A/N - As noted at the start of Chapter Nine, this eleventh chapter will be taking place at least a couple of years after the events of Chapter Ten. This is the penultimate chapter with the twelfth and last chapter taking place in the future again.
*****
"How are you, Danny?" Brian asked as I walked into his office. It was the first day officially back at training after the summer.
"Got to be honest. It still stings even after a couple of months. Guess it will until we finally win one."
"We've been building and building, Danny. We made the Grand Final last year. And we ran them close. We finished equal top of the ladder at the same time and were only denied the Minor Premiership on for and against. This year, we win the whole thing. Minor Premiership and then we win the Grand Final. Finally put decades of hurt to rest."
"I'm not sure what hurt the most. Losing the Grand Final or being whitewashed in the State of Origin."
"Well, you were injured for the second and third games and had only lost the opener in Brisbane by a couple of points. Just make up for it this season as I know for a fact that you'll be the first name picked by Madge."
I couldn't help but grin. "Thanks, coach. What about you? Still retiring at the end of the season?"
"It's why this season is ours. You all get your winners' medal, and I can finally go out at the top. I told the board that I won't be leaving until I either win the title or they decide to sack me."
I enjoyed catching up with my teammates and going through our paces over the next couple of hours. Some of us were simply teammates, but there were a few that I'd developed genuine friendships with since I joined the club. Billy was still part of the fabric of the club, and despite the considerable gap in our ages, he was now one of my best friends. And he still liked to joke about my personal life. He didn't know about the incest, but he was aware of my relationship with Kim, Wendy and Rebecca.
I'll admit that I'd been down in the dumps after losing the Grand Final the year before for quite a few weeks. We hadn't coasted through the finals series, but after our issues in previous years, we'd beaten the opposition handily in the Qualifying Final before putting in one of our best performances of the year in the Preliminary Final. It had been a tight game, but we showed nerves of steel whenever we were backed onto our own tryline. We had all the momentum as we prepared for the Grand Final, but on the day itself, I think it was the nerves and the pressure.
Our fans were magnificent at the full-time whistle, continuing to chant for us as we shook hands with the victors. We might have lost, and it fucking hurt, but they'd seen our improvement season after season. Fans who had supported the club for decades were seeing the sort of success they likely only dreamed about.
Heading up onto the stage to accept our losers' medals wasn't fun, and having to make a speech after coming so close was almost too difficult. Had trouble finding the right words though I made sure to congratulate the opposition. Then came talking to the assembled media and talking about the future. I suggested that we were continuing to build a foundation and that the loss would only make us hungrier to win the Minor Premiership and then win the Grand Final the next season.
It was good being back in the daily grind of training, dusting off the cobwebs that developed over the off-season. I enjoyed exercising and loved testing my limits when it came to strength and endurance, and once we had the ball in hand again, running through various drills each day, it was amazing how quickly it was to get back into the groove.
My two kids were now at school in kindergarten and I'm pleased to say that they loved it. It was adorable when we had them dressed in their school uniforms with their big bags on their back for their first day. Kyla and Aimee were feeling rather emotional when we dropped them off with immediate suggestions that we start trying for another child.
My home life was rather interesting at the moment as there was more than one pregnant woman at various stages. Kyla was heavily pregnant and almost ready to burst. Aimee was only a month or two behind her sister. And then there was Wendy who was pregnant, which wasn't a surprise to anyone, but Rebecca was also pregnant with our child. She was around four months along, and it was a surprise as she was on birth control. The doctor suggested it failed due to a bout of illness that perhaps prevented it from working.
Kim wasn't pregnant yet as she was in her final year of studying and residency before she would become a doctor. She wasn't pregnant... But she did wear our engagement ring on her finger. As soon as Rebecca announced her surprise pregnancy, I knew that I had to propose as despite all that Kim had suggested for years, I knew she was hurting at seeing the arrival of children with my other lovers and worried she was being left out. She sat me down a couple of times and admitted to insecurity in our relationship. She knew nothing would ever change my feelings for her, but I also understood her concerns. Assuring her that I loved her always made her smile.
I made her smile even more when I was definitive in my belief to marry her, and a week later, we were out shopping for an engagement ring. Mum, my sisters, Wendy and Rebecca all supported the idea. My proposal couldn't be a real surprise as it had to be organised with our rather busy professional lives, but I still managed to make it somewhat romantic, and as I slid the ring onto Kim's finger, she cried before whispering into my ear that perhaps we should continue practising for when we had children of our own.
It was my turn to send her in to work the next morning looking a little worse for wear but with the largest smile on her face. She admitted to spending at least the next week showing off her engagement ring to anyone she could.
Lastly, there was my mother. With her daughters and my girlfriends having our babies, and Kim now engaged to me, I did worry about how she would be feeling. So I made sure that at least once a week, I took my mother out on a date, and my other lovers went out of their way to encourage me to spend plenty of time with my mother. Mum was honest with me more than once that she was a little sad that she couldn't give me a child. Each time, I assured her that her role in my life was as a mother and lover. The sex we shared was always wonderful. Most of the time, we made love. Occasionally, Mum needed her son to fuck her nice and hard, leaving her a little sore the next morning which always had the other five girls giggling at breakfast.
Our first match of the season was at home against the Gold Coast Titans, a team that was up and down like yo-yo from year to year. Last season, they'd finished near the bottom of the table and, after a strong recruitment drive, were now tipped to make the finals series. Our recruitment drive hadn't been as elaborate, our coach merely adding a little experience to a team that had been continually improving for years. Some of us were already wondering if this would be our final chance. Many of my teammates were starting to look at retirement in the face.
Most seasons will start one of two ways for most teams. The first half a dozen matches or so will be tight affairs as teams have used the pre-season to get themselves prepared, and with all the players fit and healthy, with very few aches and pains in the muscles and joints, every team is capable of putting in top performances again and again. Then there are those seasons that can start strong for certain teams while others are already struggling.