"This is Edison in fifth grade. The photographer tried to get him to put down the football, but he refused," Edison's mom said.

Kit smiled down at Edison's youthful face. He hadn't grown into his jaw yet and his cheeks looked like he was storing up food for the winter.

"This is from sixth grade when he was allowed to join the football team. He was happier than a kid on Christmas," his mom said. Edison was wearing a football jersey. There was a football tucked under his arm and he had the widest smile on his face.

"I had to force him out of that jersey once a week in order to wash it," she said. "If it had been up to him, I never would have washed it."

Kit chuckled at the logic of a junior high boy.

"Would you like some more tea?" Edison's mom asked.

"That would be great. Thank you," Kit said, handing over her mug.

Edison's mom moved to the tea pot as Kit continued to flip through Edison's school pictures at their kitchen counter.

"I know Edison is friendly," his mom said. "And I've picked up that he is popular with the girls, but it's been a while since one has been at the house."

This didn't surprise Kit, especially knowing the nature of Edison's relationships.

"Well, thanks for inviting me in," she said.

Edison's mom returned to the counter and handed Kit the mug of tea.

"You're welcome. It's nice to put a face to the people my son is hanging out with," she said. "And speaking of, I should go and see if he is stirring at all. He closed at the resort last night so he got in late. But I don't want you waiting too long."

"You really don't have to," Kit said. "I can come back later."

Edison's mom was just insisting she wake him when they heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Do I smell bacon?" Edison's sleepy voice called from outside the kitchen.

"Morning honey. You're finally awake," his mom said.

"It was a late night."

He rubbed his eyes as he walked into the kitchen shirtless. He kissed his mom on the cheek and froze when he spotted Kit.

"I really should talk to your boss and tell him he can't keep you so late," his mom said.

"Yeah, it sounds rough," Kit smiled, knowing their gondola ride was the culprit.

"Kit," Edison said. He just stared at her.

"Morning!" she said.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Honey, manners," his mom whispered. "She came by to pick you up. She kindly let you sleep and listened to me talk."

"Pick me up?" he questioned.

"For that thing," Kit said. "At the school," she continued when he continued to look confused.

"Maybe I should talk to your boss about taking you off nights," his mom said. "The lack of sleep seems to be messing with your memory."

"No, it's fine," Edison said, finally moving.

He grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee. He gave Kit a skeptical look.

"How soon do we need to leave for this thing?" he asked.

"Whenever you're ready," she said. "Your mom pulled out some of your photo albums so I have all the entertainment I need."

He snapped the albums shut. "I'll be ready in five."

"Great," she said, giving him a smug smile.

He began to walk away with the photo albums.

"Sweetie you can leave those here," his mom said.

He hesitated for a moment before dropping them back on the counter.

"Kit, will you come with me?" he asked. His tone made it clear it wasn't a question. "I'm forgetting exactly what I need to bring with me for this event."

"Sure." She slid off her bar stool and followed.

Once they were clear of the kitchen, he grabbed her hand and dragged her to the door.

"What do you think you are doing?" he asked quietly.

"Having tea with your mom," she stated.

"Well, I don't like it." He opened the door and pushed her out. "Wait in the car," he instructed.

"But I thought you needed," he shut the door on her face. "Help," she finished.

She rolled her eyes at his dramatic behavior and kicked stray rocks with her sneaker as she walked. She laid back on the hood of her car and quickly warmed under the sun's glare.

In the few days she had been in Lighthouse Point, her hair had lightened and her skin had darkened a couple shades, making her blue eyes pop. She closed her eyes, the day's heat making her sleepy.

The front door slammed a few minutes later, but she didn't stir until a shadow fell across her. "Are you in a better mood?" she asked without opening her eyes.

"I was in a fine mood," he countered.

She opened her eyes. "You threw me out of your house."

"You showed up uninvited."

They stared each other down until a smile spread across her face. "True. But you had the cutest cheeks ever!" She reached up to pinch his cheeks but he slapped her hand away.

"That's not funny," he said. "I'm still not happy with you."

"Really?"

"Yes. But there is a way you can fix it."

She rolled her eyes. "What?"

He simply tapped his lips and gave her a smug smile. 

