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“Would you say your mental state is dependent on your sister?”

“I mean, yeah.” I bit back the duh, because my people-pleaser tendencies are especially strong when it comes to professionals of the medical field—not strong enough to tell her about the single terrifying message I got, but that’s because I blocked the number, and because I do not have the capacity or inclination to talk about it.

That simple answer led to another joint session with Hannah where we all discovered that finding a job—even only a temporary one—wouldn’t only help with that pesky dependency thing but also with my overall self-esteem.

It still doesn’t really explain why Hannah shoves her phone at me a couple of days later and demands I read a bunch of texts.

Tucker:

Hello, Melanie, Hannah, and Annie.

It’s Tucker Barclay.

I got your numbers from the teams.

Hope that’s okay.

Thank you again for coming to the funeral.

Please don’t send condolences, I don’t need them. If you had a good impression of my father, then I’m happy for you, but I would very much like to make it clear that I’m planning to do things very differently than he did as the owner of your partners’ teams.

The first thing I’m going to change is having an open line of communication with you (and not your partners).

I’m not planning on being in charge of renewing their contracts, disciplining them, or of trading them. Those will be the responsibilities of the GMs and coaches of the teams.

My job is to make sure we build a winning culture within all Barclay teams, of taking care of our players and their families, and of making sure everyone has what they need.

With that being said, I also know who really runs my players’ lives, and who the most important people in their lives are: you, your children, and extended families.

I want you three especially to feel confident and comfortable bringing any issues you believe I can help with to my attention, either in this group chat or in a private chat if you prefer.

If your partner complains about the doctor, I want to know (because you’ll know if it’s bullshit or not).

If the locker rooms are shit, you’ll probably know.

If your partner says something about the food at the cafeteria, about the training facilities, the equipment, literally anything you think is important, I want you to tell me.

Also, if you hear of anything from the other players’ partners, please feel free to bring it to me.

I realize that you all lead busy lives and this is not your responsibility, but I’m still asking because I believe this will make all our lives easier in the long run.

I also ask that you have some patience with me because I am, after all, a twenty-three-year-old jock who identifies as an idiot.

You all know a lot more about your partners than I do, and my job is to make sure you all have what you need so we can all win more championships.

If you don’t want to waste your time with me, then I completely understand, this is not an obligation of any sort, it’s an open-door policy.

Also, do any of you have a good recommendation for a nanny? Apart from leaving me with a month’s worth of paperwork, my asshole dad and his surprisingly murderous wife named me legal guardian of my three-year-old brothers and not my very capable sisters, WHO ARE ALREADY MOTHERS!!!

(I’d like to clarify that I love my little brothers, but again, twenty-three-year-old idiot jock)

Annie:

Oh my god, Tucker you are a riot.

It’s okay if we call you Tucker?

Tucker: