I hear the audible gasp from him and know he's absorbed the message loud and clear. My fingernails dig into his flesh. I rise up and fall down into my forever. The pace picks up. It takes long conflicting moments until I feel his fingertips dig into my flesh. He guides the pace from here on out and we fall together.

Thirty-Three.

His face is there and then gone. I stand by a little girl screaming his name over and over. Her knees collide hard into the cold tile below. She's scared and hopeless. Her brown eyes are familiar. When I study them a bit longer, I recognize her. It's me.

State's walking away with his new parents. The woman holding his hand peers over to me with no emotion in her eyes. I scream louder and fight to get to him, but then he's gone. Vanished into thin air.

I open my mouth to let the little girl know everything will be okay and to be brave, but no sound comes out. I try again, but no sound. I tug on her shoulder to get her attention, but my hand doesn't connect with anything. A bright flash lights up the entire hallway.

Current day; State is standing there with Rowe on his hip. They're happy and waving to me. I run to them but an invisible glass wall stops me. A woman steps up beside them, running her hand down his arm and then kissing his lips.

I lose it all. I fight to find my voice, kick, and claw at the translucent barrier, but they don't hear. I watch her hands then glide over her swollen belly. State reaches down and place his there, too. She's wearing my ring.

With the last bit of energy I can muster, I scream again as loud as I can until my vocal chords ache.

My shoulders begin to shake and then I finally hear my name roll from the deep voice I'm trying to scream out.

"Baylor, baby, wake up."

My shoulders continue to shake and his voice soothes me. The images slowly disappear when I roll over and open my eyes.

"Hey." He brushes the hair back from my face. "I'm here."

I throw my arms around State's neck and roll up on him. "Oh my God."

"It's okay, Queen." He runs his massive palms up and down my back.

"It was horrible. The day you left me and your mom sneering at me, and then you were holding Rowe with another woman. She was wearing my ring and pregnant."

I let it all out in long rush.

"It was just a nightmare." He grabs my hand and kisses my ring. "I'm here. You're okay. I'm never leaving you."

"State. It was awful." Tears stream down my face. "It felt so real."

"It wasn't. Just a damn nightmare."

"Something bad is going to happen."

"Don't go backwards, baby. Everything is okay."

His finger traces the healing tattoo on my back.

"Make love to me. Take it away."

He rolls me over, settles between my legs, and drops his head to mine. His lips lightly brush mine. We don't kiss. We absorb in all the feelings circling us. State plants his elbows on each side of my head and pushes into me. He works himself into me slow and steady.

"I can never lose you, State. I'll die."

"You'll never lose me." He continues his rhythm. "This is forever."

My fingernails dig into the top of his shoulders. I match his pace with my own hips. I arch my head back into the soft pillow, and State lowers his head and kisses my neck.

"Together," he growls.

The harsh tone in his voice sends me over the edge. I feel him pulse inside of me. He keeps his normal growls silenced.

"Together forever."

With State on top of me, I let my eyes flutter shut until sleep takes over once again. No more nightmares come, only bright light surrounds me.

We sleep late into the morning and I know it's from our lack of sleep the two nights before. I pry my eyes open when I feel the bed dip. State's sitting up and smiles back at me. He stands to his feet moving slow. I can see he's hurt and stiff from the game yesterday He picks up my panties from the floor and slides them up my legs. I raise my hips to help him.

"You doing okay?" He asks.

I nod to him. "You don't look so hot."

"I won't lie to you. I'm hurting bad."

I sit up in the bed and lace my arms around his neck. "I'll grab my oils and set up my massage table before Rowe wakes up."

"Mmmmmmm. You always take such good care of me."

"It will be a struggle to stay in professional mode with you." I wink.

"I better be the only one you tell that to."

"You'll never know." I wink and swing my legs off the side of the bed.

I use the restroom and brush my teeth quickly. State already has the table set up and he's still in his glorious black boxers.

I lean on the door jam admiring him for a few seconds. "I'm sorry about last night."

"I'm glad I was here." He walks over and snags me by the waist pulling me to his chest.

"It was so real."

"No, this is real." He seals his lips to mine.

I enjoy the long kiss before pulling back and pushing him away. "Lay down or this is going south."

"My south likes you." He places my hand over his indeed very hard south region.

"Lay down. You need worked on, baby."

State reluctantly follows my instructions. I play some Sam Smith and begin rubbing down his shoulders. He squirms a bit every time I hit a sensitive spot, so I take my time and rub out his muscles.

"Why haven't you done this before?" He finally asks.

"Seems we're typically busy with other things."

We both share a light laugh while I continue to work him over. Rowe bounds into the room at the end of the massage.

"State," she squeals.

She plops down on the ground and peers up to him through the face hole.

"Morning, princess."

"Your face looks funny."

"Now is that anyway to treat your Shrek."

"Well, it does."

"I'm going to get you."

"You're not fast enough."

"You're probably right, princess. I'm hurting this morning."

"Geez, they don't make football players like they used to."

"That's it." State raises himself from the massage table in one swift movement, swoops Rowe up from the ground, and tosses her on the bed. They ensue in an all-out wrestling match, giggling and squealing the whole time.

Thirty-Four.

It's the last home game of the season. They're undefeated and only have one game left before going to the championship game. The championship game will be held in Arizona and State already has my airline ticket booked. Rowe is in her game day gear and already buzzing with excitement.

It will be her fourth game at the stadium. She's already won the heart of the entire team. They make it a point to bring her down during warm-ups for their own little coaching session from her. It makes my heart smile every time I see her tiny frame surrounded by goliaths of men on their knees circling her.

I answer my phone while Miss Tami maneuvers the crazy traffic.

"Hello."

"Hey, Queen."

"What's up?" I ask. He never calls this close to the game.

"Just calling in to check on my girls."

"We're heading to the game right now."

"Why did you answer if you're driving?"

"I'm not, father." I emphasize the last word. "Miss Tami is so I can turn in one of my online assignments."

"Good."

"Just a second, State." I turn to the back seat and glare at Rowe.

"Get back in your seat now and buckle."

"But I want to talk to Shrek." She pouts throwing herself back in her booster seat.

"Buckle up and then you can."

I place the phone back to my ear and ask State a question. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to hear your voice."

"Ahhhhh, such a little sap you are."

"I've missed you, Queen."

"I've missed you, too."

"So, I hear my princess wants to talk to me."

"Yes." I turn to check on her again. She's struggling to fasten her seatbelt. "She's getting buckled again then I'll let her talk."

Miss Tami grumbles about traffic in the background.

"See you soon."

I catch it out of the corner of my eye before it happens. A large semi-truck blows through an intersection. Everything happens in slow motion. I scream.

"Baylor." State's voice floats through the phone.

The speeding semi-truck crashes into the driver's side of my car. The sound of metal colliding and crushing fills the air. Shards of glass pepper every single inch of my skin. My head bounces off the passenger door and then airbags whip me around. My head spins. Blood drips down my face. When I look over to Miss Tami she's slumped over the steering wheel with a deflated airbag between us.

"Miss Tami," I scream.