Energy returned to Nola’s body like she had been waiting to hear those exact words. Like I was her personal battery pack, and honestly it was a good job to have.
Dare I say, I had never played harder in my life. I didn’t know if it was from watching Nola cry before tip-off at her homecoming video or eyeing her mom in the royal purple power suit that set her off, but she was on fire andIwas doing my best to keep up.
The score had been tied in every quarter. Where we had star power with the skill to match, Olivia’s coaching and plays were top tier. She had a plan for every Waves player. How to isolate us, how to pressure, and how to get into our weaker points so her average-skilled players could shine.
We went into the fourth quarter only down by two, and with Nola only sitting out for a total of five minutes in this thirtyminute game. We weren’t depleted enough where we needed a miracle. We just need to be one step ahead of Olivia.
With three minutes left in the fourth quarter and still down by two, I figured it was time to tap into Olivia Young’s mind. I had been on the bench but was about to go back out soon. Tashi called a time out and I motioned for her to let me speak, she nodded her head in determination. Or maybe there was a scary look in my eyes that made her relent. Who could tell?
Farrah, Poppy, and Gia took their spots on the bench while Nola stood.
“Sit down,” I commanded and she listened. I ignored everyone’s confused looks and continued on, “Nola, what is your mom thinking right this second?”
“She’s matching us up by strength because she doesn’t have the speed.”
“Right, but anyone can see that.” At least maybe a select few of us could, considering I was getting surprised looks. “But what is sheactivelyavoiding?”
“She’s leaving under the net open because she wants to pressure our offense at the top. We’ve been sinking threes all night when we set the screens right.”
Our eyes met the second she finished, we knew what we have to do. I asked Tashi for the clipboard and use o’s and x’s to show how we’d execute the last minutes of the game and win.
We broke from the timeout then it was me, Nola, Poppy, Farrah, and Courtney on the court. In order for the play to work, everyone had to guard properly in order for me to make it under the basket and shoot. If I wasn’t able to make the shot, hopefully Courtney’s position as center would have her ready to rebound.
Farrah inbounded the ball to me and I watched everyone set up how we played this whole game. I watched the shot clock drop to ten seconds and instead of taking the pressure and shooting at the arch, I barreled down into the paint, faster thanmy defender and sinking in a lay-up. My defender over reached and smacked my arm, giving me an easy and one.
Two minutes left, and we were up by one. We were on defense until I was able to tip the ball out where Poppy was close to half court. She caught my steal and sank in another lay-up.
Ninety seconds left and the Violets’ point guard missed a three.
Sixty seconds left, and we ran the same play again, but this time Courtney got the rebound after the ball circled the rim and popped out.
Thirty seconds left, and the Violets got a three after they hit a lay-up and a foul shot from Poppy.
Five seconds remained when Nola threw up a shot from half court and it went in at the buzzer.
And it took no time for anyone to speculate something wasdefinitelygoing on between us when I bounded across the court to jump into her arms.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Nola
Four Months Later
Under the glow of the Jaguars arena, it wasn’t lost on me that I was back where Bee and my story began. But this time, there wasn’t animosity, media narratives, or outside noise fueling our relationship. It was just us and an unprecedented run for a reactivated team.
In just two years, Tashi had turned the Miami Waves into something to fear. There wasn’t a ramp up period last year when the team made it to the playoffs, and there sure as hell wasn’t an adjustment period this year with us in the finals.
It wasn’t easy going up against the Violets in the semifinals, but I was going to do whatever it took to avoid any narrative that Olivia was indeed the better Young for the franchise. I hated rooting against her, but Bee had taught me it was better to root for myself, than not at all.
I looked to my girlfriend now, sitting across from me in the visiting team locker room and watched her dial in to herpregame ritual with her headphones on blasting music I knew was higher than my resting heart rate. We had still yet to reveal our relationship to the public, but we’d long told the team, human resources, and my nosy aunts. It came with questions, disbelief, and more hands exchanging money than I would’ve guessed, but the way I trusted everyone here paralleled the bonds I made in my first home.
The only person who was surprised was Gia. And Bee had to do a lot of recon with Farrah to ease over the secret keeping.
Bee broke the trance she was in and our eyes met across the room. Naturally, I winked at her to make her blush.
And it was like it was the first time all over again, as I watched red creep into her face.
“What happened to no PDA in the locker room?” Poppy pretended to gag.
