With the good news about the baby, Matt and Julie were finally able to relax and enjoy the pregnancy. And Matt could finally focus on football again. With the new season having begun, this was an absolute necessity.

September and October passed uneventfully, but November brought some complications. The day after Thanksgiving, Julie woke Matt up and said, "Matt, I think I'm having contractions."

Matt immediately called the hospital. Unfortunately, Julie's doctor wasn't on the phone, but a different doctor. Matt said, "Sorry to bother you. This is Matt Saracen. My wife thinks she's having contractions."

The doctor on call said, "Well, if she just went into labor, stay home for a while until it gets well established-"

Matt interrupted, "She's only at twenty-five weeks and it's our fourth child."

"Oh my goodness! Come in right away!" said the doctor.

As Matt got hold of Julie's doctor, Julie started crying.

"Hold on," said Matt, hanging up. "Julie, what's wrong?"

"I'm losing him!" cried Julie. "I'm bleeding! I'm losing him!" She was clearly distressed. Matt tried to calm her down and told her, "I don't think you're bleeding a whole lot. It looks like just a little bit."

Julie was still freaked out and crying, but on the way to the hospital, she did feel the baby move, which calmed her down a little bit, but not a lot. Once at the hospital, Julie's doctor met them and said, "Okay, Julie. It looks like you may be in pre-term labor, but we're going to try to stop it. I'm also a little concerned about the bleeding, because that may indicate placental abruption. We're going to take care of you and the baby."

Julie was hooked to a monitor to measure her contractions and the baby's heartbeat. The doctors also gave her an injection of a labor-inhibiting drug and discovered that she was dilated one centimeter. The baby's heart rate looked fine, and an ultrasound showed that there was a small abruption, but the baby looked all right. The doctor said, "It looks like Mommy is more distressed than baby is."

Matt was still scared and asked the doctor, "If they can't get the labor stopped, then what are the chances-?"

The doctor said, "At this stage, fifty-fifty. But we'll also give Julie a steroid shot to develop the baby's lungs faster. With the steroid shots, even if we can't get the labor stopped, the lungs will be more developed, which increases survival chances."

Matt was a little less scared now, but he leaned down and told the baby, "Try to stay in there a little longer, buddy. You may be ready to come out, but your lungs aren't."

When Julie was released from the hospital, she was on bed rest, but it wasn't like with Lexi. She was further along, her membranes were still intact, and she didn't need to be hospitalized. They enlisted Landry's help again, and Julie said Lily would have to help with Landon and Lexi's chest therapy.

"Can you handle that, Lily?" asked Julie.

"Sure," said Lily. "I've seen you and Dad do it at least ten times. A day."

***
In December, with Matt and his team having a great season, he took Lily, Landon and Lexi to see We Are Marshall, the movie about the tragedy at Marshall and their incredible rebirth. The kids were all mesmerized by the film.

After they got home from the movie, Matt was trying to study some game film, but Lexi kept saying, "Gimmie an 'M!'"

Matt ignored her and continued his work. But Lexi persisted.

Matt finally said, "Lexi, can't you see I'm working? I want to be at home as much as possible while Mommy's on bed rest, but I also have a lot of work to do. Since I can't bring you to work, I brought my work home with me."

"Come on Daddy. Just do this," begged Lexi. "Gimmie an 'M!'"

"M."

"With feeling!"

"M!"

"Gimmie an 'A'!"

"A!"

"An 'R'!"

"R!"

This went on until it became clear that Lexi, not yet five years old, was already spelling out "Marshall Thundering Herd." It was one of the few things she actually knew how to spell. Lexi was very precocious, even after her long coma. There were still some residual effects of it-Lexi still couldn't run, and her gait was still a little off-but her intelligence was clearly unaffected by it.

By the time Lexi had started the word "Herd", Matt said, "Why couldn't I have played for the LSU Tigers?"

Finally, Lexi finished, and they both said, "Marshall Thundering Herd!"

***
December soon turned into January, and the playoffs were ahead. Matt won the first round playoff game. Five days later, it was Matt and Lexi's birthday.

Julie said, " It's amazing how far Lexi has come in only one year. She's like a little Energizer Bunny."

"Huh?" asked Landon.

