The Games We Play
Forty-eight
January 1st.
James dropped Ali off at the start of the half marathon, telling the bundle of nerves that was his girlfriend that he’d be waiting, proud as ever, at the end for her. They’d gotten her race packet at the table near the starting line, and James did the honor of attaching the white placard with Ali’s number on it. He pinned one to the back of her neon yellow running shirt, then helped pin another on the front. She watched him with nervous eyes. All around her, couples and groups of runners and family members huddled together, each of them getting ready to begin. The sun hadn’t even risen above the gently rolling hills that surrounded the city, but Ali felt as alert as ever.
James stood and took a long look at her, his lopsided grin growing. “So official!”
She smiled. “Thanks.” Bouncing from foot to foot, she tried to keep herself warm. “Guess we’re gonna have to part at some point, huh?”
“How am I going to cheer for my amazing girlfriend if I stay here all morning?” He leaned in and gave her a tight hug, feeling the warmth of her through his coat. “I love you. And remember what we’ve always said.”
Ali nodded, rubbing her hands together in the cold. “We’ve got this.”
“Yes, and you’ve got this.” James kissed her forehead. “Have fun, okay? Don’t forget the mental game.”
“Mental game. Got it.” Ali smiled. “One more!” she said, and tilted her head so she could kiss James again. If it was possible, he would’ve stood there all day kissing her.
As they parted, they held one another’s hands until they could no longer touch. James waved and then disappeared into the gathering crowd to head back to Ali’s car. The minute he got in, he dialed up Paulie.
“You ready to go, man?” James asked, pulling out of the parking spot.
“Ready! Where are ya?”
“Just pulling out of here now…Should be there in ten minutes.”
“Awesome. See you soon.”
James hung up. The amount of people already gathered there was ridiculous, and this was only the half-marathon starting line. He didn’t exactly realize just how many participants there were who ran in this thing. That’s probably because he would normally be passed out on Geno’s couch right now; headache and stomachache his only two concerns.
As he made his way through town back to his neighborhood, James called Wendy and Jeff.
“James!” Wendy exclaimed. “We were wondering when we’d hear from you.”
“Hey Mrs. D” he said, smiling into the phone. “You guys in place? And if so, do you need anything?”
“Oh no, hunny, we’re already here and I think we have everything we need. Jeff brought blankets and hot chocolate, so I think we’ll manage until this thing gets going.”
“Sounds good. Thanks again for coming down…I know Ali’s been kind of nutty about this whole thing, but she appreciates it.”
Wendy laughed. “We know how she gets…and we know when to ignore it.” Her lighthearted giggle was close enough to Ali’s that if James didn’t know it, he’d think he was talking to Ali herself.
“I don’t think I have that luxury juuuuust yet” James joked. It got another laugh from Wendy. “So we’ll come find you afterwards?”
“Yep, we’ll wait right here for you two. But take your time!”
He smiled. “You got it. Enjoy the race!”
“You too!”
Five minutes after that, James pulled into Paulie’s driveway. It was pretty damn cold out, but the sun was steadily rising and warming everything as quickly as it could. James hated leaving the heated interior of the SUV, but serious work needed done inside Paul’s house.
“Come in, come in” he said, waving James inside. “Was traffic bad?”
“Not too bad right now, but it’s getting there.” He followed Paul into the living room where two shirts were laid out on the couch, along with two pink winter hats, complete with earflaps and pompoms on the ends of two long ties on each side.\
James busted out laughing. “NICE. You actually found some!”
Paul appeared rather proud. “Yep. A little girl’s clothing store, of all places.”
“What!?!?” James was still laughing. “This is great!” He removed the gray knit hat he had on and replaced it with the pink one. “How hot is this?”
“Sexy.”
James pulled on the strings, making it a little more snug over his flattened hair. “There’s no way she won’t spot us at the finish line now.”
“That’s what I thought, too!” Paul picked up his t-shirt and slipped it on over the long sleeve shirt he had on. Next, he put the hat on, opening his arms before him. “How do I look?”
“Pink is definitely your color.”
“Perfect.” Paul headed towards the kitchen. “Be right back, gotta find my wallet.”
James picked up the other t-shirt, which was oversized enough to fit over his Penguins hoodie. He pulled it on over the heavy fabric, adjusting it so it didn’t look so twisted. He put his pink winter hat on and felt as ridiculous as he looked. Did he care? Hell no. This was his girl, after all, and he was fucking excited.
“Alright, ready?” Paul pretended his heart stopped. “Wow. Neal. I…..I don’t know what to say……you just look so…..”
“Save it, Paulie.” He lifted the keys from the pocket of his jeans and headed for the door. “I can’t wait any longer! Let’s go!”
