Epilogue
Bee
Four Years Later
Tokyo
“I’m failing to see the point of this.” Nola mumbled while she held a spotted pig that wouldn’t stop burrowing into her arms.
I didn’t know what was cuter, watching my wife try to enjoy something she knew I loved, or watching a tiny little animal make a home in her arms.
This pig cafe had long been on my Tokyo itinerary and it was absolute kismet that I finally made the national team roster for the Summer Olympics taking place in Japan.
A piece of me had long thought I wouldn’t get here after what felt like getting my hopes up every time I got called up or played in qualifiers.
I knew every time I put on a USA jersey was yet another audition for making it to the world’s stage, but it was never guaranteed.
But I was a dreamer, and no matter how scared a goal or a thought was, it was inevitable for me.
It was destiny for me to get my hopes up and just pray that it all worked out.
But it was different to finally get that call.
And next to my wife and our families on my birthday, no less.
Every Lee and Young/Williams had made the trek to Japan to watch Nola and I play on the three versus three team. Back to our roots, back to the beginning. Olivia had taken the call to be an assistant coach on the larger team, while I got to thrive under the guidance of my college coach.
“You’re doing so well, Nono,” I teased. “He might think you’re his new mom.” I giggled as a black pig accepted my belly rubs.
I watched Nola raise the sleepy pig up as she said, “You know they call you pernil back where we live right?”
“How dare you!” I gasped and covered the ears of my own little pig.
“I guess this is a nice feeling.” Nola’s cheeks stretched with a smile I still couldn’t get over; she’d never admit it, but I knew she was eating this shit up.
Her eyes twinkled, her shoulders were relaxed, and if I had a dollar for every time I caught her trying to suppress a giggle, I’d have a fifty dollar bill.
Five years together, and everyday still managed to feel like the first few months of our relationship.
That wasn’t to say we didn’t bicker, that my constant yapping didn’t require her to actively ask for silent couple time.
Or that I didn’t want to scream every time Nola swallowed her words instead of speaking her mind.
But then I’d bat my lashes or Nola would smirk for me, and we both folded easily for the other.
Our lives orbited around each other, and yet some days it still felt like we’d gone weeks without seeing the other.
With five years of playing with each other, we had long grown into speaking each other’s languages.
The magic we made on the court together, translated well off the court too.
Our eyes were able to translate and communicate what the other was thinking.
Our bodies seemed to move without us telling them where to go.
Five years and it still felt new, fiery, energetic.
It was why we now had a total of three championship rings.
And as much as I loved playing with Nola, I still loved playing against her too.
“Where’s C-Team?” Nola asked.
“They should’ve been here…” I looked down at my designer watch that matched my wife’s. Her jeweler had long become mine too. And I never saw a bill for my growing collection.
I reached for my phone but stopped when I heard the cafe door chime. A delightful melody of cute, subtle oinks.
As was typical now, Gia and Nessie walked into the cafe, hand in hand.
Her hair in box braids while Gia’s hair was French braided back off her face.
That stupid, giggly look still pasted on my little sister’s face where what used to be a resting scowl.
The same face that told me she didn’t have a thing for my rookie five years ago.
But what stopped me in my tracks was Colette and Poppy, talking outside the cafe window.
Both were clad in hats and sunglasses, the only way either could thrive in public in peace these days.
Poppy’s presence made sense since she’d chosen to represent Japan rather than the US and her status as one of the country’s top performing athletes always had people stopping to ask for pictures.
My sister on the other hand found herself on a trajectory she couldn’t stop since the first indie film she starred in.
Colette had been coy on the specifics of what was or wasn’t happening between her and my former teammate, and had been for years, and I was long past letting her come to me with an update.
My baby sister’s were growing up too quickly for me to comprehend, and unfortunately I still had yet to discover how to freeze time.
“Well, well, well.” Nola peeped the same interaction.
“No one say anything when she comes in.” Nessie warned and reached her hands out for my pig.
“Care to explain? Otherwise I will ask. Or better yet, I’ll tell Amir and he’ll ask.”
Nessie mimed zipping her lip shut and throwing away the key.
“She’s hasn’t slept in our shared condo since she landed.” Gia popped around to address me but not before dodging a hip check from my sister. “Hey man, she’s your twin. Your other one is my vet.”
“Good rookie, you’ll be rewarded.” I dapped her up, even though we were years removed from Gia’s rookie year.
I looked down at my left hand, admiring the loop around my ring finger that stood in place for my own wedding jewelry.
A nose piercing over a decade ago was nothing compared to the fear in Nola’s eyes when the tattoo needle approached.
But she did a lot for me; had never questioned it.
And if we spent most of our time without our wedding rings, the next best was a tattooed version.
My idea, of course.
Nola and I had made the decision to go public the year after we won our first championship for the Waves.
We’d done the hard work, proved what others couldn’t believe in.
The least we could do was kiss on the floor as confetti rained down.
This time for both of us. Naturally, I was scared of the think pieces, the unsolicited opinions that came with being a public figure.
I had always been myself, but openly loving anyone was still new to me.
But Nola made that easy. She took my fears and held my hand.
She set up time with her publicist who told me how to dodge questions if I didn’t want to answer.
But our love life quickly took the backseat after the draft.
The media was obsessed with the new talent coming out of college or the big moves vets were making when they were free agents.
Our relationship became something only nosey people still commented on, and now we were just lucky to fight off comments asking if we wanted a third.
“We should get going for dinner, babe.” Nola sent the pig back to the pin, then reached her arms down to scoop me up off the floor.
“I don’t know who I’d be more afraid of when they’re hungry, your mom or Olive.” I confessed, the Youngs/Williams as well as Perry and Danny, who was playing her second Olympics.
“Five years together and I’d prefer if you never got an answer to that question.”
“Noted.”
My wife helped me up but not before kissing me and giving my ass a light tap, that made me blush.
I was still amazed I could have this type of reaction to my partner.
A dynamic I thought I would’ve gotten used to by now.
Instead, every moment with us, whether sweaty and hard, or gentle and joyful, felt new.
Nola was my person—had been since Spain.
One night she confessed it was the moment I tried to sit next to her on the bus.
For me, it was that night we stayed up talking on the hotel floor.
Either way, we had wormed, fought and kissed each other to this moment we were in. To the moments that would continue.
And we would keep fighting together for each other.
In the only way we knew how.