Our 10-year-old son’s final wish was simple: one real football game with Mom and Dad. We thought the trip was entirely for Ethan. Then our faces appeared on the stadium’s giant screen, the announcer told us to turn around, and I saw our son hide a smile as my husband suddenly went completely still.
“Mom! LOOK!”
Ethan nearly spilled his drink trying to point at the enormous screen above the field.
Our 10-year-old son’s final wish was simple: one real football game with Mom and Dad.
I looked up.
There we were.
My husband, Chris, was on one side of Ethan. I was on the other. Ethan sat between us in his blue team jersey, grinning so hard that for one glorious second, he looked like every other 10-year-old boy in that stadium.
Ethan sat between us in his blue team jersey.
I waved.
Chris threw both hands up.
Ethan shouted, “WE’RE FAMOUS!”
People around us laughed and waved toward the camera too.
I had already taken more pictures that afternoon than I could count, but I reached for my phone again.
People around us laughed and waved toward the camera too.
Then the stadium announcer spoke.
“Ethan, we’re very happy you’re here with us today.”
My son stopped bouncing.
His face appeared even larger on the screen.
The announcer continued, “But there’s something you don’t know about this trip.”
I looked at Chris.
He looked just as confused as I felt.
“But there’s something you don’t know about this trip.”
“All three of you,” the announcer said, “please turn around and look behind you.”
The people in the rows around us twisted in their seats.
Ethan grabbed my hand.
“What is it, Mom?”
“I don’t know, Captain.”
We turned.
A man was coming down the stadium steps.
“Please turn around and look behind you.”
Chris stared at him.
All the color left his face.
“Leo?”
Behind him came Ray from the hospital, carrying Ethan’s battered plastic tabletop football game under one arm.
