A Storm Is Brewing

Open Day

The conversation with Leah had highlighted multiple things to me, the most serious being that Leah needed me just as much as I needed her. That was something that didn't need to be fixed, and I knew that I could prove that to her throughout our life together. Leah not being comfortable with her future could be fixed through a very well-organised surprise.

I didn't have many people in London, but I did have Paula. I called on her to help me set up my surprise for Leah. This wasn't something huge, but it would take an awful lot of time if I were to do it on my own. I had just three hours until Leah returned from the game; the clock was already ticking as Paula and I got to work in the office. Page after page was printed, Paula and I laughing as the two of us tried to create a banner for the welcoming of Leah as she returned.

As we loaded up my car with our creations, Paula spoke of her hope that Leah would be able to get to grips with her true self. Paula was selfless; I knew that from her decision to leave Lloyds & Sons in some kind of solidarity with me. She had become so fond of Leah through the stories I would tell her about our weekends together, our hard journey to love, and the way she was with my niece. Paula had watched that New Year's Eve as I searched the room to find Leah, giving up before midnight only for Leah to ensure that I moved from one year to the next with her lips firmly pressed against mine. She called us the love story of the century, and Leah found this amusing. Paula's willingness to help today was more than just generosity to me; it was a sign that I had more than I thought in London. Maybe Paula was someone I could count on in London. Maybe I underestimated our co-worker relationship and overlooked that it was now a friendship.

"I can't wait to hear how it goes on Monday." She smiled.
"I can't thank you enough, P."

I headed home, struggling to put the banner up and cursing the height I had failed to inherit. I took one final look around the room before I sat on the sofa to wait for Leah to return, making sure I had a good view of the driveway so I could greet her at the front door. Almost as if she knew I was finished, Leah pulled up outside the house. I ran to the front door, a door that I had walked out of a few nights before and left Leah crying in the hallway, making my way to the front step and closing the door after me.

"Soph, what's wrong?" Leah asked, confused.
"Nothing. Don't panic. It's your surprise." I grinned.

Leah didn't speak; instead, she just smiled at me. She walked closer to me, pulling me into her chest and planting a kiss on my forehead.

"I don't deserve you, Soph." She whispered.
"You don't know what it is yet; I could be breaking up with you." Leah lightly smacked my arm at the comment.
"Hold me for another minute first, before we go in." She said as she pulled me closer.

I did as she asked, noting that her body was free of the tense posture that she had this morning.

"So, you really never got to even think about other things than football?" I asked.
"Never. I was too busy with football to go to those university open day things; it wasn't something I thought I would ever need to do at that age." Leah sighed.
"There's no reason you couldn't do that now, though." I tried to reassure her.
"That's the thing; imagine if I was spotted at one. The rumours of oh she's obviously quitting, or she's fallen out of love with the game. I don't get to do normal things, and it's really hard, Soph. Really hard." I felt her tighten her grip around my back as she said this, clearly upset by it.
"Come inside; it's cold." I whispered.

I made Leah close her eyes, walking her to the open door of the kitchen and standing her in front of the banner that hung from the doorframe that read Back Up Plan Open Day printed in every colour that Paula and I had available to us this afternoon.

"Okay, open." I exhaled.

I watched as Leah read the banner first, then took a few steps into the kitchen. Dotted around the room were different subjects that you could study from home, in your own time, as part of a degree. The title of each degree hung on small pieces of card around the kitchen, along with a mind map for each to outline what the courses were about and printouts of the course details beside them. Leah scanned the room, closely inspecting the variety of choices, before turning towards me. Her smile was plastered across her face, and her eyes made direct contact with mine. I watched as they glazed over, this time with happy tears, as she cocked her head slightly to the side.

"You did all this for me?" Leah struggled to hold back the tears.
"Yeah. For you, Le." I smiled.

Within seconds, Leah had swept me off my feet and into her arms. She held me around her waist by placing her hands under my thighs, kissing me over and over again. This was the Leah I knew.

"I don't know what to say, Soph. I'm honestly speechless." Leah said as she placed her forehead against mine.
"You don't have to say anything, Le."
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I have been such an idiot—the things I've said, the things I've done, the way I've been. I -" I placed my finger against her lips to politely hush her.
"I was the idiot; I was so obsessed with the idea that you didn't want me anymore that I didn't think about why you were being that way. Relationships aren't always about talking and being open; sometimes you need effort. Effort to realise the things that someone else doesn't know how to say. I'm sorry for not making that effort before now, Leah. I want you to be happy and to feel safe, but you can't feel safe with me until you feel safe in your own life. I wanted to show you that you can do other things, you can do them alongside football, and you can be whoever you want to be. On and off the pitch."
"I feel safe right now. I feel really vulnerable but really safe. Being vulnerable with you feels so right." Leah closed her eyes as she spoke.
"That makes it all worth it."

Leah eventually set me down, and we explored the sections of the kitchen. Slowly, we eliminated the options until there were just three left, just three subjects that Leah would pick from: physiotherapy, psychology, and, much to my surprise, law. Leah sat at the table while I made dinner, reading through the printouts of the course overviews for those three subjects. She was going through them with a highlighter and adding her own words to the mind map. I couldn't help but glance at her as she smiled down at the pages; the happiness that a small gesture had given her was so apparent by the glow that shone from her cheeks.

As I waited for the kettle to boil, I decided to text Paula. I realised that life was about what you made it, and as perfect as my bubble with Leah was, I also needed to fix the things that continuously popped into my head when things went wrong. Having no one in London except Leah being the main one.

Sophie
She loved it. I can't thank you enough, P!

Paula
Told you! So glad you managed to cheer her up.

Sophie
Thank you for everything. Drink after work next Friday?

Paula
Sounds good to me :)

Leah and I ate dinner before settling on the sofa for our quiet Saturday night, one that was welcomed after such a difficult week. Reluctantly, we moved to the bedroom after almost falling asleep several times in the living room.

As I cuddled into Leah's chest, my arm tightly gripped around her waist, she let out a deep breath.

"You okay?" I asked.
"More than okay, I still can't believe you did that for me."
"It was just a few printouts and some dodgy signs." I laughed.
"It was so much more. No one has ever done anything like that for me before, Soph. No one."
"I guess that's the best thing about love—it's unexpected." I moved my head to look at her.
"You certainly were unexpected, Sophie Kelly." She smiled before pecking my lips.
"Mrs. Williamson soon." I giggled as I buried my head back into her chest.
"You still want to marry me then?"
"More than I've ever wanted to do anything."
"Me too, Soph. Me too."

Tonight I wasn't holding Leah with any doubts in my mind; tonight I was holding Leah knowing that love was real. Our love was real.

Nothing, and no one, would come between that.