"You've got a lash about to get in your eye."
"Where?"
"Right there."
"Right where?"
"Hold still and let me get it. There..."
"Mary-Courtney, quit babying me."
"I'm not!"
"Are too!"
"And you're complaining?"
"Hell no, I'm just warning you that I'm getting used to it."
I grinned and playfully slapped Gerry upside the head.
"Ow!" he claimed. "I can't believe you'd hit a man in a wheelchair. You're ruthless girl."
"Yeah? Well according to the doctor you only have one more week in this wheelchair, then what's gonna be your excuse?"
Gerry grinned a real grin at me and it was so nice to see him happy and back to normal. It had been a rough road. The car accident had really banged him up physically and it had been quite the path to recovery. But Gerry was a strong one and I knew if anybody could make it through, it would be him. Of course it didn't help that he constantly beat himself up over the fact that he thought he had hurt Emma. One concussion, broken arm, and fractured pelvis later, she was healing rather nicely and seemingly in good spirits. She had given us quite a scare though, especially Gerry. It tore him up knowing he had been driving the car when she was hurt even though it was in no way his fault. Those weeks following the accident Gerry and I had rekindled our friendship and grown closer. I'd spent a lot of time in the hospital by his side as he recovered. Titan cheerleaders did not accompany the team to the Nationals in Pennsylvania so I had watched the game on local TV in Gerry's hospital room. The boys put up a valiant effort but in the end were defeated. Still they had played their hearts out and had nothing to be ashamed of. All in all it had been a great season. We'd all learned a lot.
"You know something, Mary-Courtney?"
"What's that, Ger?"
"I love Emma very much...always have but this last month...I can't describe it. I came within an inch of losing her and that scared the hell out of me. I know we're young and we've got another year left of school after this one but I've already decided to ask her to marry me. I went and got a ring and everything. It ain't much but it'll do for now."
"A ring? Wow, Gerry, that's great. Gosh, I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll be happy for us."
"Of course I'm happy for you guys. You make a great couple, it's just that..."
"Just what?"
"I don't know. Like...how do you know?"
"That Emma's the one?"
"Yeah."
"I just know. I feel it deep in my bones. When you truly love someone like that, it just feels right. She's everything to me and I can't imagine my life without her. What we have is special and pure and it completes me. She makes me happy in a way that I can't even explain."
"Well good for you. That sounds beautiful, Gerry. Some people wait their whole lives for a chance to find someone that special to them. If you've got it now, don't let it go."
"I don't plan on it...and maybe you should think about following your own advice."
"What are you talking about?" I asked trying to laugh off the situation.
"You know what I mean. We're still young and you've been through a lot but you have someone out there who cares a lot about you and I know you feel the same way about him. I can't tell you what to do but don't let fear and mistrust mess up something that could be really special."
I knew Gerry was right. He understood and I wanted to talk to him more about it but the doors to the Town Hall opened and Titans and other guest began filing in for the annual awards ceremony and the Virginia Coaching Hall of Fame induction. I sat next to Gerry and cheered loudly as he, Petey, and Julius all received awards. And we were all ecstatic when Coach Yoast finally received his long deserved rightful spot in the coaching Hall of Fame. The last award was the most special. It was the Titan MVP trophy awarded to a player voted on by the rest of the team.
"It was a great season and a great joy for me coaching the Titans this year", Coach Boone began. "I'm so proud that the boys who came to summer camp this year now stand before me as men. In my book you'll always be winners and I've come to think of each one of you as the sons I never had. Without further ado, it gives me great pleasure to announce this year's most valuable player, an honor decided by you the team. In my humble opinion, all of you played your hind parts off this year so you're all MVPs to me but one young man stands out. I can't say enough about this person. With honor, humility and dedication this young man proved himself to me and all of you as both a leader and an equal and he did so with sacrifice, honor and hard work. Ladies and gentlemen...Ronald Bass."
The room erupted into a standing ovation as a flustered but grateful Ronnie took center stage.
