Chapter 21 #2
Next came the gold medals and league trophy for Vivienne and Lee. They hefted the hardware between them, a glowing tableau in the pavilion lights. They deserved to win. A championship for champions.
The first day of the offseason was always a bit strange, the rhythms of life abruptly different, the thing that had always held the center now gone and, after the intensity and pressure of the playoffs, the absence felt even larger this year.
Jess allowed herself to laze in bed for a bit when she woke up, scrolling her phone and scratching Fleming’s head, then she took her tea outside to extend her slow start before heading into work for an afternoon shift.
When she walked by the pavilion, she got a glimpse of Lee and Vivienne practicing in preparation for the state final, rolling through their usual efficient warm-up pepper. No rest for champions, it seemed.
Jess filled her week with everything she’d been putting off in the race to finals, like deep-cleaning her kitchen—how was there sand in the oven?
—and taking Fleming to get groomed, on top of her usual hours at work.
She was on her way home from a short morning shift when she came across Chrissy and Shay hanging out on the picnic tables outside the pavilion.
“Jess! Oh my God!” Chrissy cried when she saw her. She jumped off the table to clutch Jess’s arm, her fingers cold from her cup of lemonade.
“What’s up?” Jess asked. Chrissy was vibrating with news.
“Shay and I were practicing with Viv and Lee this morning, but Lee had to leave in a panic. Toni’s having some complications and I guess she’s being airlifted to a neonatal hospital in LA.”
Jess’s stomach flipped. “Shit. Is she all right? The baby? She still has, like, a month to go, doesn’t she?”
Shay chimed in. “Five weeks left. Lee said something about them being overly cautious, but I don’t know. Vivienne drove her to the hospital to meet Toni.”
“Oh, wow. That’s scary. I hope everyone is okay.” Jess sat next to them on the bench and pondered the panic the parents-to-be must be feeling. Then another thought occurred to her. “Wait, what about the final? It’s four days away.”
Chrissy shook her head. “I don’t think Lee will be playing in it.”
Jess furrowed her brow. “I guess not.”
Another voice interrupted. “Jess?”
Jess turned around.
Winston had popped his head out the front door of the league office. “Do you have a moment?”
“Sure.” With a shrug at Chrissy and Shay, she followed him inside, mind humming.
What could he want? Would she and Tania go to the state champs instead?
No, that wasn’t fair to Vivienne. Maybe he needed some other favor.
… Maybe they were able to delay the championship until Lee could play again and they needed someone to train with Vivienne in the meantime.
… Because … he wasn’t going to ask Jess to play with Vivienne … was he?
“Have a seat, Jess,” Winston said, gesturing to an empty chair across from his desk. Troy was waiting in the other chair, flipping through a coil-bound notebook. He gave her a reassuring smile.
“Wow, this is such a shock. So scary for Lee and Toni,” Jess said, settling into her seat. “I can’t believe it.”
“Our thoughts are certainly with them,” Winston agreed. “But Lee just texted me to confirm that she will be unable to play in the state final. It sounds like they’ll be keeping Toni in the hospital in LA until their baby is born, and Lee is going to stay with her.”
Jess sat in Winston’s pause until she wanted to shake the next sentence out of him. “So…? What happens now?” Why am I here?
Winston straightened a stack of papers on his desk. “There is a rule, in the case of a medical emergency or other extreme circumstance, that a player from the second-place team may compete in the affected athlete’s place.”
It took Jess a second to remember that she was on the second-place team. “Are you saying…?”
“Yes. We are inviting you to join Vivienne for the state final.”
“Me?” Jess leaned back in her chair, mind spinning. “But … what about Tania? Shouldn’t she get a chance to play in that game?”
Winston and Troy exchanged a look. “You are a natural fit for Vivienne. Tania and Vivienne have too many of the same strengths. We need your height.”
It was true, of course. They had to have a blocker to have any chance. But still … “I can’t just abandon Tania.”
“You’re not abandoning her. Her season was already over.”
“But…” Now the room was spinning along with her brain. “What if Vivienne and I win? Does that qualify me for the pro circuit? And what about Tania and Lee?”
“If you were to win, the board would have to make a ruling, based on the specific circumstances. And you would all need to make some decisions, of course. But for now, we just need a partner for Vivienne on Saturday.”
Vivienne. “Does Vivienne even want to play with me?”
They shared another look. “We’re following league procedure. If Vivienne wants to play in the final, this is what’s happening.”
“Um…” Jess rubbed her forehead. “Can I just have some time to process this?”
