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"Agreed."
"So, is it taboo to ask if you're ready for tonight?"
He leaned back against the chair and stretched his arms over his head. "Nah. We're ready as we'll ever be. The team is hyped to close this out tonight. The doctors don't really want Fally flying so soon after surgery, especially for such a long flight. I guess there's blood clot risks and all that, especially since his knee is all strapped up in that weird-looking cast. So we need to win this one. We want him to lift that Cup with us, and for that to happen, it has to be tonight."
"No pressure, then, eh?" Holly gave him a wry look.
"I think we're more excited than feeling pressure. We're confident."
"That's good."
Eli fell quiet for a few moments, and Holly raised an eyebrow. "What's on your mind?"
"I'm just thinking about my mom. I wish she could be at the game. I talked to Irena about the possibility, but I knew the answer before I asked. It's too much."
"I'm so sorry, Eli."
"I wouldn't be here, doing what I'm doing, without her, you know? She spent so much of her life waking up before dawn and getting me to practice. And traveling to every tournament and game. She sacrificed so much of herself to make sure I got to do what I loved. And it sucks that she can't be there if I get to lift that Cup.
"I know that there's a good chance that she would have no idea what's going on, but I'd know that she saw me. I'd know, and that means something." Eli rubbed his forehead. "It would be nice to know that she's proud of me one more time. It would mean so much. And she deserves to know it wasn't all for nothing."
Holly put her hand over his. "Even if you don't win this series, it wasn't all for nothing. You're wildly successful even if you never win a trophy, Eli. You have to know that."
"Yeah, I know. This would just be special. Anyway, I'm grateful that my sisters will be there, and you. That means everything to me. Hell, even Troy will be there tonight, so I guess that counts for something. He's still blood, even if we don't have a relationship."
Holly leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "We'll all be cheering our hearts out for you. That's a promise."
He ran a finger down a lock of her hair. "I'm counting on it."
"Why don't you go take your nap? I have to run over to Penn's house for a few, but Miss will keep you company."
"Sounds good." He stood and glanced down at the calico. "What do you say, Miss? Want to nap with me?"
The cat stood on the chair and stretched, then jumped down next to him.
"I was kidding," Holly said, staring at the cat. "I can't believe this."
Eli winked. "She's Team Eli. Believe it."
"Ah, well. Maybe she's your good luck charm for tonight. Okay, you two go enjoy your nap. I'll be back soon."
Miss followed Eli into the living room, and Holly shook her head. Her cat seemed to adore him, so a switch to Team Eli wouldn't be out of the question. Especially if he kept sneaking her those special raw treats.
She grabbed the keys to Eli's SUV and headed out, texting Penn as she waited for the elevator.
Holly:Curly Cue, can I borrow one of your iPads? And those two tripods you guys bought recently? They'll fit an iPad, right?
Penn:Sure. Yeah, they will work with any tablet. Want to fill me in?
Holly:Yep. When I get there, I will. I'm on my way over to pick them up now. See you soon.
Once she entered the parking garage, she called Irena, Katherine's daytime nurse, but it went straight to voicemail.
"Hey, Irena. I was wondering if I could stop over in a little while to talk to you about an idea I had. Call or text me back, okay? Thanks."
Holly ended the call and climbed behind the wheel. Hopefully, her idea would yield good results. She just had to pray that luck was on everyone's side tonight. It was time to cross everything they could cross, and hope for the best.
* * *
