Chapter 18

“God, I’ve missed you,” Heather sighed as we hugged outside baggage claim. We kissed.

“I’ve missed you too,” I agreed.

“Sorry about how Sunday turned out,” Heather said.

“It’s fine,” I answered. “Our team improved on last year’s performance. We will get to the Super Bowl one of these years.” Heather popped the trunk of her car open and I loaded my luggage. We headed home.

“You ready for your Hawaiian vacation?” I asked as she pulled onto I-283.

“I guess,” Heather replied. “It all seems so surreal. Going to Hawaii in January and meeting all these NFL stars. I almost have to pinch myself to make sure it’s real.”

“It’s real,” I responded. “It isn’t a big deal. You’ll do fine.”

“I don’t know these people.”

“Sure, you do,” I explained. “Jeremy and Kathy North will be there. You remember Chris and Meghan Long from the Labor Day party. They’ll be there too.”

“I remember Chris and Meghan,” Heather said. “Meghan was so friendly. It will be good to see Jeremy and Kathy again. What about Kyle and Penny?”

“Kyle expects to miss the Pro Bowl,” I replied. “He has plans to go to the Super Bowl. The bookies have the odds at even with the Broncos hosting the Patriots on Sunday.”

“It would be nice to see Penny too,” Heather said. “It’s been too long since we had a chance to sit down and talk.”

“We’ll have time this off season.”

Discussion switched to our wedding preparations. Heather had a list of things I needed to address, as well as a meeting between our parents, Heather and me to finalize more things.

“I thought more about your honeymoon idea,” Heather commented. “I like the idea of going over to Australia and New Zealand. That could be a lot of fun.”

“That’s what I read and heard,” I agreed. “My Uncle John still raves about his trip, almost thirty years later.”

“Let’s book it,” Heather agreed.

“I’ll get to it tomorrow morning,” I agreed. “How long do you want to stay? Two weeks? More?”

“Two weeks?” Heather gasped. “Could I take off that long?”

“You will be finished with your job here when we get married,” I responded. “You won’t start your new job until we get moved out to LA. Who cares how long you take for your honeymoon? I am off for four months. My parents will take care of the boys however long we are gone.”

“Good point,” Heather agreed. “Why don’t we set this up for a three-week trip. I guess we will be able to afford it.”

“We can afford it, assuming we don’t do something crazy like buy the hotel where we are staying,” I laughed. “We most definitely can afford to spend three weeks down under.”

Traffic was heavy but moving on I-283. The Route 30 By-Pass was slow, as usual. Heather pulled in front of my house around 6:40 PM. Two blond-haired, second-grade dynamos raced out of the house and nearly tackled me in the front lawn.

“We’re so glad you’re home, Daddy,” Connor declared as he hugged me.

“We missed you,” Noah added. I stooped down and gave my sons proper hugs and kisses. “Are you going to take us to Cub Scouts tonight?” I noticed they had their Cub Scout uniforms on under their coats.

“Please, Daddy,” Connor begged. “Take us to Scouts tonight.”

“I haven’t gotten in the house yet,” I mock-protested. “I haven’t had dinner yet.” Not totally true. I had grabbed a big sub in Charlotte mid-afternoon. I knew my flight wouldn’t get me home in time for dinner with the family.

“Please, Daddy ... please,” the two begged.

“I’ll help you with them,” Heather offered.

“All right, I’ll take you to your den meeting,” I agreed. “First you have to help me get my luggage in the house before we leave.”

The boys took turns carrying my carry-on bag inside while I hauled my sport duffle bag.

“I wonder if my car starts or is in a spot where I can get it out,” I wondered.

“The boys don’t need car seats anymore,” Heather said. “We can take my car.” I looked at my boys as they trudged across the lawn. They were noticeably bigger than when I saw them last in November, at Thanksgiving. Mom reported that the boys were 4’-5” tall as of two weeks ago at their pediatrician’s check-up. Connor weighed 67 pounds and Noah 69 pounds.

We met Mom as we stepped inside our house. She was by the front closet putting on her coat.