Winston shifted in his chair. “Sure, but Jess … We’ll need to confirm before the end of the day tomorrow.”
Jess sat across the table from Tania with her mug of tea, stomach churning. As soon as she left Winston’s office, she had texted Tania the news about Lee and asked if she was free to meet. She didn’t remember much of the walk to the coffee shop.
Tania blew on her decaf and looked at Jess expectantly.
Jess could barely force the words out. She stared at her hands as she began to speak, afraid of what she’d see on Tania’s face. “So, I met with Winston and … they…” She took a deep breath. “They want me to play in the finals with Vivienne.”
It took Tania a moment to process. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” Jess forced herself to look up.
She had prepared herself for tears or anger, not the dazzling smile that stretched across Tania’s face. “Jess! That’s amazing!”
“It is?”
“Of course it is.”
“But … What if Vivienne and I win and they offer me a spot in the circuit?”
Tania laughed. “Why are you saying ‘what if’ like it’s a bad thing? That’s your dream!”
Jess tried to make sense of Tania’s joy. “But I can’t leave you.”
Tania’s smile softened. “Oh, Jess. You’re sweet to think of me.…”
“Of course I would think of you. You’re my partner. We’re partners.”
“Jess.” Tania took her hand across the table. “It’s funny, I was struggling with how to tell you this.…”
Jess’s stomach flipped. “Tell me what?”
Tania’s gaze met hers. “I’m retiring. This was my last season.”
A shock wave swept over Jess. “What?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re … retiring?”
“Yes. I think it’s time. George and I want to do some traveling—and who wants to go to the Maritimes in the winter? Plus, my shoulder … It’s been tough for me to admit, but I think it’s done. Or at least, according to my doctor, it needs more time to heal than just the offseason.”
“Your doctor? You were seeing a doctor about your shoulder and didn’t … Why didn’t you tell me before now?”
Tania sighed. “Honestly, I’m not sure I fully decided until right now. Because I just didn’t know how to. I’ve been absolutely drowning in guilt at the idea of leaving you … but this is perfect! You and Vivienne are gonna win the whole fucking thing.”
Everything shifted for Jess, knowing that she wouldn’t be abandoning Tania. But … “But what about Lee?”
Tanya shrugged. “Maybe she’ll be done, too. She’s a parent now.”
“But … What if Vivienne doesn’t want to play with me?”
“How many more ‘buts’ you got in there, Jess?”
Jess covered her face. “So many.”
“Look, life is messy. Shit happens. Nothing ever goes according to plan. But this is an incredible opportunity. Yes, it sucks for Lee to miss it. And it could get complicated if … when … you win. But that’s not really your problem. All you need to do now is go fucking kick ass with Vivienne.”
Jess shook her head slowly, mind racing. Playing in the finals was certainly a dream, having a shot at the pro circuit … but in all the times she’d dreamed about it, she’d never once been next to Vivienne. And poor Lee. Her heart must be broken.
Tania sipped her coffee. “What does Vivienne think about all this?”
“I don’t know.” Jess rubbed her forehead. “I’m afraid to ask.”
“I’m sure once she gets over the shock, she’ll be psyched to play with you. Although…”
Jess raised her eyebrow. “Although what?”
“I’m just saying … If you guys do have feelings for each other, maybe wait until after the final to act on them.”
Jess rolled her eyes. “I’m not gonna suddenly hit on Vivienne moments before the state championship, Tania.”
“All right.” Tania lifted her mug with a coy smile. “Just saying.”
As soon as Tania hopped into her truck, Jess texted Vivienne. Hey … can we talk?
About volleyball, she added hastily.
She walked home, and Vivienne hadn’t replied by the time she arrived. Should she message again?
Do you know how Toni’s doing? she typed, then paused. Send? Don’t send? Send.
Three dots this time, then Vivienne replied. What do you want to talk about?
Jess blinked at her screen. Wasn’t it obvious? Playing together in the finals. Maybe we could meet at Maggie’s?
We don’t need to meet. This is how it works. If you want to play, then I’ll play with you.
Jess sank onto her bed, a weight settling in her stomach.
Vivienne didn’t want to play with her but was too polite to say it.
Jess had clearly imagined the connection they’d had under the meteor shower.
And Tania had no idea what she was talking about.
Maybe she should step aside. Maybe Lee would decide she could play after all, and Jess didn’t even have to get involved.
Okay, was all she replied and, fortunately, she didn’t have too much time to stew over it, because the midway assistant manager called her in a panic, and she reluctantly agreed to head back into work to cover a late shift.