August 25th #2
“You haven’t even seen half of it yet,” she says with a laugh. “Are you bored, or do you want to keep watching?”
“I want to keep watching. It’s fascinating, and I love being able to visualize where he is all day. Where he’s calling me from. What he’s been doing.”
“Next up is the locker room. Look, you can see Chase’s name and picture”—she pauses it—“right here, along with his game-day outfit. The other side of his locker has room for him to keep his backpack, jackets, whatever he wants. And just outside of this is another area with all his practice gear.”
We watch a little more, and she goes, “And this shows their indoor and outdoor practice facilities.”
“They don’t practice in the stadium?” I ask. I don’t know why, but I assumed they did.
“Not usually. They try to keep the turf game ready.”
I take a moment to polish off the rest of my breakfast. “Thanks for a wonderful meal,” I say graciously.
“You’re welcome,” she says as she presses play again. “This is the players’ lounge. It’s where they get a little downtime, interact with their teammates between classes and practice. They can watch movies, play video games, play pool, and even get their hair cut.”
“For one of my design classes, we got to see plans for a new corporate campus, and in a way, it reminds me of that. They had so many perks for their employees—from a gym to a pharmacy, on-site physicians, restaurants, and even a Starbucks. The idea was that if they didn’t have to leave for coffee, lunch, appointments, and meetings, they would save time and therefore make the company more efficient. ”
“Exactly, like this,” Dani says happily. “Of course, once you see their training table, you’ll wonder why I even bother cooking for them.”
She shows me where the team eats their meals.
“Food buffets are split into nutritional categories,” she says, “to help them choose what their bodies need, with sections that focus on things like protein and immunity. The boys say the brisket at school is incredible and one of their favorite things. Beyond that is the Life Skills and Learning Center. We’re talking study rooms, tutors, tech, and staff.
Then my favorite part—the coaching area.
Someday, maybe I can talk Coach into letting me sit in on meetings.
I just find the coaching and motivational part of football so interesting. ”
“Would you ever want to coach?” I ask her.
“I don’t think so, but as I go through the process of learning more and more about the game that I always thought I knew everything about, I keep calling my dad and asking him questions.”
“I bet he loves that,” I say with a smile.
“He does. It’s also why he’s such a good announcer. He understands the game so deeply. And I’m trying to soak up as much of that as possible so I’ll be a good announcer someday.”
“Like call the game? Be on Monday Night Football?”
“I’d take any night, but yes,” she says.
“You have big dreams.”
“We all do. What about you, Ainsley? What’s your big dream?”
“Ideally, I want to own a company similar to the one my uncle Tripp bought from Chase’s mom. I adored my internship, working on the hotel renovation, and learned so much. I’m hoping I’ll find a job on that side of the business.”
“It’s good to have goals and dreams.” She glances at a ring on her finger.
It has little diamonds set in gold that spell out dreams. She notices me looking.
“Chase gave this to me before we were dating. Even back then, he wanted to play pro ball, and I wanted to be on the sidelines. Now, it’s an everyday reminder, or confirmation maybe, that we’re living it. Working toward those dreams.”
“You and Chase know each other so well. I haven’t even scratched the surface with Damon.”
“While you might think it’s a downside, I don’t. We’re all always learning and growing and facing new challenges, and it’s good to go through those things together.” She lowers her voice even though we are the only ones here. “I had a pregnancy scare recently.”
“Really?” I say, my mind all over the place.
“I want kids. We both do. But we want to wait, ideally, until we achieve some of our career goals. And I was—well, I had mixed emotions. I was relieved, but there was a little part of me that was disappointed. Although I literally can’t imagine me or Chase having that on our minds right now. He needs to focus on football.”
“Yeah, I’m sure that was a lot of emotions to deal with,” I say, feeling sick.
I find myself wanting to curl in a ball while also kind of wanting to confide in her.
Based on what she just said, I believe she’d keep it a secret.
I haven’t told anyone that this is happening.
And she, probably more than anyone, would understand why I’m not going to tell Damon until the end of the season.
And I’m very grateful she confided in me because it solidifies the fact that I’m doing the right thing for Damon.
She looks at me and says, “It was! And now I want a mimosa. Want one?”
“I’ll take some orange juice,” I tell her.