"Well, sweetie," said Julie, "Lexi has been close to death on several occasions, but she just keeps going. Like the Energizer Bunny."

"Wait," asked Landon, "the Energizer Bunny almost died?"

"No, Landon," said Lily. "'It just keeps going' is the Energizer Bunny's slogan. You'll learn about that soon."

"Okay," said Landon.

***
Two days later, Matt was playing in the conference championship game. In the fourth quarter, Matt happened to look up at the stands and saw a fan holding up a sign that said, "Happy Birthday Matt and Lexi." Matt was very touched by the gesture. Seeing that sign inspired him to march his team down the field for the winning touchdown, which Matt scored as time ran out. In the end zone, he pointed to his kids in the stands. The fans were all chanting, "One more year! One more year!"

Matt would be in the Super Bowl for the third time. His first Super Bowl had been a time for celebration. The second one was a time for relief. This third one was a time for reflection. Matt knew that, whether they won or lost, the Super Bowl was going to be his last game. He knew it was time to retire. He was thirty-three, not twenty-three, and had a history of injuries. He knew his body couldn't take it anymore. Enthusiastic fans wanting him to come back weren't going to change his mind.

Four days before the Super Bowl, Matt was down in Miami when he got a call from Julie.

"What do you have planned today?" asked Julie.

"Well, it's Wednesday. So it's media day," said Matt.

"You may want to rethink those plans," said Julie. "My water broke this morning. Looks like our baby wants to come five weeks early. I'm already at the hospital and at four to five centimeters. My epidural has just been put in, but it looks like things are going pretty quickly."

Matt immediately explained the situation and got on a flight to Huntington. On the way, he called Julie.

"How are you?" said Julie.

"I'm good. We're at seven centimeters. I'm telling the baby 'Wait for Daddy. Wait for Daddy.' I don't think he's listening, though."

Once Matt landed in Huntington, he immediately rushed to the hospital and ran into Julie's room.

"Oh, you're just in time!" said Julie. "I'm at nine centimeters!"

"I'm so glad I made it!" said Matt.

"Me too!" said Julie.

Five minutes later, the doctor came in and said Julie was ready to push. She just pushed once and the baby shot right out. The baby cried as it was placed on Julie's chest.

"It's a boy!" said the doctor.

"Thank you for making this easy on Mommy. And for waiting for Daddy," said Julie to the baby, who was still crying.

"Do you want to cut the cord, Dad?" asked the doctor.

"Yes," said Matt, as he cut his new son's umbilical cord. "Who knew that I would have to wait until my fourth child was born before I got to do this?"

"I know," said Julie. "Lily had meconium, Landon needed to be resuscitated, and Lexi was an emergency C-section." The doctors assessed the baby, weighed and measured him, cleaned him off, and brought him back to his parents.

"What should we name him?" asked Julie.

Matt picked up his new son and said, "I know. A couple of months ago, I saw a segment on ESPN about a college football player and his younger brother Luke, who had died. He wore number five, and our baby was born five weeks early and weighs five pounds five ounces. We should name him Luke."

"I saw that too," said Julie. "I think it's destiny for his name to be Luke."

"All right," said Matt. "Luke Marshall Taylor Saracen. Do you like that, buddy?" Luke cooed, which Matt took to mean yes. Even though Luke was a bit premature, thanks to the steroid shots, his lungs were fully mature, he had no problems breathing and did not have to go to the NICU.

***
Four days later, Matt was able to retire on top as a third time Super Bowl champion. As he stood there on the podium, the confetti pouring down on his head, his kids by his side, he said, "My daughter, Lexi, deserves credit. If she hadn't inspired me, I never would have come back. This is my last stop. And what a way to go out!"

Matt looked at his kids and said, "Treasure these moments. These are moments that stay with you forever. Moments that only come along once in a lifetime." He looked at the newborn photo of Luke that he had with him and said, "Moments you thought you'd never experience again." The third Super Bowl win was truly a time for reflection.

As Matt headed back to the locker room, the fans began to cheer.

"We'll miss you, Saracen!"

"You're the best, Seven!"

Lexi, who was in her father's arms as Lily and Landon walked beside him, said, "Look at all these people cheering for you. Daddy, you won the Super Bowl!"

Matt reflected on his life yet again and told his daughter, "Lexi, I've won so much more."