“Andrew!” Mom remarked, smiling. “You’re home. Did you have dinner?”

“I did ... sort of,” I replied. “I grabbed a sub in Charlotte late this afternoon.”

“Daddy is going to take us to Scouts,” Noah interjected.

“Oh ... Oh-kay,” Mom said. “I was about to take them over to the church now.”

“Daddy and Heather said they would,” Connor added.

“It’s fine,” I said. “I don’t mind going to Cubs. I’ll deal with my bags when I get home. I assume my car stills runs.”

“It did a week ago when your father took it to work,” Mom replied. “It’s parked in right now but I guess we can rearrange the cars so you can use it.”

“We can go in my car,” Heather offered. “It’s ready and is along the street.”

“Oh ... kay,” Mom said. “I’ll see you after Scouts.”

“Is Hunter coming too?” I asked.

“His den meetings are on Mondays,” Mom said. “Your father took him last night.”

“OK ... cool!” I announced. “Let’s go, guys.”

We headed outside and piled into Heather’s car. The kids were barely settled before we pulled into the church parking lot. The kids dashed inside as Heather and I followed.

Kathy Kirby was the den leader this year. The twins raced in and joined their friends. Kathy worked to get them organized for the den meeting opening. Carl gave Heather and me a smile and a wave as he walked over to join us at the back of the room.

“Sorry about how Sunday turned out, Andrew,” Carl commented as we shook hands.

“My teammates and I will get them next year,” I responded.

“You ready to take up your assistant cubmaster mantle again?” Carl teased. “I could use your help.”

“As time allows,” I answered. “I will be away for the Pro bowl next week. I may or may not end up at the Super Bowl. I am waiting to see what happens Sunday with the Broncos.”

“Wish Kyle the best of luck,” Carl said.

“I’ll do that,” I promised.

The opening was finished. Carl went over to help Kathy with the boys during the meeting. Heather and I sat back and watched. Neither of us was clued in on Kathy’s meeting plans. The wired Cubs were given about ten minutes for a quick game of Steal the Bacon before the end of the meeting.

Noah and Conner were still hyped up as Heather and I took them home. It took some effort, but we got the twins and Hunter off to bed close to their bedtime. Heather and I headed downstairs when they were settled. We ran into Mom in the kitchen.

“Are you spending the night, Heather?” Mom asked. “The basement bedroom might be best if you are.”

“I’m going over to her apartment tonight,” I stated.

“It will be easier for me to get off to work in the morning from there,” Heather added.

“She’ll spend Friday night here,” I said. “We have an early flight to Hawaii Saturday morning and things will be easier if we are both here.”

“And more fun too,” Mom laughed. “I was young once.”

“And still are,” I added.

“Watch this one’s silver tongue,” Mom said as she winked to Heather. “I have six grandkids. I don’t qualify as young anymore. Middle-aged I will accept.”

“Young middle-aged,” I teased.

Mom invited us to sit down and enjoy some coffee and ice cream. We talked for half an hour about our doings and my last two games. The wedding planning didn’t come up. There would be time for that later, now that I was home.

Heather and I had a great reunion when we got back to her apartment. Cuddling up and falling asleep after making love is a great way to end the day.

The next three days flew by. I scheduled my morning workouts at Pro Train gym. Mom, Debra, Heather and I spent three hours Thursday night on wedding planning. The guest list was nearly final. The invitations were ready. We had a little more than seven weeks until the wedding.

I got a text from Dylan Harris Tuesday afternoon. Matt Ryan had dropped out of the Pro Bowl and Dylan would take his place. Dylan informed me he and Beth were flying out early to join Jeremy, Kathy, Heather and me. We could have some fun together before practice started mid-week.

I headed over to Heather’s place after she finished work on Friday. I helped her pack for our week in Hawaii’s paradise. She loaded her luggage in my car trunk and then came over to help me pack. Everything, except carry-ons, was loaded in my car for a 5:00 AM departure Saturday morning. We still had time to put the kids to bed and time to go to the basement for some fun.

