Joelle Morrow has her focus set on the future. As an up-and-coming lingerie designer, she's overcome multiple setbacks on the road to achieving her dream of opening her own boutique but has yet to be knocked down, leaving her no time to think about...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
With only three days off over the holidays, I hadn't expected much of a variation in routine, but when I woke up on the 24th of December, I found myself in a situation I hadn't yet faced since moving back to Boston.
I was alone, and it threw me for a loop.
There were no practices, games, or meetings on my schedule. Most of my teammates had flown home, Cameron and Isla were busy entertaining her family, and Jo had made the trip home a few days earlier. I had no obligations and nobody to turn to, and as odd as that was for me, I tried my best to enjoy it. Take-out, a few good movies, and multiple at-home workouts took up most of my time—with a stoppage in play for Christmas dinner at my brother's—and then, all too soon, things were back to normal.
Practices were tough, games were hard, and after ringing in the new year, the will to prove myself as a player just kept growing.
And through it all, I was lucky enough to have an amazing woman cheering me on. Jo was witty, compassionate, and a great listener. She was a dreamer currently riding the waves of life, and spending the holidays apart only seemed to solidify my growing feelings. Whether she was cheering me on from the stands or lying next to me in bed, I wanted her there.
Which was why I couldn't miss the opportunity to give her something special.
With Aimee's help, I'd managed to send a gift over to Jo's parent's place for her to open on Christmas morning. It was a joke of sorts—an autographed Knights jersey with my name and number on the back, alongside a handwritten card—which meant I fully expected the call I'd received after she'd opened it. Thanking me, Jo's words were full of amusement and sincerity, and I could only imagine the look on her face as she spoke; the blush that likely coated her cheeks and the smile on her lips. It had been a surprise for her, that was sure.
Though what she didn't know was it had only been a placeholder present. Something to throw her off the fact I was planning something else. Something which required a lot more coordination to iron out the details, but I knew it would mean more to her than any material item ever could. Something she'd appreciate, even if she felt as though she couldn't ask for it herself.
So I called around and did my research, waiting as everything slowly came together. And by the third week of January, when things finally fell into place, I was finally able to let Jo in on the surprise.
I'd planned to tell her over dinner, but after she'd messaged to cancel, having picked up a double shift, I decided it was better not to wait. I left my place early before afternoon practice, giving myself enough time to make a quick pit stop at Apollo's beforehand.
As I stepped in from the cold, my instincts drew my attention towards the bar, but when nothing but emptiness greeted me, I scanned the room and dragged a hand through my hair as I moved away from the doorway. Being that it was half-twelve, the place was starting to fill up with the lunch crowd, but so far, only five tables were occupied. I easily spotted the waiter on shift, welcoming the newest customers and taking orders, but Jo was nowhere to be found. That is, until she appeared, pushing through the doors of the store room with two bottles of wine in her hands.
