A Date with a Soccer Player

We spent the day together, just him and me.

We frolicked in the cold outside. Looking at birds in the trees, playing in the sandbox at the park, pretending to be dogs and cows, never kicking a ball, and then late in the afternoon sitting at the counter having hot chocolate at the nearby cafe.

 

Gabriel wore his soccer outfit with peach-colored leggings underneath with pink and yellow sneakers. Mix and match, with a pastel scarf tied around his neck and a grey stocking hat, pulled over his eyes. I don't know how he could see. Chelsea wasn't feeling well this day, so I think he dressed himself as a darling ragamuffin.

 

 

We went to the cafe to have a drink and waited for his dad to pick him up. Gabriel was timid to sit at the counter, I thought about putting him on my lap, but I was nervous about the hot chocolate spilling, so I stood by him instead. The melted chocolate was served in a cup, and a silver creamer had hot foamed milk to add. Gabriel did it himself and never spilled a drop. What charm.

When his dad arrived, we went to say our goodbyes. I bent down on my knees to hug Gabriel; seeing he was sad, I asked what the matter was. He said, holding back tears, "I love you and don't want you to go." He buried his head into my neck, and we held close.

And there, in the pathway to the cafe, with people coming and going, we shared a hug that lasted an eternity. I closed my eyes and soaked every bit of it in. 

 

 

Comments

[Susan in Zurich]

Priceless
❤️❤️❤️

[LEONIE BUCHANAN]

So beautiful, those words will warm your heart forever. ❤️

[Anna]

Ohhh, you got me all choked up!! Absolutely precious!!

[Jeanne]

You are most lucky and truly blessed
Thoese precious little children bring us such joy
Much love to you all
Jeanne

[g]

there is nothing like it-WEALTH for sure true wealth-which is LOVE!!

[RebeccaNYC]

SO SWEET

[Bev S.]

That just melts my heart.

[Lesley]

This so lovely, Corey. I’m going to become a grandmother (to a little boy) quite soon and this touches my heart. I am wondering what your grandmother name is? I haven’t been able to settle on mine yet. xo

[Beverly]

Yes...Savor that moment. He is precious!

[Jennifer Phillipps]

Well that is about the nicest story ever...love the thought of his self created outfit and that he has such a special time with you....a bit of a tearjerker for this reader too! Jennie, NZ

[Sue J.]

This is so touching, Corey. Sweet, sweet boy.

[TracyH]

😭♥️

[Bonnie Schulte]

Oh Corey...this was just so beautiful, I had tears in my eyes. I love that you share your precious moments with us. Gabriel and you are adorable together.

[JudyO]

I call the days like that spent with my grandchildren
heaven on earth. ❤️

[Ginny Clarke]

What a treasured moment. ❤️

[Kathy]

I was reading your post out loud to Randy along with the pictures. You touched our hearts. Such precious, sweet moments with your Gabriel. Thanks for sharing with us. 💕

[Chico Sue]

What a gift this child is! Praise God.

[Darles]

It is such a wonderful feeling! What a blessing our grandchildren are!

[marilyn]

So precious!

[Teddee Grace]

It is so wonderful you can be together as much as you are able. I am just discovering, since my younger brother's death, how much of his life, once I graduated university and left to live in Chicago at 22, I missed. We finally started catching up when I was in my 50s, my life went sidewise and he stepped up and became the big brother I had always wanted, doing so many lovely and unselfish things for me and reminding me, to my chagrin, of things he had done for me when we were still young that I didn't even remember...learning to play Happy Birthday for me on water glasses filled with different amount of water. Which birthday? Had I already moved to Chicago and come home for a visit? How could I not remember this?! So, soak it all up, as I know you do.

[Marilyn Marcus]

Yes! It WILL last you for eternity.