London is Pink

Epilogue

Three days before the Europa League Final 2019

THIERRY

"There is absolutely no way I am going to watch that game."

"Come on Jord, I'd probably play better if you were watching."

"Exactly, and I don't want you to play well at all! Not this game."

I chuckled, listening to my daughter and her boyfriend arguing in her kitchen. They were apparently making a lasagne together, not that it sounded like it, and I was sitting at the dining table trying to sort out my paperwork for SkySports. Both of them had finals to play this week - Arsenal the Europa League against Chelsea, and Tottenham the Champions League against Liverpool, and neither of them would condescend to watching the other's game from the stands, so this argument had been going on ever since they'd both made it to their finals.

"I'll still watch it, you know. I'll be here on my couch. Me and Auba."

"It's not the same," Dele complained, pulling her to him.

Jordyn shook her head, laughing at him.

"It's not happening, Del. Unless you want me to show up in a Liverpool kit? I'm sure Trent wouldn't mind."

I smiled at this. They'd argued this one out a few times as well. Jordyn was perfectly serious about wearing Trent's kit just to annoy him, mainly because there was no way Dele would wear a Chelsea kit to her final.

In a way, Jordyn had been right. I didn't know her at all. But the way she carried herself reminded me of who I was as a young player, and that made it easier to understand what she was thinking. I'd made it to a champions league final with Arsenal once. I'd had my heart broken then, and I didn't want to see my daughter go through the same thing, although we'd both agreed the Europa league wasn't as big of a deal. Also, I definitely didn't want to know what would happen between the two of them if Tottenham won the champions league, since Jordyn felt so strongly about this, but I guessed they'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

"Hey, did you ever think we'd end up together?" Asked Jord.

I heard Dele laugh a little.

"Nope. I told you when we talked that one time, I just wanted closure. I didn't think you were feeling anything for me."

"No, I mean before that," she replied. "Oh wait, you thought I was with Kyle, didn't you?"

She started laughing, and I couldn't help joining her.

"You what, Dele?" I laughed, and he poked his head out the kitchen door to glare at me.

"How was I supposed to know? Kyle's bald these days, he's shaved all his hair off so it's not like they look similar, and they're not even biologically related!"

"I'm bald too!" I retorted.

"Looks better on you than him, dad!" Jord yelled gleefully, and I laughed.

"That's not much of a compliment," I said.

Dele returned to the kitchen, shaking his head.

"Can't believe you're ganging up on me," he muttered.

"Aw, I love you," said Jord.

"I love you too," Dele replied, kissing her.

At that point I decided it was time I found somewhere else to do my work, if I wanted to get anything done at all today. I left the two of them to finish off their lasagne in peace, and hope it wasn't the last thing they ever cooperated on. If I was being honest though, I doubted anything could trouble them considerably in their relationship at this point. They were both so determined to make it work, that they'd probably cross oceans for each other, and it made me happy. It was all I'd ever wanted for my daughter.

THE END