* * *
The finish line was packed with people, all bundled up with steaming cups of hot liquid between their hands. James and Paul got as close to the finish as they could, as far out front as they could. Given their height, they could see over most of the people there, but James wasn’t satisfied until they made it in front of several people and were close to the finish line itself. In their bright pink hats and pink-on-black t-shirts, they were a pair to behold. They got quite a few sideways glances, and even got a few compliments.
As they stood and waited, Paul watched James check his watch several times. He was also hopping up and down a little, but Paul couldn’t tell if it was because of the chilly air or because he was that excited.
“You gonna make it?” he asked with a laugh.
“Just excited” James said, biting his lip. “She starts in five minutes.”
“Just imagine how she’s feeling” Paul added, looking down the line of people to see what there was to see.
James actually was thinking about how Ali was feeling. He knew her too well not to already know. Her nerves had nowhere to turn now, so she’d likely be as focused as ever. He hoped she would remember to enjoy herself and realize it wasn’t so much as a race, but a chance to do something she’d never done before.
He checked his watch again. Two minutes to go. If this was a hockey game, he’d be stepping it up with the rest of the guys to do what they needed to in those minutes. This wasn’t hockey, and this wasn’t his deal. Ali would likely be getting pissed by now that it just needed to start already.
Paul heard James laugh to himself. “What’s so funny?”
James shook his head. “Nothing. Just nervous. Thinking about stuff.” He looked at Paul. “How much you wanna bet Ali’s getting pissed?”
“That it’s about to start and yet so far away?” Paul nodded, smiling. “Yeah, I’d say she’s probably a little ready to get this thing on the road.”
A man in a knee-length black coat came out to the white painted finish line. People around him that waited on the sidelines turned to face him as he held up a starting pistol.
James looked down at his watch. This is it, babe. Good luck.
Everyone in the crowd got a little hushed. They all waited for the pistol to go off, which would mark the beginning of the race, miles away from where they currently stood.
A shrill snap/bang sound went off, and a small cloud of smoke puffed up from the starting pistol. Everyone around the finish line started cheering, their cheers echoing among the tall buildings that surrounded them.
James had never felt more excited. Now, all they had to do was wait.
* * *
The sheer power from Ali’s beating heart carried her through the first six miles easily. She found her rhythm from the start, finally free of the nerves that had been plaguing her for the past few weeks.
While she’d waited in line with the other runners, she made friends with two other first-timers. They were just as clueless as she was as to what to expect, and they formed an instant bond. By the time Ali passed the seven mile mark, she had no idea where her friends were. She felt bad, but she was making insanely good time, and found that she had somehow managed to make it towards the upper quarter of people running.
Every now and then Ali would glance to the side of the road, watching as people cheered for everyone as they ran by. It was pretty cool that so many people, especially on New Year’s Day, made it out to watch everyone run. It wasn’t lost on Ali how dedicated everyone had been to even get out of bed after one of the busiest and heaviest drinking nights of the year.
By mile eight, Ali felt her knees starting to get a little talkative. It was easy enough to ignore, since she was in the groove now. She realized just how cool it was just to run around the streets of Pittsburgh. Once Ali hit the Clemente Bridge and crossed that, she knew her 13 miles were close to ending. She was going enjoy every second that her feet carried her over that bridge, too. It was her favorite, as well as millions of others. The view would be amazing.
They turned another corner and more people cheered. It was getting harder to hear them over the sound of her heavy breathing. But low and behold, as they made one final turn before they started over the bridge, there Ali saw her mom and dad. They held up a sign: “RUN ALI RUN. WE LOVE YOU.”
Ali laughed right out loud. Through her heavy breathing, she exhaled laugh after laugh, not sure if she was embarrassed or flattered by the giant sign her parents held up.
“GO ALI!!!” her mom yelled, clapping and cheering for her.
Ali crossed from near the middle of the group of runners over to the side her parents were standing. As she neared them, she raised her hand and slapped both her dad and her mom’s hands. Smiling from ear to ear, she passed by, and within a few more strides she was officially on the Roberto Clemente Bridge.
Seeing her parents gave Ali an extra bounce in her stride. Looking out across at one of the three rivers that surrounded her city, she felt like the luckiest girl. The view alone made her feel amazing. She’d come pretty far, and while it was only a half-marathon, she gained quite a bit of confidence.
And she had one last person waiting for her at the finish line.
Thinking of this, she picked up her pace. She wanted to push through those last few miles, and see if maybe she could place. If not, the prize waiting at the end was enough of a win that she didn’t need anything else.
* * *
Paul and James started to see runners now. They came one by one, but the first to cross the finish line and won his division, was intense looking. Both Paul and James’ heads and eyes followed the lithe runner, every band of muscle visible as his thin frame crossed the finish line.
“Holy shit.” James was stunned. The guy had zero percent body fat on him.
Paul looked at James. “Yikes.”
They turned their attention back to the others that were now rounding the bend down the street. As they neared the finish line, cheers from their family, friends, and other spectators rang up for them. James kept his eyes focused ahead towards the bend where he’d get his first glimpse of her.
“What’s her time, do you think?” Paul asked.
James tried to calculate it out the entire race. Given the time it was now, if Ali held a steady seven minute mile, she should be getting to the finish line shortly. If she held a six minute, she’d be rounding the corner any second. James explained it all to Paul, who nodded and kept his gaze ahead, watching for any sign of Ali.
More and more people in tiny clothes and giant numbers came sprinting towards the finish line. James was getting antsy. He really, really, really hoped Ali had kept a pace she would be happy with. He’d be proud of her no matter what he final time was, but if she felt a good time was important to have, he wanted her to have it.
A cluster of runners rounded the bend, greeted by more cheering. James looked down at his watch. Her six minute mile window was closing. That’s okay. She’ll do great no matter what.
More people. More cheering. The finish line was getting crowded more and more as runners were coming to the end of their part in the marathon. James stood on his toes as more runners came around the corner. When he saw her, he grabbed Paul’s shoulder.
“THERE SHE IS.”
Paul stood up on his toes as well, and sure enough, Ali’s bright yellow long sleeve top and black running tights were visible.
“Damn, she’s trucking!” Paul exclaimed. He started clapping as her and the others in her group came closer towards them and the finish line.
James couldn’t believe it. It felt absolutely fucking amazing to be on the other side like he was; it was too fun to cheer on someone you loved. He would never take for granted all the games Ali ever watched him play in, or any game she ever came to just to support him.
“YEAH BABE, GO! GO!” He was clapping and both he and Paulie were cheering Ali’s name now.
It was obvious that she either saw them or heard them, because James saw her smile appear. As tired as she looked, Ali was shaking her head and laughing, the glow never leaving that smile. James had to hold himself back from jumping over the barriers to run with her to the very end.
“JAMES!” Ali cried, still laughing at their shirts. “I LOVE IT.” It was all she could make out through her horribly labored breathing.
James couldn’t contain his own grin. He held out his hand to her for when she would pass them, and Paul was cheering and whooping loudly beside him.
Despite the burning in her lungs, Ali increased her pace just to touch James’ hand.
“LOVE YOU BABE” she yelled, passing him and Paul. She felt tears sting her eyes. Only 100 yards separated her from the white line. Behind her, two men she adored watched her shorten that final distance.
With a giant exhale, Ali crossed the finish line.
* * *
James pushed through the people near where they stood. He didn’t even care. Ali was standing off to the side, her hands on her knees as she tried to reign in her breathing. She didn’t see James or Paul as they made their way through the crowd and other runners who had finished and were also resting.
“ALLISON!” he called, and she picked up her head. The grin on her flushed pink face was all it took. He pulled Ali into a giant hug, feeling her chest still heaving hard beneath him.
“Oh James” she said, her voice weary. “I did it. I did it!!”
“You did and I am SO happy for you!” James held her out to look at her, seeing the sweat still trickling down the sides of her face. He pulled her in for a kiss, and though it didn’t last long because of Ali’s heavy breathing, it was one of the coolest kisses he’d ever exchanged with her.
Ali tried to laugh, but her breathing chopped her laughter up. “What…….the hell………is that……” She nodded tiredly at what James had on.
“Oh this?” James turned around casually. “Nothing really. Just a jersey of sorts.”
“James!!!” Ali felt amazing. Absolutely amazing. Yes, her entire body was paining at that moment, but the whole thing with James and Paul and their dumb hats and her name plastered all over the shirt was just too good.
“My number….” She said, wiping her face with her sleeve. “How?”
“If you don’t know my ways by now, babe” James said with a smirk. “I had to. I just had to do something like this.” He looked down at her, hoping that every ounce of pride he had for her in that moment was visible. “For all the times you’ve worn my number and name.”
Ali was too tired to hold back her tears. They fell easily, meshing with the sweat that was running down her face. “I love you….so much….” She fell into his arms again, feeling one of his hands go to the back of her head, holding her close.
“I’m proud of you” he whispered. “So, so, so damn proud.” James’ blue eyes centered in on her, full of love and adoration. Both of their noses met and nuzzled against one another.
“Kiss me again” Ali said. James’ lips pressed against hers, both hands gently holding the sides of her face. The pompoms of his hat tickled against Ali’s skin, and she smiled through the kiss. She would remember this moment when she looked back on this entire experience.
When their mouths parted, Ali smiled up at him. “That was my marathon prize.”
* * *
Ali placed 103rd overall. Out of nearly 1200 half-marathon participants, she was the 103rd body to cross the finish line...and she was more than satisfied with that.
This was the topic for most of their time out to dinner together. After Paul, James, and Ali went and met up with Ali’s parents, they all went out to dinner, even Paul. The group kept the focus on Ali, despite how uncomfortable she felt receiving all the support and praise she was getting. James sat next to her, and throughout the dinner he placed his hand on her thigh beneath the table. He gave her a little squeeze, hoping she took it as encouragement to let her parents gush over her. She looked over and smiled at him, and James felt her immediately relax after that.
