End of an Era (Book 7)

Hall of Fame

|Zach's POV|

To watch my nephews play in the NFL has been surreal. What are the odds that both of them ended up on the team I retired from? Even though Matteo wasn't biologically my nephew, I've always treated him like he was. Hell, the majority of my family wasn't related to me through blood, but when did that ever matter? Family was family.

My number, 81, was being retired by the LA Rams during their last game of the regular season. January is always the end for a lot of guys and some don't know where they'll be come draft season.

Speaking of the Rams, they're on the road to the Super Bowl and for the second year in a row and could very well be back to back champs. There's no team, in my opinion, that's beating them. Since Matteo joined the Rams, he along with Logan and Patrick have completely changed the offense and have been a threat to the defenses known to break anyone. They're in-synch and it's amazing to watch.

As for me, I am a finalist for the NFL Hall of Fame. The first year I was a finalist, I wasn't even thinking of the Hall of Fame as we were all dealing with Izzy's health scare. Last year I was hopeful, but no infamous knock on the door. That was right before Logan won the Super Bowl. Here we are again, same time of the year,  and the nerves just aren't the same. Don't get me wrong, I still want it. Hell, it's like a craving. I just keep telling myself, if it's meant for me, it will be.

I didn't do any hoopla this year. Usually families gather to celebrate the expectancy of getting into the Hall of Fame. I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. For anyone that knows my family, they didn't give a shit what I had to say. They were here. Kylie says this time, she didn't plan anything, it was all Bash.

My wife, my kids, my mom and Rob, dad and ma, my sisters, my brothers-in-law, more in-laws, my uncles, my nieces and nephews, even my best friends, their wives, and kids. How we managed to stay close all these years? I mean, I've seen my dad do it so I knew it was possible. Thank God for group chats. It's how we keep up.

I had been hiding out in our bedroom for the past half hour. Soon the door opened and there stood my wife. I couldn't help but smile.

I've been in love with Kylie since I was 17 years old. Over the years she's blessed me with 4 children. She's had my back and my front as I've had hers. You couldn't have told 16 year old Zachary Paul Fitzpatrick that he would be moving to Connecticut with his father and stepmother, gain 5 sisters, fall in love and marry my high school sweetheart.

"Everyone is looking for you," she said.

I motioned for her to come closer. She straddled my lap. I slid my arms around her waist, resting my head on her chest.

"Did I tell you I love you today?"

"Mm hmm. You told me this morning. You told me once I got dressed. You told me just as everyone showed up."

"Just wanted to make sure."

"To every time you asked me, I replied with a I love you most."

"Not possible. My heart doesn't beat without you."

"And I feel lost without you," she countered.

I held her tighter before meeting her gaze. Damn she was beautiful and I always managed to get lost in her eyes. I'm a 40+ year old man and my wife still has me drooling like a teenager.

"Thank you for being a part of this journey, Kylie. All the accolades I've achieved..."

"Hey, you worked your ass off and you deserve it."

"Yes, but having your support, a lot of guys don't have that. You've been all in since day one. High school, college, the NFL, you've been there. Yeah, we've had some rocky moments along the way, but it's only made us stronger, more connected."