Football singularity

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[Parker Residence, Rose Isle Florida | Date: 25/12/2019 | Time: 13:30]

Later that day, Rakim borrowed his mother's electric scooter to make his way down the street to May's house. Emma had gone to see Olivia, giving them some time. Usually, he would just head inside since he was so familiar with the Parkers, but today he rang the bell. He told himself it was due to it being Christmas, but he knew it was due to Victor.

"Oh, Rakim, it's you, come on in," the man he hopped not to run into stated with a happy smile, phone still in hand as he walked back in. Rakim merely nodded in greeting, letting him get back to his Nigerian escapades.

"Merry Christmas, Mrs Parker," he said as he walked through the grand foyer, finding the woman amid a FaceTime call with her parents as she sorted the clothes that had been gifted. Handing over a basket of flowers and freshly baked cookies, his mother had given him he gave her a quick hug.

"Oh, that's sweet of you. May is in her room," she said with a bright smile, pointing to the spiral staircase leading up the stairs.

Rakim alighted the grand spiral staircase, his steps light and fast as he quickly reached the second floor. May's house had always been the biggest in their friend group, as unlike the modern villas they lived in hers was more a blend of modern and older villas. Alighting onto the third floor he quickly reached Mays' door at the end of the left wing.

He reached her door, which stood open just enough to catch the gentle hum of music and the rustle of wrapping paper. He thought about announcing himself, but upon spotting her busily recording something on her phone, he simply waited. She was consistent in her content creation, posting daily on her socials, and posting 3 videos on her Y-Tube a week.

Rakim leaned casually against the doorway, watching her through the sliver of space. May was seated cross-legged on her cream suede rug, sunlight filtering in through the bay windows, giving her peach-blonde hair a kind of halo. Her phone was propped up on a mini tripod, angled perfectly as she adjusted the gift bags around her with practised ease.

She wore a satin champagne loungewear set and no makeup beyond a bit of gloss and fluttery lashes, yet somehow still looked like the front cover of a holiday campaign. "Guys," she said softly into the camera with a bright smile. "This Kylie makeup set is the last of this Christmas haul video.

May gently held up the pink-and-gold box to the camera, letting the light catch the shimmer across its surface. "The packaging alone? Insane," she added, turning it for the audience to admire. "Big thanks to Aunt Michelle for this. I haven't tried this line before, but you guys know I'm a sucker for anything peach-toned."

She leaned forward to click the stop recording button, giving the lens a warm wink before shutting off the camera. "And that's a wrap on haul number one. I'll film part two tomorrow, my boyfriend and I are exchanging gifts later. Don't forget to Like... and remember to Laugh Harder, and Cry More Happy Tears." With that she ended the recording letting her recording system analyse for areas where the sound quality needed adjustments.

She stretched out her arms with a sigh and rubbed the back of her neck before speaking again—this time not to the camera, but to the quiet presence she'd sensed behind her.

"I know you're there," May said without turning around.

Rakim smiled faintly, stepping into the room. "You ruin all my dramatic entrances."

She spun around on her knees, one brow arched. "You've never had a dramatic entrance in your life."

"True," he admitted, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "But I like to think if I tried, you'd at least act surprised."

May rolled her eyes playfully, then stood and padded over, barefoot on the rug. "You hungry? There's leftovers downstairs."

"Already had lunch," Rakim said, tugging lightly at the loose ribbon on a nearby box. "But I could go for dessert."

May swatted his hand away from the gift pile. "Those are for my cousins. Touch anything and I'll revoke your girlfriend privileges."

He smirked. "I didn't know I had any."

"Well, you don't—officially. But I'm in a generous mood today."

She sat beside him on the bed, folding her legs underneath herself. They were quiet for a moment, the atmosphere soft and lazy, like the golden afternoon light outside.

Then Rakim reached into the pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a small, square box, no larger than his palm. "Hey," he said, voice a little quieter.

