Epilogue
Lincoln
Life is a funny creature. Once you think you have everything figured out, and clear sailing is all you can see in your future, life throws you a curveball, and no matter how fast or slow it comes at you, you have to decide in a split second if you’ll catch it or allow it destroy you. The best day of your life becomes your worst. Your friends become your enemies, and your family evolves into the monsters under your bed, yet it was supposed to be your brightest hour. The day you make it in the history books. The day you make a name for yourself, separating yourself from the pack. Yet it’s the day that destroys you.
This is how I felt the day I lost Oakley Ann.
I slowly had to let go of all our memories and everything we shared together. It nearly destroyed every single part of me. Watching her fight to survive and experience new surroundings without having panic attacks were the brightest moments of my life. Those memories far outweigh any victory or interception on the field.
The day finally came, and I had to let Oakley go forever. I had to give up all hope of ever seeing her jump up and down in her seat waving a bag of fucking cotton candy at me. I’d never hear Oakley Ann lecturing me about football using all the wrong terms, but listening to her anyway without correcting her.
Today is the day I have to let it all go, because it’s my wedding day. Today I choose to walk down the aisle to the only future I’ll ever know. With my dad as my best man and Levi and Heath as groomsmen, I walk to my future and choose to never look back at what was and what could have been.
Critics are welcome to stand on the sidelines of my game and label me with as many hurtful words as they wish, but today is my day to marry my wife. Oakley Ann is gone forever.
Looking down the aisle I see my bride. With each step she takes, I see pain, sorrow, and joy. I’ve heard other athletes talk about pain, but when I say pain, I’m talking about the kind that fucking rips you limb from limb. The pain that eats at your flesh and threatens to never leave you whole again. It taunts you in your happiest of moments and celebrates on your heart when you finally succumb to it. That’s the pain I see with each step my future wife takes toward me.
My beautiful bride faces me, and I can’t help but smile. Moments pass, and the ceremony begins, but I can’t help but be hypnotized by her smile.
“I, Lynlee, take you, Lincoln, to be my beloved husband, to have and to hold, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at every game whether win or lose. I’ll be by your side in good times and in the bad ones. I love you and promise you this for the rest of our days.”
“I, Lincoln, take you, Lynlee, to be my beautiful wife, to have and to cherish, to honor you and be by your side every single day of your life. I promise to always hold your hand when you need protection from the world. I’ve always loved you and will till my dying breath. It will always be you.”
Rings are exchanged, and it’s time to kiss Mrs. Lynlee Wilks.
Leaning down to kiss her, she whispers against my lips, “It’s just pizza.”
“And I promised you I’d give you the perfect name, Lynlee,” I whisper right back.
THE END