She gets up, opens a single serving bottle of champagne, grabs OJ and two flutes, then pours us our drinks.
She looks at me and toasts, “To the boys we love.”
I clink her glass, then take a drink of the cold juice.
“All right,” she says, closing her laptop, “let’s get ready, and I’ll show you around Lincoln.”
Since it’s warm out, I grab a pair of jean shorts and a tank top.
When I put the shorts on, I realize they are a little tight in the waist. I pull them back down and look at my belly in the mirror.
My stomach feels harder than it used to, but there’s not a bump yet.
I may look a smidgen bloated, like I do when I have my period—which then makes me laugh. This is why I didn’t get my period.
We meet back up and take the elevator down to the garage and get in Dani’s car.
“I love your car,” I tell her.
I don’t know why I’m surprised that she would have an expensive car, considering who her parents are, but I am.
“I’ve had a hate-love relationship with it.
I had a Mercedes coupe in high school that I loved.
But when I came to college, Dad was worried about me being up here by myself, and he traded it in for this G-Wagon.
I told him I looked more suburban mom than hip college student,” she says with a laugh.
“Although, I will admit, when I had to drive in the snow, I was thankful. Now that I’ve gotten used to driving this beast, I love it and am not sure I’d want to go back.
” She pulls out of the garage space, and we take off down the street.
“I have a sedan, but it is all-wheel drive, and with all the snow we get at school, I, too, am thankful I have that.”
“I can’t wait for it to snow,” Dani says dreamily. “There’s just something so magical about it. Did you notice that there’s a hot tub up on the rooftop deck?”
“I didn’t see it. I was too busy kicking butt at cards,” I tease.
“There’s nothing better than sitting in it when it’s snowing out. One of my favorite things in life.” She pauses for a moment, then says, “So, I’m sure you know that Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska. It was named after, duh, Abraham Lincoln. We’re going to drive by the State Capitol Building.”
She stops when we get to the building, whipping into an open parking spot.
“It’s a cool building,” I say. “Architecturally.”
She laughs. “That’s the same thing Auntie Jay says. I know you like design. Do you like architecture too?”
“Yeah, I love all of it. I did a semester abroad in Italy and was immersed in it.”
“Well, let’s see if I can remember some facts.”
“Let me guess,” I say. “It looks like they combined styles. Like, I see old Roman temple vibes, mixed with a Byzantine church and hints of Art Deco.”
“Ha.” She laughs. “That’s more than I know. I was going to say something about Rome. I do know that the huge bronze figure at the top of the dome is called The Sower, obviously having to do with the state’s agriculture. And probably why our team is named after a crop worker.”
We drive through town. It reminds me of many other Midwestern towns. Then she pulls into a drive where there is a sign that says, Sunken Gardens.
“My mom always likes visiting this garden when she’s in town for football games.
Each year, they have a different theme. One of my all-time favorites was when it was decorated based off the book, Alice in Wonderland.
This year’s theme is Enchanted Ocean. The cool thing is, it changes with each season.
I was here this spring, but it will look different today. ”
On a sign it says, Guests are invited to trade the prairie horizon for a dive into wonder, where magic shimmers beneath the waves.
Soft washes of white, lavender, and blue ripple like the sea’s hidden depths while playful splashes of yellow, orange, and pink dance across the scene like seashells scattered on sun-kissed shores.
“This is all so pretty,” we say at the same time, then laugh.
We enjoy a long, leisurely stroll through the gardens, pointing out flowers and floral displays, then get back in the car.
It surprises me when she drives back to the condo building and parks.
She sees the quizzical look on my face and goes, “Just parking the car. We can walk everywhere else. Next stop on your tour for today is the campus.”
“Oh, I’m excited for that.”
We go out of the garage and onto a sidewalk.
“You can see the stadium and campus from here. We’re lucky that we can walk to class.”
“That is nice. I’m able to do that at K-State too.”
She checks her watch and says, “Let’s go over to sorority row. Rush is this week. It’s hard to believe just last year, I was going through it.” She smiles. “And now I’m married!”
“And seem very happy about your decision,” I tell her.
“Oh, I am.”
As we get to the center of campus, I take in the wide green lawns, dotted with old trees. The brick buildings.