The driver set off for the restaurant, but they first had to drop Mikey at his grandmother's house—that was the weekly visit he always made. On the other side, the place John had chosen was very romantic, with candles giving off a wonderful scent in a restaurant overlooking a small lake. John wanted to tell Maria that he had lied to her before, something he had never done previously. It was difficult, and it became even harder over time. He didn't want to ruin the moment, as Maria was feeling an overwhelming happiness—something she hadn't felt in a long time—so he decided to postpone telling her. Instead, he said,
"Maria, I got a new job."
Maria replied, "Yes, a new company told me this morning. Did you forget?"
With a hesitant tone, he said, "No, it wasn't a new company in the area."
Maria, smiling, said, "That's what you told me this morning."
"Yes, that's what I said, but unfortunately it wasn't true," he added, feeling deeply guilty. "I couldn't bear to see tears on your face. You have always been my support and the only person who made me happy. That's why I said those words."
Maria, with a hint of fear, asked, "What about your trip to the bank? Is that true or not? Tell me, John, because you're a bad liar."
John, smiling, said, "Listen, tomorrow I have a pleasant surprise for you. The important thing is that I got an excellent job that will solve all our problems. That's all I will tell you now."
"John, please, don't do anything reckless. You're making me anxious now."
"No need to worry. Look, it's the music you used to love. Let's dance to it together."
"No, we've grown past that. I won't do it."
With a graceful gesture, John removed a handkerchief from his neck, stood up, adjusted his tie, and took Maria's hand without saying a word—just through glances. He raised her hand, and they moved to the center of the restaurant, dancing beautifully to the soft music, as if no one else existed. In that moment, they forgot all sadness and problems. Emotions ran high until the musician finished playing.
John and Maria stopped to a warm round of applause. Maria blushed, saying, "See, you drew everyone's attention, you madman."
He held her hand and led her back to the table, pulling out her chair and saying gently, "You were amazing."
Maria said, "Sit down, John. Everyone is watching us."
John smiled, "Who cares? The only thing that matters in this world is you…and the little one."
Maria said, "I hope he hasn't done anything bad. He roams around whenever he goes to his grandmother's. Always tell her not to let him do whatever he wants."
John replied, "She loves him too much to refuse any of his requests."
Maria said, "Maybe we should head home now. It's quite late."
"Alright, let's go home," John agreed.
That night, the weather was pleasant—not cold. On their way back, John told the driver to stop. He took Maria's hand, and they got out of the car.
Maria, smiling, asked, "What are you doing?"
John laughed, "The house is close, and the moon is full. You loved walking under the moonlight. Let's go, but I need to walk barefoot."
He took off his shoes, gave them to her, and holding her hand, said, "Maria, I accepted an offer that had always been presented to me, but today I agreed without consulting you. I'm sorry."
Maria was silent for a moment and then asked, sensing something bad, "And what is this offer?"
John said, "I will return to the stadiums and supervise the city team's training."
Maria, concerned, said, "My intuition told me this, John. You know how dangerous it is. Please reconsider. Haven't you remembered our past? You've barely started feeling better. I cannot let you go back there, ever."
Calmly, John held her hand and said, "Listen to me for a moment. All my life, I chased a single dream, training every day to achieve that big dream. But that injury changed everything. Do you know what that injury also brought me? It brought me to you and introduced me to you. Do you know how grateful I am for that? I'm so happy with you. I never wanted to see tears on your face except tears of joy. I want to always see you smiling. But life must go on. We cannot let past events ruin our present. Even Mikey—every time I stopped him from playing football—I felt a deep sorrow in my heart.
But, John, this is dangerous. You cannot throw yourself into danger. You know how intense the pressures are there. You know it's risky. I don't even need to remind you."
"It will be fine, I promise. But you must see the bright side. We will keep our house; we won't have to live under the mercy of the bank. I never liked that. I have to do this. I knew you would refuse, but listen carefully. I will take every precaution to avoid any injury, no matter what."
He drew closer and placed his hand on Maria's shoulder. "We've grown up. I have to sacrifice for Mikey. That's all there is to it. I've knocked on every door, and this was the only thing I'm good at—and I'll do it for you, for Mikey, for our peace. That's all. Please stay with me as you always have. We must stay united in everything."
"I've always been with you, and I will continue to be with you in everything you choose. But please, be careful. Another head injury and it will be the end. Keep that in mind, John."
Feeling proud, John said, "Alright, I was sure you were the girl I'd spend the rest of my life with from the very first moment I saw you that day."
Maria said, "It was truly a special day. No one thought you would survive. You were in a very difficult condition, but you survived miraculously."
"Yes, thank God for that. Let's go home; it's getting very cold."
On their way back, John's phone rang. It was Frank.
John answered, "Hello Frank, how are you?"
"I'm fine. How was the appointment?"
"Good, thanks. The hostess received us well. Thank you again."
Frank replied, "No need to thank me. We're friends. I called because the lawyer contacted me just now. He asked for the name the homeowner wants to put before going to the bank tomorrow."
John paused and said, "You know what I want," and fell silent.
Frank said, "Ah, I understand. Exactly. The important thing is tomorrow we meet. The car will be in front of your house on time."
"Yes, we'll meet tomorrow. Goodbye."
John and Maria went home, but before sleeping, he called to check on little Mikey.
The sun rose on a spring morning. As usual, John headed to the bathroom, showered in cold water, and opened the closet. There were a whistle and a counter he hadn't touched in many years. He took all his things. Maria had prepared breakfast for him. He began eating and said before leaving, "I'll go to school to pick up Mikey at the end of the day."
At seven in the morning, he saw the car in front of his house. He got in and headed toward the stadium. As he approached, he remembered his last time leaving the stadium.
John entered the stadium confidently. Frank greeted him.
"Hello, our new coach."
"Good morning, Frank."
"Welcome. The players are waiting."
"Let's go."
Those moments were full of emotions for John. He knew every corner of the stadium, though it had changed slightly, yet the feelings remained the same.
He wondered how his journey would be as a coach who had never managed a team before. Even if he was a former star player, things had changed. But on the other hand, the feel of the ball never changes.
To be continued in the next chapter.