She shook her head and chuckled as she slid from the hood of her car.

"I don't think so, Reigns," she said.

"You did last night," he argued.

"And that was last night. It's a new day."

"But still the same pair of lips."

She studied him for a moment before giving him a playful slap on the cheek. "Let's go." She walked towards the driver's side.

"At least let me drive," he said.

"You are so demanding this morning," she joked, as she slid into the driver's seat.

He grumbled under his breath as he got in and she pulled away.

"Do you need more coffee, princess?" she asked.

He ignored her jeer and turned on the radio.

"Where are we going anyways?" he asked.

"The high school," she said.

"Why?"

"Didn't Drew invite you to the flag football game?" she asked.

His lips twisted and he didn't respond.

"No worries, you can be my plus one," she said.

"I know about the game," he said.

"Perfect! This should be fun."

"Do you plan on playing?" he mocked. 

"No. I plan on cheering while you play."

"You on the sidelines. That's not something I can imagine," he said.

She smirked. "It only happens on rare occasions."

"You're doing this especially for me? You shouldn't have gone through the trouble. As you'll see, I have no shortage of cheerleaders," he boasted.

"I never said I would be cheering for you," she corrected him. 

"Who will you be cheering for?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," she said as they pulled into the school parking lot.

It was mostly empty except for a small cluster of cars by the field and that was where Kit parked. There were metal bleachers on each side of the field. The bleachers closest to the parking lot held a small group of people and they all turned as Kit and Edison entered the field together.

"Showing up together twice," Edison said. "People are going to start to think there is something going on."

"Is that a problem?" she asked.

His answer was his look over to a group of cheerleaders on the edge of the field, stretching. She saw his train of thought and walked away while he stared at the girls.

"Kit!" Drew called out as he ran up the field towards her, a football in his hands. "You came!"

"I did indeed," she said.

"I'm so glad. I've been working on my throws."

"Are you the quarterback?"

"I am. Impressed?"

She smiled. "I have to admit I am. Let's see those skills."

She held her hands out. He tossed her the ball. She caught it and tossed it back.

"The real question is, are you quick on your feet?" she said.

She lunged out and grabbed the ball from his hands, but he was quick. She laughed as he wrapped an arm around her waist and swung her around before putting her back on the ground. 

She looked up and caught Edison's gaze. He had joined the group of girls on the edge of the field but he was giving her an annoyed look.

"What else you got?" Drew asked, pulling Kit's attention back to him.

"Hmmm?" she mumbled.

"Do you have more fast moves?" Drew asked.

Kit turned back to him. "Maybe."

His eyes got playful.

"Yo, Drew," Tommy called out. He jogged up to them. "Let's get this game started."

Drew threw Tommy an annoyed look but led the way to the sideline.

"Eddie, come on. We're picking teams," Tommy called out.

Edison looked over but didn't move. He looked at Kit and gave her taunting look. She only smirked and looked away.

"Eddie said he would help me with sunblock," Amanda said. She took his hand. "Just tell him what team he is on." She pulled Edison into the group of girls and he went willingly.

"Alright, Tommy and I are team captains," Drew said.

Kit took that as her cue and left the field. She found a group of people who looked vaguely familiar and joined them.

"Hey guys" she said. She sat and rested back on her elbows.

The group exchanged awkward looks before one girl responded.

"Hi," she said.

Kit recalled the girls name was Ashley. 

"Isn't this weather amazing!" Kit said. She turned her face towards the sun and took in a deep breath of warm air.

Again, awkward glances bounced through the group before Ashley built up enough courage to speak.

"So, you like Lighthouse Point?" she asked hesitantly.

"So far, so good," Kit said. She watched as looks of disbelief were passed around the group.

"Oh, I just thought..." Ashley started to say.

"You thought since I pushed Amanda in the pool that I didn't like it here," Kit finished for her.

Ashley looked embarrassed. "Well, I wasn't going to say that exactly," she said.

"I figured. That's why I said it for you," Kit said. "But no, my little run in with Amanda hasn't hindered my feelings about Lighthouse Point. Everyone is nice enough."

"I see."

"Besides, everything with Amanda is water under the bridge."

"Oh, I didn't know you had cleared things up with her," Ashley said. 