Following a hearty meal and a few drinks, Jeff took the check and paid for everyone there. Paul and James absolutely insisted they contribute, but Jeff won that argument. After a round of thanks, James and Paul headed out to the parking lot, leaving Ali alone with her parents.
“We’re so happy for you, pumpkin” Jeff said as he hugged his daughter. “It was pretty cool getting to watch you run like that.”
“Thank you so much, Dad. Really – it was great getting to see you guys on the sidelines.” She accepted the kiss on her cheek from him before she turned to her mom.
“You have a lot to be proud of right now” Wendy said. “Don’t take it for granted.”
Ali hugged her mom and felt how tightly she was squeezing her. “I know I do, and I won’t.”
“Promise?” Wendy asked, looking at her.
“Duh! Of course.”
Wendy’s kind smile spread across her face, and with a hand, she smoothed back some of Ali’s loose hair. “Good.”
“You sure you don’t want to spend the night?” Ali asked. “It’s really not a problem. James has a morning skate and then a game later, so we’d probably have the entire day to ourselves.”
“We know, but it’s the first day of the new year” Jeff said. “Don’t you two…ya know….have some celebrating—“
“DAD!” Ali looked at him, mouth open.
“I didn’t mean it LIKE THAT, hunny! Wendy?” Jeff looked to his wife for some help.
“Don’t listen to him” Wendy replied. “Thank you for the offer, but we’ll let you two unwind after such a big day. Tell James we’ll be watching tomorrow, of course.”
Ali smiled. Her parents were really great and her mom was right: she had a lot to be proud of, and it began with having them as parents.
They walked out to the car together, Jeff getting into the driver’s side. He started the engine as Ali and her mom hugged one more time. Another round of thanks and a solemn gaze later, Ali was alone.
Across the parking lot waited James and Paul in her SUV. She saw them waiting inside where it was warm, and she quickly joined. “Hey, sorry if that took longer than expected.”
“No worries” Paul said. “Want to sit shot gun?”
“Nah, I’m fine back here.” She caught James glance back in the rearview mirror at her. His mouth wasn’t visible, but she could tell by the way his eyes danced that he was smiling.
“I may just pass out for a second, if that’s okay” Ali mumbled, sliding down into the leather seat. Her eyes were closed before either of them could even reply…and not much later, she was asleep.
* * *
Everything in Ali’s body seemed weary, and when she finally did settle down, sleep came easier than it had the entire month of December. Before sleep came, Ali took a much needed shower, lingering longer than normal just to feel the heat of the water soothe her tired legs. She put on her comfiest pajamas, dried her hair enough so it wouldn’t soak her pillow or her boyfriend, and then slipped into bed.
James did his part to make Ali comfy, too. Once they got home, he felt his job was to treat her to whatever comforts she wanted. All she asked for was ice cream, so he served it to her in bed.
“Two scoops of Ben and Jerry’s, coming right up.” He sat down next to her, long legs stretched out. He stayed on top of the covers instead of beneath, where Ali was tucked in.
“Mmmmm this looks so amazing right now. Thanks, babe.”
“Welcome.” James handed her a spoon, watching her take the first bite. Her eyes shifted sideways to meet his, and she smiled.
“Mmsogoo.”
“Swallow, I’m not going anywhere.” He winked at her.
Ali scooped up some more and held the spoon out to James, who gladly took a taste.
“Today was really awesome, Als. YOU were really awesome” James said.
“That may be true, but can I just say - your shirts were really awesome.” She took another bite of ice cream and smiled over the spoon. “And your hats.”
“Paulie picked out the hats, if you can believe that.”
“Really!?! Where did he even find those?” She offered James another spoonful, which he gladly took.
“Some little kids store.”
Ali snorted, which made James laugh.
“Okay, so this snort thing, babe—“
“—Sorry!” She nudged him in the side. “But really. A little kid’s store?”
“Little girls store, to be exact.”
“Weeiiirrrd.” Ali twirled the spoon in the air, thinking to herself. “And if I didn’t say it before, babe - the shirts? That was just too cool to see. What an awesome surprise.”
“I still can’t believe your number was 1818.”
They looked at each other and smiled.
“Meant to be, I guess” Ali said with a casual shrug. She bit down on a piece of fish-shaped chocolate she dug out of the ice cream. “Nice job on the pink and black too.”
“Your favorites.”
“Yep.” Ali leaned her head back on the headboard and sighed happily. “My boyfriend is soooo observant. How ever do I thank him?”
James leaned over and kissed her, tasting a bit of vanilla on her lips. “Just did.”
“Fuck I love you, James Neal.”
