I thought about that as I drove across town toward the nail salon where Janae and Lani were waiting for me. The radioplayed softly in the background, but I wasn’t paying much attention to it. My mind was somewhere else.
Tomorrow was Titan’s first game back.
Even thinking about it felt surreal. There had been a time when neither one of us knew how long his recovery would take. What surprised me more than anything was how genuinely happy I was. The last several months had come with plenty of unexpected twists and moments of uncertainty.
For years, my life had followed a plan. Graduate… get my degree… start my career. Every goal was lined up in front of me, and I was determined to check them off one by one. Then Titan came along and completely disrupted everything but made it better at the same time.
If somebody had told me that I’d be living with Titan, carrying his baby, and spending my afternoon getting ready for his playoff return, I would’ve laughed in their face. Back then, I was doing everything I could to keep my distance from him. I was convinced we had nothing in common, convinced that our worlds were too different to ever fit together. Looking back on it now, I could admit that I was wrong… very wrong.
By the time I pulled into the parking lot, Janae and Lani were already standing near the salon door. I grabbed my phone and dropped my key fob into my purse before joining them.
“About time,” Janae started.
“I would say you was letting my brother up your butt, but he had training this morning, so it’s all you,” Lani added.
“Your brother is right… you’re nosy as hell,” I laughed as we walked inside of the salon.
The receptionist checked us in and sent us toward the pedicure chairs near the back. We were offered drinks, and I chose a sparkling wine since I couldn’t drink, even though I would’ve rather had a margarita with an extra shot of tequila.
“So,” Lani said, glancing over at me. “How you feeling about tomorrow?”
“I’m excited, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous too. I don’t want him to go back out there before he’s ready, but I know that’s not happening,” I uttered.
“I get it,” Janae expressed. “But you know your man… even before the relationship, Mr. Franchise does what he wants.” She smirked, causing Lani to agree.
“Don’t I know it, but he’s been working hard, though. I don’t think people realize how much rehab messes with your head when you’re used to your body doing whatever you tell it to do.”
“That nigga just don’t like nobody telling him what to do,” Lani added, then looked at me with a grin. “And probably because he got you at home making him act like he has sense.”
“Chy, please.” I waved her off. “He still does whatever he wants,” I simpered.
“We can tell.” Janae smirked as she leaned over and touched my stomach.
I looked down at my stomach and rubbed my hand over it once. “A lot changed fast.”
I tuned those fools out as I read the email that popped up on my phone. The second I saw Cannon Hills Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation, my stomach tightened.
Dear Ms. Mitchell,
On behalf of Cannon Hills Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation, we are pleased to offer you the position of Physical Therapy Assistant within our Sports Performance and Rehabilitation Department.
Your anticipated start date will be February 16, 2027, pending successful completion of onboarding requirements. This position includes an annual salary of $78,500, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, retirement contributions, continuing education reimbursement,certification assistance, and eligibility for annual performance incentives.
We believe your academic achievements, clinical experience, and dedication to patient care make you an excellent addition to our organization. We are confident you will be a valuable member of our team and look forward to supporting your continued professional growth.
Please review the attached offer letter and return a signed copy within five business days.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Cannon Hills Sports Medicine family.
Sincerely,
Lauren WhitfieldDirector of Rehabilitation Services
This was an actual offer. A real job. The exact type of opportunity I’d spent years working toward. For so long, graduation had been the goal that I hadn’t really stopped to think about what came next. Now the answer was sitting in my inbox, and for a few seconds, everything else around me disappeared.
Apparently, I’d checked out of the conversation long enough for Janae to notice. She stopped talking mid-sentence and narrowed her eyes at me. “You’ve been staring at that phone for entirely too long. You over there sending nasty videos?”
“What? Bitch, you’re nasty,” I laughed, and she shrugged.