"Man, I'm not much for speeches so I really don't know what to say. Um, I want to thank all the coaches especially Boone and Yoast for their tough love and their leadership. It was a privilege and a pleasure playing on the team with you guys this year. It was a great season and we got through it together. I got the chance to meet some good people and develop real friendships that I know will probably last a lifetime. So Gerry, Julius, Petey, Blue, Alan, Leroy and the rest of the boys...it was great and I couldn't have done it without you. Rev, you're the real king on this team brother. Thanks for showing me that pitch. I want to thank my parents too for always being there and supporting me and loving me all these year. Last but not least I want to thank one more special person who has really changed my life. You know who you are and I just want to say thank you for being you. You're really cool and you made my move here and all the adjustments that came with it, so much easier. Early on at camp Petey Jones gave me the nickname Sunshine but the young lady I'm talking about...well, she's truly the sun. I just wanted to say that. But thank you very much everyone. This is an honor. Good night."
Everyone stood and clapped again but I couldn't. I was frozen, paralyzed knowing he was talking about me.
"Mary-Courtney, are you just gonna stand there?"
"Huh?" I asked.
"I got tears in my eyes and you're about to ruin my sentimental moment", Petey joked, wiping away fake tears. "Now we all know old Sunshine was talking about you. You just gonna sit there and look crazy? Get up girl! Go get your man!"
Petey was right. What had I been thinking all this time? I made my way past the crowd out the double doors to the parking lot where Ronnie and his parents were.
"Wait!" I yelled, frantically trying to get their attention. "Col. Bass, Laureen...can I talk to Ronnie for a second?"
"Of course", the Colonel nodded.
"What the heck took you so long?" Laureen whispered with a wink as they gave us some privacy.
"How's it going?" Ronnie asked.
"I love you!" I blurted out.
"What?"
"I said I love you."
"Mary-Courtney, you know I was talking about you in there when I gave that speech. Just because I said all that stuff I don't want you to feel obligated to tell me you love me."
"No, no. It's not about obligation, Ronnie. It's about you and me and how we make each other feel. It's about what's been there all along. It's about me being too dumb and afraid to realize it before. But now I do. I love you. I can say that and mean it. I'm not afraid anymore, Ronnie. I...I love you."
I looked up at him waiting for a reaction but there was none. Just when I was about to go crazy, his face fell into a wide grin and he swooped me up in his arms and gave me the sweetest kiss ever. Oh his kisses and how they made me feel. For a minute we were the only two people except for his parents, the cheering squad and the rest of the Titans who were overwhelming us with thunderous applause.
"It's about time, you two", Petey belted out from the crowd.
Yeah Petey was right. It was about time. In fact, it was way overdue.
"Where?"
"Right there."
"Right where?"
"Hold still and let me get it. There..."
"Mary-Courtney, quit babying me."
"I'm not!"
"Are too!"
"And you're complaining?"
"Hell no, I'm just warning you that I'm getting used to it."
I grinned and playfully slapped Gerry upside the head.
"Ow!" he claimed. "I can't believe you'd hit a man in a wheelchair. You're ruthless girl."
"Yeah? Well according to the doctor you only have one more week in this wheelchair, then what's gonna be your excuse?"
Gerry grinned a real grin at me and it was so nice to see him happy and back to normal. It had been a rough road. The car accident had really banged him up physically and it had been quite the path to recovery. But Gerry was a strong one and I knew if anybody could make it through, it would be him. Of course it didn't help that he constantly beat himself up over the fact that he thought he had hurt Emma. One concussion, broken arm, and fractured pelvis later, she was healing rather nicely and seemingly in good spirits. She had given us quite a scare though, especially Gerry. It tore him up knowing he had been driving the car when she was hurt even though it was in no way his fault. Those weeks following the accident Gerry and I had rekindled our friendship and grown closer. I'd spent a lot of time in the hospital by his side as he recovered. Titan cheerleaders did not accompany the team to the Nationals in Pennsylvania so I had watched the game on local TV in Gerry's hospital room. The boys put up a valiant effort but in the end were defeated. Still they had played their hearts out and had nothing to be ashamed of. All in all it had been a great season. We'd all learned a lot.
"You know something, Mary-Courtney?"
"What's that, Ger?"
"I love Emma very much...always have but this last month...I can't describe it. I came within an inch of losing her and that scared the hell out of me. I know we're young and we've got another year left of school after this one but I've already decided to ask her to marry me. I went and got a ring and everything. It ain't much but it'll do for now."
"A ring? Wow, Gerry, that's great. Gosh, I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll be happy for us."
"Of course I'm happy for you guys. You make a great couple, it's just that..."
"Just what?"
"I don't know. Like...how do you know?"
"That Emma's the one?"
"Yeah."
"I just know. I feel it deep in my bones. When you truly love someone like that, it just feels right. She's everything to me and I can't imagine my life without her. What we have is special and pure and it completes me. She makes me happy in a way that I can't even explain."
