Leah glances at her ticket again and confirms this is the section where her seat is located. She climbs the bleachers for the homecoming football game. Apparently, they put all medical graduates in the nosebleed seats. While her black boots are cute, the leather soles aren’t practical for climbing cement steps. Glancing at the end of the rows, her grip on the metal railing relaxes, and she shrugs her leather backpack up higher on her shoulders. She’s almost there.
Her hands shoot out and meet the concrete steps above her. The air leaves her lungs as she lands.
She hops up, and her face is hot. She looks around as her face grows warm, then puts her head down. Maybe no one saw her fall up the stairs.
“Hey,” a woman in the middle of the section hollers. “Are you okay?”
Her ears burn. “I’m fine. Thank you.”
She grabs the rail, her grip tight, and picks up her climbing pace. Her right knee is throbbing and burning. Limping the rest of the way is out of the question. Finally reaching the row where her seat is, she’s thankful that there’s no one sitting in the end seats yet. She makes her way to her seat, which is towards the middle of the section.
Flopping into her seat, she grits her teeth and gently touches her right knee. Her jeans are intact and there’s no blood.
“I shouldn’t have worn these stupid boots,” she mutters, wincing as she feels her knee.
“Leah?” inquires a male voice.
Her heart stops. It can’t be him. She hasn’t seen him since they graduated. Tilting her head to the left, she peers through her curly hair. It’s him. “Gabe?”
“Yeah, it is. Hey, I saw you fall up the stairs over there. You, okay?”
Her heart drops to the bottom of her seat. “Honestly, my knee is killing me.”
“You probably know I finished my orthopedic residency. Do you want me to look at it?”
She shakes her head. Her mouth feels like it’s full of cotton balls with her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.
“Drinks,” a student yells at the end of the row. “Water, soda, and juice.”
Leah raises her hand and croaks, “Over here.” She’s unzipping a pocket to pull out her wallet.
“Make it two waters and keep the change buddy,” Gabe says, grabbing two waters. He hands one to Leah.
She pulls out the bottle of pain reliever she carries and pops two, then takes a swig of the cold water to wash it down. “That should help with the pain and any swelling.”
“Do you always travel so well prepared?”
Those green eyes. She can’t forget them. The color reminds of her of the lush greens of summer after a brief rain. “I do. It’s habit, and it usually pays off though. Like today.”
His head tilted to the side, he asks, “Is it a habit because you have kids?”
Smiling, she shakes her head. “No. I’m a nurse at a private school and occasionally on field trips. You just never know what’s going to happen with the children.”
The team runs out on the field and the crowd roars.
The cheerleaders are bouncing down in front of the stands in their blue, green, and white tartan skirts. Gruff the goat, the school mascot, joins the cheerleaders on the sidelines.
Leah shivers.
“Are you cold?” Gabe asks. “Do you want my jacket? I forgot how cold it gets on our side once the sun moves and we’re in the shadows.”
Grimacing, she pulls her backpack up and pulls out her old college fleece. “Thank you, but I remembered just how cold it gets sitting here. Help me spread it out.”
Gabe helps spread it over their legs while leaving enough to pull up their laps. “Your knee looks swollen. I don’t think we should stay. It’s going to get worse.”
“We’re here for homecoming. We can’t leave before the game even starts.”
“I’m afraid you won’t be able to get down the steps on your own.”
They both smooth the blanket and their hands brush. Their gazes lock. Neither looks away.
Leah’s heart is pounding like the bass drum in the marching band. She swipes her tongue across her lips.
People are yelling their names. The old gang has arrived, and the fun begins.
The game is a nail biter with their team barely squeaking out the win.
“I’m going to wait with you. Just in case you need help,” Gabe says when the roar of the crowd and the tooting of the band diminishes.
The crowd is gone.
Leah attempts to stand and cries out. She sinks back into her seat. “I think you were right. I should have left earlier.”
“Give me your backpack,” he says, holding out his hands.
She hands it over and watches as he packs up the blanket.
He loosens the straps and puts it on his shoulders. He turns and looks over his shoulder with a wide smile. “How’s it look? Does it match?”
She giggles. “It’s perfect. And in my defense, black leather goes with anything.”
He laughs. “Can you stand if you hold on to me?”
“Let me try,” she says, placing one hand on the chair in front of her and the other into Gabe’s open hand. Biting her lip, she stands but keeps her right leg up.
Gabe moves the hand he’s holding onto his shoulder. He bends over and scoops her up in both arms.
“Gabe, don’t do this. I’m too heavy,” she protests, her face on fire. “I can hop down the stairs. You don’t need to carry me.”
“You’re not too heavy,” he says as he heads to the end of the row towards the stairs.
Feeling light-headed, she buries her head in his shoulder. “I’m sorry.” His chest rumbles beneath her from his chuckles.
“Don’t be. I’ve dreamed about having you in my arms since the first time I saw you at our freshman orientation. My dreams are coming true.”
Her eyes wide, she lifts her head and looks up at his rugged face, appreciating the thickness of his arms as he carries her away.