We made it on time for check-in in Harrisburg. Our flight pulled away from the gate at 8:05 AM, five minutes late. We had a little less than an hour’s stop in Chicago. To our surprise and delight, Jeremy and Kathy North were there when we found our gate for the final leg of our flight to Honolulu.

It was no surprise that Jeremy and Kathy joined Heather and me in first class. Big guys like Jeremy and me need the extra space and we have the means to afford the more expensive tickets. The stewardess stopped by to check on us and offer us drinks before takeoff. Heather asked for a glass of rose.

“Will I ever get used to this treatment?” Heather laughed when the stewardess returned with her wine.

“Of course, you will,” Kathy laughed from the seat in front of us. “Our men work hard and deserve to be treated well.”

“It took me the better part of two seasons to get used to this,” I whispered as I leaned over towards my fiancée. “You will learn to enjoy this.”

“I guess,” Heather agreed. I understood her concerns completely. I was just an average kid from southcentral Pennsylvania who managed to parlay height and speed into a lucrative career. Heather was grounded and wasn’t going to forget where she came from. Once Noah and Connor were exposed to LA and that culture, would they go “glam” and turn into spoiled rich kids? Heather and I would need to be vigilant to make sure they stayed grounded in their everyman heritage.

The flight landed in Honolulu around 3:40 PM, local time, thirteen and a half hours after we left Harrisburg. Jeremy and I each rented a car. I followed Jeremy over to the hotel, the Aston Executive Center Hotel, in the downtown. Our suite was two rooms, a kitchen/living room and a bedroom. We had an in-room jacuzzi and a balcony. The balcony did not include a view of the sea. There were too many tall buildings surrounded the hotel. Still, we were only a few blocks from the ocean.

Heather and I were unpacking and getting settled in when my phone rang. It was Dylan Harris.

“Hey buddy, what’s up?” Dylan asked when I answered his call.

“Just getting settled,” I replied.

“I’m with Jeremy, Kathy and Beth and we are talking about dinner,” Dylan explained. “You and Heather want to join us?”

“Dinner with Jeremy, Kathy, Dylan and Beth?” I asked as turned towards Heather. She sighed.

“Sure ... I guess, if it isn’t too late,” Heather replied. “That alarm that woke us was...” she glanced at the clock, “ ... like seventeen hours ago. I am exhausted from traveling.”

“How soon do you want to go out?” I asked. “My Sweetie and I had a very long day. We’re still working on Eastern time.”

“Ah yes, long distance travel can be fun,” Dylan said. “Let me check with the others.” After a short pause he added, “How about twenty minutes?”

“Twenty minutes?” I parroted for Heather’s benefit. She smiled and nodded yes. “Twenty minutes sounds good, Dylan.”

“Meet us in the lobby,” Dylan said. “There are tons of restaurants within walking distance of us. We can pick something out when we meet.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed before ending the call.

“I didn’t know Dylan was playing in the Pro Bowl,” Heather commented.

“He’s a fill-in for Matt Ryan,” I explained. “Matt decided to skip the Pro Bowl. He has minor surgery scheduled for his non-throwing elbow. Players like to get those sorts of surgeries done right away. More time for healing for before training starts for next season.”

Heather and I cleaned up a little before heading downstairs. I grabbed a suitcoat but skipped a tie. We’re in Hawaii. We’re supposed to be casual. We met the others in the lobby. Dylan and Jeremy had done their homework. They had a list of half a dozen places we could try. The group chose Square Barrels, a beer pub serving burgers, steaks and chops across the street from our hotel.

I enjoyed a nice Waygu burger washed down with Belgian red ale. Heather had the pork chops with a hard cider. She enjoyed it. Dylan and Jeremy had to go with big steaks. Beth and Kathy chose the Ahi fillets. Good food, nice cold beer and the company of good friends – what more could you ask for in an evening?