"I didn't wrap it because I knew you'd judge my tape job."

May blinked, then looked down at the velvet box in his hand. She didn't take it right away, just stared at it. "What is it?" she asked, a little breathless.

"Open it and find out," Rakim said.

She took it gently, hands slightly shaking as her delicate fingers flipped open the lid. Inside was a thin platinum ring—delicate but arrestingly beautiful. The band split near the top into two intertwining vines, each carved with intricate detail. At the centre, cradled where the vines met again, bloomed a platinum lily. Tiny emeralds were inlaid along the petals and leaves, at the centre a slightly larger peach crystal lay, giving the flower the faintest glint of green as it caught the afternoon sun.

May didn't speak. Her fingers hovered just above the ring, eyes wide, lips parted in a silent breath. The sunlight streaming through the bay windows made the platinum gleam like moonlight, the emeralds catching fire, and that soft peach stone in the centre glowing with a warmth that felt almost unreal. She blinked twice, then slowly looked up at Rakim.

"I…" Her voice cracked slightly before she cleared her throat. "Rakim, this is—"

"It's not a proposal," he said quickly, hands up in mock surrender, though his eyes didn't waver from hers. "I mean… not that I wouldn't, someday, maybe, if you didn't get sick of me first. But this… this is just a promise for our future together."

"Honestly, living with you in Cologne has been the best part of playing for Leverkusen. Unlike in Glasgow, I had someone to come home to and do the little things with." He took a pause, hands reaching out to grasp her shoulders as a bright smile marked his face. "I figured it would be best to let you know where my head is at regarding our relationship instead of acting oblivious like some two-bit anime protagonist,"

May let out a laugh—a soft, real one that escaped before she could stop it. "Not you dragging anime boys," she said, eyes glistening just slightly as her thumb brushed over the platinum lily once more.

She stared down at the ring a moment longer before quietly slipping it onto her finger. It glided on like it belonged there—a perfect fit, perfect weight, the carved vines hugging her skin like it had been made just for her.

"Okay," she said softly, lifting her hand to study how the emeralds caught the light. "This might be the most beautiful thing I've ever been given."

Rakim chuckled under his breath. "Even more than the Kylie palette?"

She gave him a slow, amused look. "Don't ruin your main character moment."

He held up his hands in surrender. "Fair."

May looked up, met his eyes, and for a moment, neither of them said anything. The air between them slowed, stilled, like the quiet before snowfall.

Then she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. "I love you so much it's not even funny," she murmured into his hoodie, voice thick.

Rakim smiled into her hair, holding her tightly. "Even when I don't see the appeal in BTS?"

She pulled back just far enough to bop him on the forehead with her own. "Even despite your faults, I love you."

Their foreheads lingered together for a beat longer before May finally let go and sat back, dabbing at the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.

"Ugh, now I'm going to have to film that follow-up haul with puffy eyes."

He leaned back on his hands. "They will understand, plus, isn't your motto Cry More Happy Tears?"

May let out a light laugh, still wiping the corner of her eye. "Yeah, yeah—laugh harder, cry more happy tears. But I didn't mean literally right after unboxing skincare. I have a brand to protect."

Rakim leaned over to pluck one of her unopened boxes from the stack. "Tell them it was a skincare stress test. 'Look how resilient the hydration barrier is after an emotional breakdown.'"

She snorted, nudging his knee with hers. "You joke, but that might actually be the next viral reel."

They sat in companionable silence for a moment longer, the ring catching little flecks of sunlight as May admired it again, turning her hand slowly, letting it sparkle. Then, as if on instinct, she pulled out her phone and snapped a single selfie of them with her ring in full view against the backdrop of her fuzzy cream blanket.

"No caption?" Rakim asked, watching her fingers hover above the screen.

"Not yet," she replied. "Some moments… deserve to live just for us. I'll post about it when I'm ready."

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To Be Continued...