Page 41 of Personal Foul

“But there’s one more thing that I want.”

“What’s that?” Reagan frowns.

“Marry me.” I hold up the ring I’ve been carrying in my pocket for weeks now.

“Yes.” She gasps.

I slide the ring onto her finger. “Perfect.”

* * *

Reagan

“Will you pass that?”Garrett asks, pointing at a rice dish on the table. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

I look around the table, feeling slightly overwhelmed. The laughter, both Spanish and English being spoken. The children running around while us adults try to eat.

“This is crazy.”

“In the best way though.” Garrett nods.

“I love it.”

“I’m glad.”

“I think I’m going to have to take a Spanish refresher course though.”

“Or I could teach you.”

“If you taught me, I would never learn anything,” I tease. “Professor,” I say, breathless.

Garrett groans, making me laugh.

I never knew what I was missing before Garrett. Garrett’s family is loud in a way I didn’t know was possible, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I look down at my finger at the ring Garrett put there.

Who would have thought Garrett Stone would make me so happy?

I turn, looking at Garrett. “I love you.”

“I love you too,reina.”

“Thank you for sharing your family with me.”

“Anything for you.”

* * *

News out of Seattle.Lineman Garrett “Tank” Stone has announced his retirement. Here’s what he had to say.

“For any athlete, the word retirement is a dirty word. It’s something we refuse to think about. If you would have told me this time last year that I would be announcing my retirement, I would have laughed and told you, you were crazy. I have loved playing football, but it’s time for me to move onto more important aspects of my life. While I’ll miss that unique feeling you get on the field, I’m ready for a new chapter in my life.”

When asked if he would miss his teammates, Stone shed light on his past and what the future holds.

“I don’t think I will, but not in the way you think. These guys are more than my teammates. They are my family. We will still make time for each other because that’s what family does. When I started in New England, I was a young buck looking for fame and fortune. When I got that, I rode that train until it lost its appeal. It wasn’t until I made many poor decisions that led me here that I realized that I had a lot of growing up to do. I didn’t make the connections in New England that I should have. That will always be a regret of mine. I found my home in Seattle, though. They can’t get rid of me now.”

We askedhim if his recent Super Bowl win had any weight on his decision to leave.

“Not at all. Winning the Super Bowl is an enormous accomplishment, no matter how many times I’ve gone and won, it will always be special. However, I’ve been contemplating retiring for a while now. I’m excited about my next adventure. I’ll be coaching an after-school program for youth. Teaching them about the sport and leadership. I’m going to give back to the community that taught me so much.”

That wasn’t allhe had to say. He ended the interview by opening up about his love life.

“I found the love of my life here in Seattle. Not only that, but I gained one exceptional kid as well. My family means everything to me and for them, I would give up the world. This retirement is for me, but it’s also for them. So we can spend as much time as we can together while we can. Football was my life for a long time. Now Reagan and Nick are my life.”