Page 176 of Loving the Legend
I nod.
“You’re about to get engaged!”
I grin and pluck him up into a bear hug. “I love you, man!” I kiss his cheek.
“Why am I always surrounded by giants who lift me like a doll?”
“It’s ’cause you're so lovable. We can’t resist your hugs,” I reply as I put him down.
I pocket the ring, take another deep breath, and signal Kieran to lead the way.
He pats my chest. “I love you too. Now, go get ’em.”
Everyone is already seatedat the table when we emerge from inside.
Sid’s left the head of the table open for me and is seated to the right of me. Lily is seated at the head on the other end.
As I approach the table, Sid stands. We agreed to say a few words before the feast.
I thumb the ring in my pocket. This is it.
I wrap my arm around his waist as he slings his arm over my shoulders.
Our simple embrace garners everyone’s attention.
“Ty and I want to thank you all for joining us today. It’s been a hell of a year, as y'all know from the headlines. It’s also been a tremendous year of growth for our relationship.”
You can say that again.
On top of our individual sessions, we started seeing Leah, a couple’s therapist, for extra support. Her fiery, no-nonsense, homophobes-can-fuck-off attitude is helping us prepare for coming out.
“We’re thankful to have your support, trust, and friendship. Cheers to all of you!” Sid says, raising his glass.
A cacophony of cheers, applause, and Kaleb’s “woot” fills the air.
“Before I turn it over to Ty, I just want to say a few words,” he continues, glancing at me before turning back to the group.
“The first time I saw Ty, I was at home packing for a game. The TV was on in the background. His team was playing against Pittsburgh, I think. I happened to look at the screen just as he tore through their defense to post a lethal leftie underhand layup. His finesse was staggering to watch. When the camera zoomed in on his face, I didn’t see the gloating or smugness I’d expected. Instead, I saw a fire in his eyes. Well, fire and a heart-wrenching amount of sadness. To say that I was captivated is an understatement. Every cell in my body lit up watching him. He was familiar, but I knew for sure that we’d never met. I laterspent countless hours searching the internet to find as much information as possible about him online.”
“You never told me this,” I whisper.
“I know,” he says, brushing my lips with a kiss.
“I decided to fly in to see him play during my next free afternoon. I hid by a side entrance to avoid being seen by fans and the press. After helping to clutch the W, he was hoisted in the air. That’s when our eyes locked. Do you remember?”
I nod. “My college game. There wasn’t anyone in the crowd for me that day, but you were there."
He smiles. “Time stood still when we looked at each other. It was chilling.” He turns back to our guests. “When I boarded my plane, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was someone important. Then, a few months later, I received a call that ESPN wanted us to do a one-on-one interview to commemorate his breaking my record, and I remember thinking, of all the people to break it; of course, it had to be him. I wasn’t even salty about it,” he says.
Sid shoves me playfully when I mouth,Yes, he was, causing laughter around the table. I’m joking, of course. If he was salty, he never showed it.
“Then it was time for the interview. For a reason I didn’t understand then, I was nervous on my way into the ESPN office. But the minute I approached him, it was like finding a long-lost best friend. We sat down together in front of a room full of people, not to mention a camera pointed at us, and we had one of the best conversations of my life, and again, it felt like that day in the gym—no one else in the world existed but us.”
He turns away from our guests and stares into my eyes. “Here’s the thing—I started falling for you the first time I saw you, and I’ve been utterly in love with you ever since. Even though that day on TV was the first time my eyes laid upon you,my soul recognized you. Its grace and wisdom led me straight to you.”
I turn away from our guests to bury my face in his chest as my vision turns blurry. He kisses the top of my head and whispers, “No hiding, remember.”
I freeze when he pulls away from me and reaches into the pocket of his swim trunks.
