Mid-January 2016
The perfect moment with Emma, our first kiss after the Community Day, had been shattered by Frankie's text about JJ. What should have been the start of something beautiful had been interrupted by a crisis that, thankfully, turned out to be a false alarm.
JJ had gotten into a heated argument with another player at training, his volatile temper flaring up again. It had been resolved quickly, but the incident had been a stark reminder of the pressure the young lad was under.
Emma and I had managed to salvage the evening, but the magic of that moment had been lost. We were still finding our way, still figuring out what we were to each other. Our conversations were warm, but careful.
The easy intimacy was there, but tempered by the reality that we were both busy, both exhausted, both consumed by the demands of the club. We were together, but we were taking it slow.