The six of us decided to play tourist on Sunday. We would meet in the in-hotel restaurant for breakfast and then head over to tour Pearl Harbor. The day needed to be short. All of us wanted to cheer on my brother’s Broncos as they faced the Patriots for a slot in the Super Bowl. The kickoff was at 1:36 PM, local time. The game was in Denver. The Broncos’ 13-3 record earned them home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Heather and I turned in a little after eight o’clock. Twenty-hour days are killers. I would like to say Heather and I made love before we slept. We collapsed instead. We made up for it in the morning when we woke up at 10:00 AM Eastern, which unfortunately, is 5:00 AM local time. We had plenty of time to make love twice, shower and dress and meet our friends downstairs for breakfast.

Jeremy and Kathy rode with Dylan and Beth while Heather and I followed in my rental. We toured the Pearl Harbor Visitor’s Center. We took a shuttle bus onto Ford Island for our guided tour of the USS Missouri, appropriate for Dylan and me. Both of us lived and played there for a season. We took a shuttle boat over to the memorial over the USS Arizona. It was moving to look down on the old battleship, barely submerged in the shallow harbor. We finished the morning by stopping off at the Arizona Memorial.

We had time when we got back for Jeremy, Dylan and I to walk a block down the street and picked up barbecue for lunch. Dylan noticed the place on-line when he was looking for a dinner spot. Aloha BBQ Grill closed at 3:00 PM daily. We took our food back for our and our ladies’ lunches.

My phone vibrated as we were carrying our food back to the hotel. I checked it. My phone reported that Washington beat the 49ers 27-17. I relayed the information to my friends.

We got back to Dylan’s room a few minutes before kickoff. Thank God, I missed the interminable talking before the start of the game. I love football, but the pre-game show chatter is too much.

We sat down just before the kickoff. The Patriots won the coin toss and deferred possession until the second half. I was surprised when Kyle headed out to take the kickoff. My brother had handled something like three kickoffs in the previous sixteen games. I guess Coach Baldwin figured why not go with the best when you are playing for a Super Bowl slot.

Coach Baldwin’s decision proved to be good. Kyle caught the kickoff five yards deep in the end zone and ran it out anyway. I would have kneeled down and taken the 25-yard line if I had been on the field.

Kyle was right. Brendan Hayden made a great block and Kyle cut behind him, scooting for the sideline. The Broncos special teams formed up to hold the edge open as Kyle sprinted down the field. Stephen Gostkowski, their kicker, was the only one who had a shot at my brother. He whiffed badly. Untouched, Kyle hopped over the kicker and motored into the end zone for a touchdown. 7-0, Bronco’s favor.

Antwaan Booker and his defensive linemates were fired up. They put hands on Tom Brady every snap. The Patriots punted the ball back to the Broncos four plays later on fourth down and 12-to-go. The ball went out of bounds at the Broncos’ 33-yard line.

Defense dominated in the first half. Still, Brady Rasmussen, Kyle and the rest of the Broncos offense managed to put some points on the board. The Broncos defense harassed and manhandled Tom Brady and his offensive line. The Broncos took a 17-3 lead into the locker room at halftime. A fourteen-point lead is good but certainly wasn’t comfortable.

The Patriots took the kickoff to start the second half. Bill Belichick, a master at halftime adjustments, tweaked a little here and there. Suddenly Tom Brady was unstoppable. The Patriots drove straight down the field and scored a touchdown. Coach Baldwin and the Broncos staff weren’t too bad at adjustments either.

The Broncos responded with a long drive of their own. The Patriots tightened up inside the red zone. They blanketed Kyle in the end zone. It was third and goal from the 4-yard line. Kyle was surrounded by three d-backs. Brady Rasmussen rifled the ball into Gabe Reed, their capable tight end, at the 2-yard line. Gabe tried to muscle his way backwards and flop into the end zone but the Patriots defense swarmed and put him down just as he crossed the goal line.

The officials paused for too long before signaling touchdown. Replay revealed that Gabe’s butt landed before the ball crossed the goal line. Coach Baldwin chose the sure points and went for the field goal. Score: 20-10, Broncos’ favor.

The hard-fought defensive struggle of the first half morphed into a score-fest. Last team with the ball wins. Unfortunately for my brother’s Broncos, Tom Brady scored touchdowns every possession but one. The Broncos scored a field goal and another TD catch by my brother.

