

I was confused. How did he know we had the same flight? Doc. It had to be doc. Rizzo was planning on going up to Minnesota early, so I guess he could have told Jack. Not that I'm complaining. I love his company.

I smiled. "That sounds amazing. Now for the hundred dollar question- how did you know I'd be up so early?" I said, glancing at my watch to see that it was only 7:30. His face went to a shade of pink and he started sputtering, "Well, I-uh, I had guessed that you get up early. You're an athlete, you're used to it. Just like me." I smiled at him. "Well, your assumption is correct. Too many 5 a.m. runs and weight training sessions." He grinned at me.

"So, you wanna go grab some breakfast? I heard about this cafe a few blocks down. Do you need to put your brace on?" His concern was very touching and I nodded my head, before heading over to a bench. We are going to be doing a lot of walking today- better be prepared.

Once all of the proper straps were secure, I got up and we started walking down the street. There weren't that many people that were up and about, which was just fine with me. I took a sip of my coffee and sighed in bliss at the bitter taste of black coffee. Don't ask- it's a Mass thing.

Suddenly, Jack's hand went to my bag that was still open, and pulled out a pair of shoes I needed to get rid of- my cleats.

The simple black Sambas glinted in his hands as he turned them over in his hands. "Soccer cleats are so weird. They look like they should be heavy, like skates, but once you hold them they feel almost weightless." I chuckled at him.

"These are Sambas. The classics. They were built to be tough and light, meant to withstand anything." I could feel my face drop. "They are a shoe of champions. They were the ones I was wearing the day of the accident. They were the ones that scored that winning goal that would change everything. I don't know why I still have them, if I'm honest." Jack looked at me, but I was looking straight ahead. I felt a warm hand take my cold one, and I shivered because of the sudden contact.

"It's because you hope. And hope is one of the most beautiful things in this world. I'm going to get you back on a soccer field, and you are going to keep after your dreams. Don't give up on them." I looked at him and smiled before pulling him into a hug. He smelled on pine trees, and ice and- home.

I pulled away, but I didn't let go of his warm hand. We walked in silence, just simply enjoying each other's company.

We walked along, the sun just barely peeking above the Rockies. The clouds were a soft pink, and the air was cool. I could feel the slight redness of my nose, but I didn't mind. The scene was perfect.