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Her eyes watered. “But I can’t. I don’t know how, and I’m scared of losing her. I failed my marriage, my husband, and I don’t know if I could handle failing her, too.” A tear escaped from her eye but she quickly wiped it away.
Here sat this woman I barely knew, other than through passing, and there she was sharing her deepest, darkest secrets with me.
“I’m not one to judge, ma’am. I love your daughter. I love her very much. I didn’t know love like that existed. I hate seeing her sad or upset. That’s why I’m here. It’s why I came. I know she would really love it if you were at that meet tomorrow. Sitting in the stands cheering her on.”
She nodded.
“It starts at seven in the morning and it will probably go till after lunch. It won’t fix everything, but at least it’s a start.”
“Did she tell you about—”
“Yes, ma’am, she did.”
“I figured as much.”
I stood and she followed, walking me toward the door. At the last second I turned to face her.
“You know, everything you just said to me. You should say to her, because I’m positive she would love to hear it.”
She nodded again.
“I hope she gets to see you tomorrow. Have a good rest of your day, ma’am.”
I turned and left, not looking back.
“Dylan!” she shouted when I was near the elevator and I looked in her direction.
“Thank you.”
AUBREY
“What if I don’t win?” I asked as he pulled into our school parking lot.
“Then you don’t win.”
“That was the worst pep talk ever. You’re fired.”
“You win some, you lose some, suga’. All that matters is that you tried.”
“You should have led with that.”
He laughed, tugging on the ends of my hair.
I warmed up on the track, getting ready for the long day ahead. The stands were quickly filling. Alex and the boys all showed up to show their support. Not going to lie, I was nervous.
I wanted to win.
To prove to myself that I was still that girl from back home, and even though my father left, it didn’t have to define who I was. I could be happy again. Here in Oak Island with Dylan and my new friends who all quickly became my second family. I didn’t feel broken or lonely anymore, I could have a fresh start.
When I heard the buzzer sound off for the first round of schools to start getting ready, I looked up back toward the stands. I found Alex and the boys, but no sign of Dylan. I peered through the crowd trying to find him. It didn’t take long, he stuck out like a sore thumb with his long blonde hair and his large, stalky build. He was walking toward someone with his hands up in the air, and I followed his gaze.
My mom.
She had never been to one meet.
Not one.
There she was walking toward the boy that just made me fall in love with him a little bit more.
