TRAGIC REAL LIFE
Leah Hayes, 25, from Ferrybridge, saw a glimpse of her happy ever after, before it was snatched away forever...
HE WAS MYFUTURE
Watching 15 burly rugby players charge onto the pitch, I had no idea what was going on.
I didn’t know any of the rules, I didn’t know who any of the players were and I didn’t know how many points were in a try.
All I knew was that I was supporting the black and orange team – the Castleford Tigers.
Because my date, Jamie, 34, was their biggest fan.
A huge rugby fanatic, he wouldn’t miss a game – and I guess that now meant I wouldn’t either.
Meeting Jamie at the end of Covid, I was chatting to an old friend on Facebook when he popped up as a friend suggestion.
Oh, he’s cute, I’d thought, sending a request.
And after chatting online for a bit, I realised he worked at the local ‘Spoons.
Popping in for some lunch with my daughter Evelyn, now six, we caught a few glimpses of each other.
And the next day, he came round to my flat for our very first date.
We really clicked, staying up until 4am laughing and joking. We couldn’t get enough of spending time together. And I’d even introduced him to Evelyn.
Climbing up onto his lap with my phone in her clutches, she snapped a bunch of selfies of them together.
She was obsessed with Jamie.
And back in February 2021, Jamie took me to my first Castleford Tigers match.
Meeting all his mates, I was welcomed with open arms.
And after the Tigers won, I didn’t think the date could get any better.
‘It’s been such a good night and I’ve been enjoying our time together,’ Jamie said. ‘I’m just hoping you’ll be my girlfriend.’ ‘Yes!’ I beamed.
I’d wanted a father figure for Evelyn, and Jamie was so patient with her – Evelyn loved cameras and they’d spend hours taking pictures together. ‘I’ve always wanted to be a dad,’ he confided in me.
From the start, we wanted a family
And our relationship carried on blossoming.
Despite not living together, Jamie spent most of his time at my flat anyway and we soon fell into a routine.
Jamie would let me know when he was in the taxi home from work, and I’d make sure he had his dinner and a can of Strongbow Dark Fruits on the table waiting.
Binge watching Peaky Blinders, I’d always try to warm my feet on Jamie’s body, making him squeal like a girl.
But Jamie was also unbelievably kind to me.
With type 1 diabetes for much of my life, Jamie always checked on me to make sure my glucose levels were OK.
Dashing to get me a Lucozade when my levels dropped, whenever I needed Jamie he was there for me.
And from the start, we knew we wanted a family.
