When Chiara Russo's friends announce they are sending her on a blind date, she expects the worst. Little does she know, the charming stranger with a to-die-for smile is none other than fan favourite Leicester Tigers Rugby Star- Miles Clay.
The guy...
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"So, where is your head at now?" Kenny, my agent, asks down the line.
I push my foot away from the ground to start rocking in the nursery chair when Katie starts to get fussy. "Still the same as where it was last week— I need more time with them."
He sighs. "They want you back over there by next week, son."
"Not going to happen." My eyes catch on the door when Chiara walks through with a freshly bathed Gabriella. We do a baby swap. "Kenny, look, I'll be straight with you. My priorities have changed a lot over the past few months and quite honestly, I'm having to rethink my career completely. I want to slow down."
"Slow down?" Its like the thought makes him laugh. "Miles, you're at the top of your career. In your prime."
"So? Let's go out with a bang," I say, tilting my head in question when Chiara hoovers around.
"Miles, you can't be serious?" he asks.
I rest the phone against my chest and smile gently. "You okay, sweetheart?"
She shakes her head, knocking whatever trance she was in away. "I didn't think you were serious when you said about leaving. Miles... you need to really think about this, honey."
"I have. Trust me, okay?" I reply.
It's not uncommon for athletes to take a step back once becoming parents, and there's been several guys who I've known and played with over the years who came back a few years down the line.
There's a real warmth in her eyes that gives me the confidence to do this right now. I put the phone back to my ear, watch her leave the room and push my foot to start rocking the chair.
This is where my life needs to be.
"My priorities have changed, Kenny. End of story. I don't know how all the legal stuff will work, but I'm pulling out of my contract with the Stormers." A weight lifts at admitting this to him.
He takes a big breath. "Bloody hell, Clay. I don't know where this is going to take us legally, either."
"My head is not in the game anymore." Deep down, it feels strange to admit it, knowing Rugby has been my life for as long as I can remember.
"OK," he says, and I sense he knows I'm not messing now. "I need to make a few calls and get back to you. I know for a fact, the Tigers will take you back in a heartbeat. Is working closer to home going to be easier?" he questions, but I'm sticking to my guns.
"In the future, possibly. I'm taking at least a year off to be with my family. I need this. I don't want to miss out on anything and being halfway across the world is going to mean I will miss out on everything. Do you hear me?"
Life is so short. It's true when people say to cherish the time when your children are young because before you know it, they are all grown up and living their lives without you.