* * *
James dropped Ali off at the start of the half marathon, telling the bundle of nerves that was his girlfriend that he’d be waiting, proud as ever, at the end for her. They’d gotten her race packet at the table near the starting line, and James did the honor of attaching the white placard with Ali’s number on it. He pinned one to the back of her neon yellow running shirt, then helped pin another on the front. She watched him with nervous eyes. All around her, couples and groups of runners and family members huddled together, each of them getting ready to begin. The sun hadn’t even risen above the gently rolling hills that surrounded the city, but Ali felt as alert as ever.
James stood and took a long look at her, his lopsided grin growing. “So official!”
She smiled. “Thanks.” Bouncing from foot to foot, she tried to keep herself warm. “Guess we’re gonna have to part at some point, huh?”
“How am I going to cheer for my amazing girlfriend if I stay here all morning?” He leaned in and gave her a tight hug, feeling the warmth of her through his coat. “I love you. And remember what we’ve always said.”
Ali nodded, rubbing her hands together in the cold. “We’ve got this.”
“Yes, and you’ve got this.” James kissed her forehead. “Have fun, okay? Don’t forget the mental game.”
“Mental game. Got it.” Ali smiled. “One more!” she said, and tilted her head so she could kiss James again. If it was possible, he would’ve stood there all day kissing her.
As they parted, they held one another’s hands until they could no longer touch. James waved and then disappeared into the gathering crowd to head back to Ali’s car. The minute he got in, he dialed up Paulie.
“You ready to go, man?” James asked, pulling out of the parking spot.
“Ready! Where are ya?”
“Just pulling out of here now…Should be there in ten minutes.”
“Awesome. See you soon.”
James hung up. The amount of people already gathered there was ridiculous, and this was only the half-marathon starting line. He didn’t exactly realize just how many participants there were who ran in this thing. That’s probably because he would normally be passed out on Geno’s couch right now; headache and stomachache his only two concerns.
As he made his way through town back to his neighborhood, James called Wendy and Jeff.
“James!” Wendy exclaimed. “We were wondering when we’d hear from you.”
“Hey Mrs. D” he said, smiling into the phone. “You guys in place? And if so, do you need anything?”
“Oh no, hunny, we’re already here and I think we have everything we need. Jeff brought blankets and hot chocolate, so I think we’ll manage until this thing gets going.”
“Sounds good. Thanks again for coming down…I know Ali’s been kind of nutty about this whole thing, but she appreciates it.”
Wendy laughed. “We know how she gets…and we know when to ignore it.” Her lighthearted giggle was close enough to Ali’s that if James didn’t know it, he’d think he was talking to Ali herself.
“I don’t think I have that luxury juuuuust yet” James joked. It got another laugh from Wendy. “So we’ll come find you afterwards?”
“Yep, we’ll wait right here for you two. But take your time!”
He smiled. “You got it. Enjoy the race!”
“You too!”
Five minutes after that, James pulled into Paulie’s driveway. It was pretty damn cold out, but the sun was steadily rising and warming everything as quickly as it could. James hated leaving the heated interior of the SUV, but serious work needed done inside Paul’s house.
“Come in, come in” he said, waving James inside. “Was traffic bad?”
“Not too bad right now, but it’s getting there.” He followed Paul into the living room where two shirts were laid out on the couch, along with two pink winter hats, complete with earflaps and pompoms on the ends of two long ties on each side.\
James busted out laughing. “NICE. You actually found some!”
Paul appeared rather proud. “Yep. A little girl’s clothing store, of all places.”
“What!?!?” James was still laughing. “This is great!” He removed the gray knit hat he had on and replaced it with the pink one. “How hot is this?”
“Sexy.”
James pulled on the strings, making it a little more snug over his flattened hair. “There’s no way she won’t spot us at the finish line now.”
“That’s what I thought, too!” Paul picked up his t-shirt and slipped it on over the long sleeve shirt he had on. Next, he put the hat on, opening his arms before him. “How do I look?”
“Pink is definitely your color.”
“Perfect.” Paul headed towards the kitchen. “Be right back, gotta find my wallet.”
James picked up the other t-shirt, which was oversized enough to fit over his Penguins hoodie. He pulled it on over the heavy fabric, adjusting it so it didn’t look so twisted. He put his pink winter hat on and felt as ridiculous as he looked. Did he care? Hell no. This was his girl, after all, and he was fucking excited.
“Alright, ready?” Paul pretended his heart stopped. “Wow. Neal. I…..I don’t know what to say……you just look so…..”
“Save it, Paulie.” He lifted the keys from the pocket of his jeans and headed for the door. “I can’t wait any longer! Let’s go!”
* * *
The finish line was packed with people, all bundled up with steaming cups of hot liquid between their hands. James and Paul got as close to the finish as they could, as far out front as they could. Given their height, they could see over most of the people there, but James wasn’t satisfied until they made it in front of several people and were close to the finish line itself. In their bright pink hats and pink-on-black t-shirts, they were a pair to behold. They got quite a few sideways glances, and even got a few compliments.