"She hasn't apologized yet, but I'm not one to hold a grudge." Kit watched, amused, while the group tried to hide their surprise at her statement.

Ashley dropped eye contact and was suddenly fascinated by something on her phone. Kit held back a grin and turned her attention to the game.

On the field, Drew and Tommy had divided the group. The groups were congregated on opposite ends of the field, except Edison. He was still surrounded by the girls and he didn't look like he planned on ever leaving. Both teams huddled for a moment and then spread out across the field.

"Eddie!" Tommy called out, waving Edison over.

He looked over at his team reluctantly. He said one last thing, causing all the girls to laugh, before he lazily sauntered towards his team. When he looked at the bleachers, searching for Kit. When he found her, she smiled and gave a small wave. He pursed his lips and kept walking.

No one engaged in any more conversation with Kit, but she didn't mind. The game kept her mildly entertained and Edison's flirting with the cheerleaders, more so. It didn't surprise her to learn Amanda Gleason was a cheerleader. The group of ten girls remained on the sideline, rehearsing cheers and moving in mindless formations but their practice was constantly interrupted by Edison. Anytime his team was anywhere close, he was on the sideline, talking and flirting. 

The girl's giddy and eager reactions to everything he did was almost as amusing as their cheers. But the girls were the only ones entertained by him. Tommy kept yelling at Edison to get back in formation, get on the right side and catch the ball. Tommy's frustration only seemed to drive Edison more to the girls.

The game hit halftime and without any effort from Edison, his team was up a touchdown. Kit stood and stretched as all the guys grouped around the water cooler. Her shoulders were starting to tingle with the beginnings of a sunburn and her legs were getting antsy. She walked down to the chain fence dividing the bleachers from grass and watched the scene on the field.

Some of the cheerleaders attention had been diverted to other players now that they were taking a break but Edison still held a majority of the girl's attention. He said something funny, the group laughed and he turned to give Kit a smug smile. She gave him a bored look in return and walked to join the group on the field. Drew found her the moment she stepped onto the grass.

"It's just half time. You don't have to worry about me yet," he said playfully. "I've got a comeback plan."

"Yeah?" she asked.

He nodded eagerly. "I got a trick play up my sleeve, they'll never see coming."

"I like the sound of that."

"You better pay close attention from the bleachers."

"I was actually thinking about getting a better vantage point," she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I wanna play." She paused a moment, letting Drew's mind catch up and continued. "I'm bored watching. I wanna be in the action. See your skills up close," she added.

"But..."

"It's not like I'll actually count as a real player. Edison can cover me." She looked to where Edison stood among the girls and Drew followed her gaze.

"I don't know," he said.

"What harm will it do?" she asked.

"It can get intense," he argued.

She held back an annoyed eye roll and smiled patiently. "It's flag football."

"I know but..."

"But just say I can play." She took a step closer and touched his forearm. She gave him a sweet smile.

"But why?" he asked.

"Just for fun," she said with a shrug.

His mouth twisted as he thought about it. She slid her hand down to his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Okay," he said.

"You're the best!" she cheered.

"I'll go grab a flag," she said. She jogged to the bag on the sidelines, grabbed a blue flag and tucked it into her shorts.

"What do you think kissing up to the quarterback is going to get you?" Edison asked from behind her.

She turned and gave him a surprised look.

"Edison? Is that you?" she asked. "I didn't even recognize you without your flock of cheerleaders."

"You're jealous," he said.

"Of what? Your stories that have them all giggling?" she said. She stepped close to him. "There is no need to be jealous when it's me you seek out every few minutes." She smiled smugly.

"I do not," he argued.

Her smile widened and she stepped back.

"Actually you do, like clockwork," she said. "I timed it, if you want the data."

"You admit you were watching me," he said.

"Like one would watch a mating ritual on the discovery channel."

He laughed and shook his head. She could feel all the eyes of the cheerleaders on them.

"Why are you wasting time with Drew?" he asked.

"Why aren't you even trying to play?"

"I asked you first."

"Maybe I like Drew."

"No you don't," he said confidently, but a small worried crease formed between his eyes.

"Maybe I don't."

"Which one is it?" he asked.

"Alright, let's huddle up," Drew called out. "Kit, you're with me!" 

