godspeed | marcus rashford

epilogue.

marcus & kyrie

The following months later in Liverpool was met with inconsistent weather. Rainfall, cloudy days, harsh wind—something familiar and normalised in the English climate. Though today proved to be different and brighter for residents. The late afternoon had the sun up high and clear in the sky, alone without the company of friendly clouds. A subtle breeze settled over Liverpool to act as the negative feedback to the humidity. All of this together created a peaceful—maybe irritable at times—opportunity for those out of work to go about the day carefree and without thought.

That's what Marcus, Kyrie and Junior did together.

Together the three settled themselves in Kyrie's back garden. Kyrie and Marcus sat on the outdoor couch in the patio while Junior played on his own terms in the garden. Where there was shade there was sun; where there was nature there were garden creatures; where there were two adults enjoying silence there was a kid establishing noise for his own entertainment. It was really a place that went hand in hand with solace.

In the middle of all this was Kyrie. She sat in between Marcus' legs as she leaned back on his chest for her comfort in sitting. Now and then, Kyrie would glance around her familiar surroundings, probably admiring small nature growing in the garden, and suddenly, her gaze would drift off coarse. There were times where she found herself in unnecessary thought. Wondering, imagining, looking back. At what specifically? Marcus, Junior, private life—nothing yet everything and anything. There were no limits to her thoughts and what she thought about. Much to think about and little time to discuss everything on the mind.

Nothing was placed in question nor were there any what-ifs, of course not. By recapping the past few months, Kyrie noticed clear variations and understanding that they were for the better even if it wasn't clear from the outset. And it was crazy to think about because a lot of things she involved herself with now would be rejected and opposed by Kyrie then. She didn't change in personality or anything, but simply in thought and willingness. A lot of alternatives in life came about by going beyond what was expected and instead, just prioritising one's wants and needs.

So if it wasn't evident from the jump, yes, Kyrie learned to prioritise her wants and needs over others.

Noticing her quiet presence, Marcus took his attention away from his phone. "You okay, KJ?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind. He dipped his head so he could kiss behind her ear. "So quiet. Not that that's unusual for you." His last few words joined a soft laugh from both adults. It was true and sincere. Kyrie enjoyed her moments of silence, whether alone or paired with someone else to share it with just like now. It was not Marcus ignoring Kyrie; it was Marcus allowing Kyrie to experience a moment of silence to herself.

Her hands trailed away from his legs and towards his muscular arms, taking a soft hold of them. Kyrie looked at his hands and smiled at the sight of KJ marked along his ring finger. "I'm just tired from last night." Through body did Kyrie and Marcus gain a better understanding of one another. So it wasn't a surprise that they weren't going to restrict themselves from a little bump and grind.

"You put that on yourself, not me." Kyrie gasped a scoff and tried to get away from Marcus, but he kept her in his grips. He laughed before kissing the side of her head. "But for real, KJ. What's going on? You're going offline."

She wasn't one to share her thoughts just like that. But she did with a select few—Marcus being one of them. A few months together allowed both partners to know and understand everything about the other. Kyrie placed a lot of trust in him to confide in him for almost anything. Her gaze fell on Junior who remained fascinated by a butterfly that passed slowly by his eyes. "I was just thinking, you know? About me and you, Junior—just how we're going to go about everything. It's all something to get used to, all so fast too." Almost a year since they met. A few months since they became official, finally dropping the idea of being unofficial, limited and censored.