As they stood and waited, Paul watched James check his watch several times. He was also hopping up and down a little, but Paul couldn’t tell if it was because of the chilly air or because he was that excited.
“You gonna make it?” he asked with a laugh.
“Just excited” James said, biting his lip. “She starts in five minutes.”
“Just imagine how she’s feeling” Paul added, looking down the line of people to see what there was to see.
James actually was thinking about how Ali was feeling. He knew her too well not to already know. Her nerves had nowhere to turn now, so she’d likely be as focused as ever. He hoped she would remember to enjoy herself and realize it wasn’t so much as a race, but a chance to do something she’d never done before.
He checked his watch again. Two minutes to go. If this was a hockey game, he’d be stepping it up with the rest of the guys to do what they needed to in those minutes. This wasn’t hockey, and this wasn’t his deal. Ali would likely be getting pissed by now that it just needed to start already.
Paul heard James laugh to himself. “What’s so funny?”
James shook his head. “Nothing. Just nervous. Thinking about stuff.” He looked at Paul. “How much you wanna bet Ali’s getting pissed?”
“That it’s about to start and yet so far away?” Paul nodded, smiling. “Yeah, I’d say she’s probably a little ready to get this thing on the road.”
A man in a knee-length black coat came out to the white painted finish line. People around him that waited on the sidelines turned to face him as he held up a starting pistol.
James looked down at his watch. This is it, babe. Good luck.
Everyone in the crowd got a little hushed. They all waited for the pistol to go off, which would mark the beginning of the race, miles away from where they currently stood.
A shrill snap/bang sound went off, and a small cloud of smoke puffed up from the starting pistol. Everyone around the finish line started cheering, their cheers echoing among the tall buildings that surrounded them.
James had never felt more excited. Now, all they had to do was wait.
* * *
The sheer power from Ali’s beating heart carried her through the first six miles easily. She found her rhythm from the start, finally free of the nerves that had been plaguing her for the past few weeks.
While she’d waited in line with the other runners, she made friends with two other first-timers. They were just as clueless as she was as to what to expect, and they formed an instant bond. By the time Ali passed the seven mile mark, she had no idea where her friends were. She felt bad, but she was making insanely good time, and found that she had somehow managed to make it towards the upper quarter of people running.
Every now and then Ali would glance to the side of the road, watching as people cheered for everyone as they ran by. It was pretty cool that so many people, especially on New Year’s Day, made it out to watch everyone run. It wasn’t lost on Ali how dedicated everyone had been to even get out of bed after one of the busiest and heaviest drinking nights of the year.
By mile eight, Ali felt her knees starting to get a little talkative. It was easy enough to ignore, since she was in the groove now. She realized just how cool it was just to run around the streets of Pittsburgh. Once Ali hit the Clemente Bridge and crossed that, she knew her 13 miles were close to ending. She was going enjoy every second that her feet carried her over that bridge, too. It was her favorite, as well as millions of others. The view would be amazing.
They turned another corner and more people cheered. It was getting harder to hear them over the sound of her heavy breathing. But low and behold, as they made one final turn before they started over the bridge, there Ali saw her mom and dad. They held up a sign: “RUN ALI RUN. WE LOVE YOU.”
Ali laughed right out loud. Through her heavy breathing, she exhaled laugh after laugh, not sure if she was embarrassed or flattered by the giant sign her parents held up.
“GO ALI!!!” her mom yelled, clapping and cheering for her.
Ali crossed from near the middle of the group of runners over to the side her parents were standing. As she neared them, she raised her hand and slapped both her dad and her mom’s hands. Smiling from ear to ear, she passed by, and within a few more strides she was officially on the Roberto Clemente Bridge.
Seeing her parents gave Ali an extra bounce in her stride. Looking out across at one of the three rivers that surrounded her city, she felt like the luckiest girl. The view alone made her feel amazing. She’d come pretty far, and while it was only a half-marathon, she gained quite a bit of confidence.
And she had one last person waiting for her at the finish line.
Thinking of this, she picked up her pace. She wanted to push through those last few miles, and see if maybe she could place. If not, the prize waiting at the end was enough of a win that she didn’t need anything else.
* * *
Paul and James started to see runners now. They came one by one, but the first to cross the finish line and won his division, was intense looking. Both Paul and James’ heads and eyes followed the lithe runner, every band of muscle visible as his thin frame crossed the finish line.
“Holy shit.” James was stunned. The guy had zero percent body fat on him.
Paul looked at James. “Yikes.”
They turned their attention back to the others that were now rounding the bend down the street. As they neared the finish line, cheers from their family, friends, and other spectators rang up for them. James kept his eyes focused ahead towards the bend where he’d get his first glimpse of her.