"My team is calling," she said.

"What do you mean?" Edison called after her as she jogged onto the field.

She held up her flag in response and joined Drew's huddle.

"Alright, what's the plan!" she asked excitedly. All the guys gave her unsure looks.

"The guys know what to do," Drew said.

"And me?" she asked.

"Get open," Drew said. Now that the game was back on, he seemed less interested in her and more interested in winning.

"Okay," she said.

Drew's team had possession of the ball. Kit joined the team along the line and wasn't surprised when Edison sank down into a crouch opposite her.

"I thought you were going to cheer," he said.

"You were right," she said. "The sidelines aren't really my thing."

"You don't actually think Drew is going to throw the ball to you, do you?"

"I think it's more likely than Tommy throwing the ball to you."

Drew called hike and Kit dodged around Edison. She jogged up the field a little bit. When she turned back, she saw Edison hadn't even bothered to follow her. He watched her for a moment before sauntering along the field towards the cheerleaders.

She did as Drew said and got open. He didn't ever look in her direction, but she didn't mind. They slowly made it up the field, gaining small distances until they were fifteen yards from the end zone. They tried two plays but Tommy's team kept them from scoring. 

Kit had gone unnoticed through all the plays but she finally spoke up as they huddled up for their last chance for a touchdown.

"Edison never guards me," she said. "Throw me the ball."

All the guys looked at her skeptically.

"I'm serious," she said. "Whatever you've been doing hasn't been working."

Drew's mouth twisted as he hit back a response. "Let me be your trick play. No one will see it coming," she said. 

"She is right," one of the guys agreed.

"What harm will it do?" she asked, jumping on the minimal support. "If you run the same play, the ball will be the other team's. Give me a try and you might be surprised."

"Just throw her the ball," the same player said.

"Alright," Drew said. "Just..."

"Get open. I know," she said.

She skipped to the scrimmage line and crouched. Edison hadn't even bothered to leave the cheerleaders and no one else was paying her any attention. Drew hiked the ball. She jogged out and like before, went completely unnoticed by the other team. A few feet from the end zone, she turned. 

Drew's eyes found her and he gave a reluctant look before he let the ball fly. His aim was true and she adjusted her position as the ball soared towards her. She caught it perfectly in her arms. Everyone on the field froze as she casually turned and walked towards the end zone. A few seconds later, realization hit. Edison was the closest player to her and everyone started to yell at him.

"Get her!"

"Eddie get Kit!"

A few moments later Kit heard footsteps pounding behind her.

"Go Eddie!" the cheerleaders squealed.

Kit laughed and quickly took the last few steps into the end zone. Seconds later, Edison blew past her.

"Victory!" she shouted, lifting the football into the air.

Edison collapsed onto the grass after his sprint. She sauntered over and leaned over him.

"What was that?" he asked.

"A touchdown," she said.

"But, I mean..."

"A girl scoring on your watch."

"But..."

"Me, whipping yo ass."

"What?"

"I just destroyed you, Reigns," she boasted.

"You had an unfair advantage," he argued.

"Oh, yeah? What was that? That I've been playing since I was a kid?" she said sarcastically. "No, that's you."

"But you surprised me."

"I told you it would happen again," she said smugly.

"If I had been paying attention, there is no way you would have scored," he said. 

"Yeah, right."

"I could beat your team any day."

"That's a bold statement."

"Well, it's true," he said.

She smiled. "Then prove it."

**********************************************************************

Hello cookie!

Have I ever told you that I found my soulmate?

And then lost him a day later?

Well, I shall tell you this glorious and short story. I was in Paris with my sisters, we were at a street market a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower. We were about to leave when I noticed this guy working at a candy booth. He smiled at me and naturally, I smiled back.

He was adorable! Brown hair, round cheeks and a great smile. I looked back once before I left and knew I would never be the same. Of course we went back a day later and the market wasn't running that day. So I never saw him again.

I guess it wasn't meant to be though I truly know we were meant for each other. *sighs* I guess if what I believe is true we will see each other again.
But not likely since we live an ocean away and I didn't even know his name.

Have you ever had a soulmate you found and lost?

Go to Paris, Find a candy boy, Fall in love!

Absorb this adorableness!