"Well good for you. That sounds beautiful, Gerry. Some people wait their whole lives for a chance to find someone that special to them. If you've got it now, don't let it go."
"I don't plan on it...and maybe you should think about following your own advice."
"What are you talking about?" I asked trying to laugh off the situation.
"You know what I mean. We're still young and you've been through a lot but you have someone out there who cares a lot about you and I know you feel the same way about him. I can't tell you what to do but don't let fear and mistrust mess up something that could be really special."
I knew Gerry was right. He understood and I wanted to talk to him more about it but the doors to the Town Hall opened and Titans and other guest began filing in for the annual awards ceremony and the Virginia Coaching Hall of Fame induction. I sat next to Gerry and cheered loudly as he, Petey, and Julius all received awards. And we were all ecstatic when Coach Yoast finally received his long deserved rightful spot in the coaching Hall of Fame. The last award was the most special. It was the Titan MVP trophy awarded to a player voted on by the rest of the team.
"It was a great season and a great joy for me coaching the Titans this year", Coach Boone began. "I'm so proud that the boys who came to summer camp this year now stand before me as men. In my book you'll always be winners and I've come to think of each one of you as the sons I never had. Without further ado, it gives me great pleasure to announce this year's most valuable player, an honor decided by you the team. In my humble opinion, all of you played your hind parts off this year so you're all MVPs to me but one young man stands out. I can't say enough about this person. With honor, humility and dedication this young man proved himself to me and all of you as both a leader and an equal and he did so with sacrifice, honor and hard work. Ladies and gentlemen...Ronald Bass."
The room erupted into a standing ovation as a flustered but grateful Ronnie took center stage.
"Man, I'm not much for speeches so I really don't know what to say. Um, I want to thank all the coaches especially Boone and Yoast for their tough love and their leadership. It was a privilege and a pleasure playing on the team with you guys this year. It was a great season and we got through it together. I got the chance to meet some good people and develop real friendships that I know will probably last a lifetime. So Gerry, Julius, Petey, Blue, Alan, Leroy and the rest of the boys...it was great and I couldn't have done it without you. Rev, you're the real king on this team brother. Thanks for showing me that pitch. I want to thank my parents too for always being there and supporting me and loving me all these year. Last but not least I want to thank one more special person who has really changed my life. You know who you are and I just want to say thank you for being you. You're really cool and you made my move here and all the adjustments that came with it, so much easier. Early on at camp Petey Jones gave me the nickname Sunshine but the young lady I'm talking about...well, she's truly the sun. I just wanted to say that. But thank you very much everyone. This is an honor. Good night."
Everyone stood and clapped again but I couldn't. I was frozen, paralyzed knowing he was talking about me.
"Mary-Courtney, are you just gonna stand there?"
"Huh?" I asked.
"I got tears in my eyes and you're about to ruin my sentimental moment", Petey joked, wiping away fake tears. "Now we all know old Sunshine was talking about you. You just gonna sit there and look crazy? Get up girl! Go get your man!"
Petey was right. What had I been thinking all this time? I made my way past the crowd out the double doors to the parking lot where Ronnie and his parents were.
"Wait!" I yelled, frantically trying to get their attention. "Col. Bass, Laureen...can I talk to Ronnie for a second?"
"Of course", the Colonel nodded.
"What the heck took you so long?" Laureen whispered with a wink as they gave us some privacy.
"How's it going?" Ronnie asked.
"I love you!" I blurted out.
"What?"
"I said I love you."
"Mary-Courtney, you know I was talking about you in there when I gave that speech. Just because I said all that stuff I don't want you to feel obligated to tell me you love me."
"No, no. It's not about obligation, Ronnie. It's about you and me and how we make each other feel. It's about what's been there all along. It's about me being too dumb and afraid to realize it before. But now I do. I love you. I can say that and mean it. I'm not afraid anymore, Ronnie. I...I love you."
I looked up at him waiting for a reaction but there was none. Just when I was about to go crazy, his face fell into a wide grin and he swooped me up in his arms and gave me the sweetest kiss ever. Oh his kisses and how they made me feel. For a minute we were the only two people except for his parents, the cheering squad and the rest of the Titans who were overwhelming us with thunderous applause.
"It's about time, you two", Petey belted out from the crowd.
Yeah Petey was right. It was about time. In fact, it was way overdue.