“What’s her time, do you think?” Paul asked.
James tried to calculate it out the entire race. Given the time it was now, if Ali held a steady seven minute mile, she should be getting to the finish line shortly. If she held a six minute, she’d be rounding the corner any second. James explained it all to Paul, who nodded and kept his gaze ahead, watching for any sign of Ali.
More and more people in tiny clothes and giant numbers came sprinting towards the finish line. James was getting antsy. He really, really, really hoped Ali had kept a pace she would be happy with. He’d be proud of her no matter what he final time was, but if she felt a good time was important to have, he wanted her to have it.
A cluster of runners rounded the bend, greeted by more cheering. James looked down at his watch. Her six minute mile window was closing. That’s okay. She’ll do great no matter what.
More people. More cheering. The finish line was getting crowded more and more as runners were coming to the end of their part in the marathon. James stood on his toes as more runners came around the corner. When he saw her, he grabbed Paul’s shoulder.
“THERE SHE IS.”
Paul stood up on his toes as well, and sure enough, Ali’s bright yellow long sleeve top and black running tights were visible.
“Damn, she’s trucking!” Paul exclaimed. He started clapping as her and the others in her group came closer towards them and the finish line.
James couldn’t believe it. It felt absolutely fucking amazing to be on the other side like he was; it was too fun to cheer on someone you loved. He would never take for granted all the games Ali ever watched him play in, or any game she ever came to just to support him.
“YEAH BABE, GO! GO!” He was clapping and both he and Paulie were cheering Ali’s name now.
It was obvious that she either saw them or heard them, because James saw her smile appear. As tired as she looked, Ali was shaking her head and laughing, the glow never leaving that smile. James had to hold himself back from jumping over the barriers to run with her to the very end.
“JAMES!” Ali cried, still laughing at their shirts. “I LOVE IT.” It was all she could make out through her horribly labored breathing.
James couldn’t contain his own grin. He held out his hand to her for when she would pass them, and Paul was cheering and whooping loudly beside him.
Despite the burning in her lungs, Ali increased her pace just to touch James’ hand.
“LOVE YOU BABE” she yelled, passing him and Paul. She felt tears sting her eyes. Only 100 yards separated her from the white line. Behind her, two men she adored watched her shorten that final distance.
With a giant exhale, Ali crossed the finish line.
* * *
James pushed through the people near where they stood. He didn’t even care. Ali was standing off to the side, her hands on her knees as she tried to reign in her breathing. She didn’t see James or Paul as they made their way through the crowd and other runners who had finished and were also resting.
“ALLISON!” he called, and she picked up her head. The grin on her flushed pink face was all it took. He pulled Ali into a giant hug, feeling her chest still heaving hard beneath him.
“Oh James” she said, her voice weary. “I did it. I did it!!”
“You did and I am SO happy for you!” James held her out to look at her, seeing the sweat still trickling down the sides of her face. He pulled her in for a kiss, and though it didn’t last long because of Ali’s heavy breathing, it was one of the coolest kisses he’d ever exchanged with her.
Ali tried to laugh, but her breathing chopped her laughter up. “What…….the hell………is that……” She nodded tiredly at what James had on.
“Oh this?” James turned around casually. “Nothing really. Just a jersey of sorts.”
“James!!!” Ali felt amazing. Absolutely amazing. Yes, her entire body was paining at that moment, but the whole thing with James and Paul and their dumb hats and her name plastered all over the shirt was just too good.
“My number….” She said, wiping her face with her sleeve. “How?”
“If you don’t know my ways by now, babe” James said with a smirk. “I had to. I just had to do something like this.” He looked down at her, hoping that every ounce of pride he had for her in that moment was visible. “For all the times you’ve worn my number and name.”
Ali was too tired to hold back her tears. They fell easily, meshing with the sweat that was running down her face. “I love you….so much….” She fell into his arms again, feeling one of his hands go to the back of her head, holding her close.
“I’m proud of you” he whispered. “So, so, so damn proud.” James’ blue eyes centered in on her, full of love and adoration. Both of their noses met and nuzzled against one another.
“Kiss me again” Ali said. James’ lips pressed against hers, both hands gently holding the sides of her face. The pompoms of his hat tickled against Ali’s skin, and she smiled through the kiss. She would remember this moment when she looked back on this entire experience.
When their mouths parted, Ali smiled up at him. “That was my marathon prize.”
* * *
Ali placed 103rd overall. Out of nearly 1200 half-marathon participants, she was the 103rd body to cross the finish line...and she was more than satisfied with that.
This was the topic for most of their time out to dinner together. After Paul, James, and Ali went and met up with Ali’s parents, they all went out to dinner, even Paul. The group kept the focus on Ali, despite how uncomfortable she felt receiving all the support and praise she was getting. James sat next to her, and throughout the dinner he placed his hand on her thigh beneath the table. He gave her a little squeeze, hoping she took it as encouragement to let her parents gush over her. She looked over and smiled at him, and James felt her immediately relax after that.