4:54 remained on the clock when the Patriots next got the ball. The score was 30-24, Broncos’ favor. The Patriots drove the ball down the field in spite of Antwaan and the rest of the Denver D-line’s pressure. Brady and Belichick were deliberate in their play calling. The seconds rolled off the clock as the Patriots forced their way downfield.

The sixth play almost ended in disaster for the Patriots when Antwaan broke free and hit Tom Brady just as he released the ball. The ball fluttered out bouncing off Broncos linebacker Ryan Jones’ helmet, caroming off in a weird direction. Shaun O’Conner, the Patriots tailback, alertly rushed to the ball, snagging it mid-air. Shaun cradled the ball to his side and sprinted for the end zone. The linebacker covering Shaun in the flat hadn’t reacted as quickly as Shaun to the odd bounce and was out of position for the tackle.

Shaun raced downfield as the safeties reacted. Shaun strong-armed one safety out of the way. The other dove for Shaun’s heels just before Shaun reached the goal line. Shaun high stepped through the tackle attempt. The safety managed to trip Shaun, but he fell into the end zone. Touchdown! Score: 31-30, Patriots’ favor.

I know Coach Belichick would have preferred a deliberate drive ending in a TD but using all the clock before scoring. A minute and thirty-seven seconds remained. Could Brady Rasmussen, Kyle and the Broncos offense score before time ran out?

Kyle ran the kickoff after the Patriots’ score out to the Broncos’ 39-yard line. 1:31 and two Broncos timeouts remained They proved to be plenty. Brady Rasmussen moved his team down the field in 10 to12 yard chunks, taking exactly what the Patriots were giving while they played prevent defense.

Coach Belichick changed things up after the Bronco’s third play put them on the Patriots’ 35-yard line. He blitzed five rushers. Brady Rasmussen coolly looped the ball over a rushing linebacker to Kyle, who was in the spot vacated by the linebacker. Kyle picked up fourteen yards to put the Broncos on the 21-yard line. 0:43 remained on the clock.

Brady Rasmussen had to throw the ball away the next two plays. Time was down to 0:31 and it was third down and six yards to go. The Broncos sent out four wide receivers and a tight end for final shot at the end zone before they settled for a field goal. The Patriots pressured Brady Rasmussen, who stepped up and lobbed a ball to the corner of the end zone. Kyle, triple covered, leaped and snagged the ball, fighting off the defenders as he fell to the ground. Touchdown!

Jeremy, Kathy, Dylan, Beth, Heather and I cheered wildly. My brother and his team were going to the Super Bowl again. Even Tom Brady couldn’t pull off a touchdown in 23 seconds; or so we hoped.

The Broncos boomed the kickoff halfway into the end zone. To our shock, the kick returner fielded the ball and dashed out of the end zone. The kid, Darin Pugh, took off like a cheetah. Good blocking opened a seam for him. Kyle’s teammates didn’t bring Darin down until he reached the Bronco’s 22 yard line.

I knew Darin from college and the Senior Bowl. He played for Richmond in our Continental Athletic Association conference. He played defensive back when he wasn’t playing special teams for the Patriots. 0:15 remained on the game clock.

Tom Brady coolly took the snap and scanned the field. The Broncos had the end zone blanketed. Tom threw the ball away into the stands behind the end zone. Nine seconds remained. My friends and I cheered for my brother and his teammates. Tom Brady dropped back after taking the second down snap. The Broncos had all the receivers in the end zone covered. Tom coolly drilled the ball to his outlet, Shawn O’Conner, on the 4 yard line. Shawn caught the ball, spun and lunged for the end zone as two Broncos converged and tried to stop him. He squeezed between the two defenders and thrust the ball forward across the goal line as he fell to the ground.

I was sure Shawn’s knee was down before he thrust the ball forward. The referees stared at each other before two of them raised their hands and signaled touchdown. There were howls of protests from my partisan friends and me. It took a couple minutes for the replay officials to consider the play. Finally, the head ref came out and announced, “Replay is inconclusive. The touchdown stands.”