Following a hearty meal and a few drinks, Jeff took the check and paid for everyone there. Paul and James absolutely insisted they contribute, but Jeff won that argument. After a round of thanks, James and Paul headed out to the parking lot, leaving Ali alone with her parents.
“We’re so happy for you, pumpkin” Jeff said as he hugged his daughter. “It was pretty cool getting to watch you run like that.”
“Thank you so much, Dad. Really – it was great getting to see you guys on the sidelines.” She accepted the kiss on her cheek from him before she turned to her mom.
“You have a lot to be proud of right now” Wendy said. “Don’t take it for granted.”
Ali hugged her mom and felt how tightly she was squeezing her. “I know I do, and I won’t.”
“Promise?” Wendy asked, looking at her.
“Duh! Of course.”
Wendy’s kind smile spread across her face, and with a hand, she smoothed back some of Ali’s loose hair. “Good.”
“You sure you don’t want to spend the night?” Ali asked. “It’s really not a problem. James has a morning skate and then a game later, so we’d probably have the entire day to ourselves.”
“We know, but it’s the first day of the new year” Jeff said. “Don’t you two…ya know….have some celebrating—“
“DAD!” Ali looked at him, mouth open.
“I didn’t mean it LIKE THAT, hunny! Wendy?” Jeff looked to his wife for some help.
“Don’t listen to him” Wendy replied. “Thank you for the offer, but we’ll let you two unwind after such a big day. Tell James we’ll be watching tomorrow, of course.”
Ali smiled. Her parents were really great and her mom was right: she had a lot to be proud of, and it began with having them as parents.
They walked out to the car together, Jeff getting into the driver’s side. He started the engine as Ali and her mom hugged one more time. Another round of thanks and a solemn gaze later, Ali was alone.
Across the parking lot waited James and Paul in her SUV. She saw them waiting inside where it was warm, and she quickly joined. “Hey, sorry if that took longer than expected.”
“No worries” Paul said. “Want to sit shot gun?”
“Nah, I’m fine back here.” She caught James glance back in the rearview mirror at her. His mouth wasn’t visible, but she could tell by the way his eyes danced that he was smiling.
“I may just pass out for a second, if that’s okay” Ali mumbled, sliding down into the leather seat. Her eyes were closed before either of them could even reply…and not much later, she was asleep.
* * *
Everything in Ali’s body seemed weary, and when she finally did settle down, sleep came easier than it had the entire month of December. Before sleep came, Ali took a much needed shower, lingering longer than normal just to feel the heat of the water soothe her tired legs. She put on her comfiest pajamas, dried her hair enough so it wouldn’t soak her pillow or her boyfriend, and then slipped into bed.
James did his part to make Ali comfy, too. Once they got home, he felt his job was to treat her to whatever comforts she wanted. All she asked for was ice cream, so he served it to her in bed.
“Two scoops of Ben and Jerry’s, coming right up.” He sat down next to her, long legs stretched out. He stayed on top of the covers instead of beneath, where Ali was tucked in.
“Mmmmm this looks so amazing right now. Thanks, babe.”
“Welcome.” James handed her a spoon, watching her take the first bite. Her eyes shifted sideways to meet his, and she smiled.
“Mmsogoo.”
“Swallow, I’m not going anywhere.” He winked at her.
Ali scooped up some more and held the spoon out to James, who gladly took a taste.
“Today was really awesome, Als. YOU were really awesome” James said.
“That may be true, but can I just say - your shirts were really awesome.” She took another bite of ice cream and smiled over the spoon. “And your hats.”
“Paulie picked out the hats, if you can believe that.”
“Really!?! Where did he even find those?” She offered James another spoonful, which he gladly took.
“Some little kids store.”
Ali snorted, which made James laugh.
“Okay, so this snort thing, babe—“
“—Sorry!” She nudged him in the side. “But really. A little kid’s store?”
“Little girls store, to be exact.”
“Weeiiirrrd.” Ali twirled the spoon in the air, thinking to herself. “And if I didn’t say it before, babe - the shirts? That was just too cool to see. What an awesome surprise.”
“I still can’t believe your number was 1818.”
They looked at each other and smiled.
“Meant to be, I guess” Ali said with a casual shrug. She bit down on a piece of fish-shaped chocolate she dug out of the ice cream. “Nice job on the pink and black too.”
“Your favorites.”
“Yep.” Ali leaned her head back on the headboard and sighed happily. “My boyfriend is soooo observant. How ever do I thank him?”
James leaned over and kissed her, tasting a bit of vanilla on her lips. “Just did.”
“Fuck I love you, James Neal.”
* * *
@Lolo2020
Thank you so much! Amazing people still read it and enjoy it so much. That was my goal :)
2/6/17