Chapter 47
Chapter Forty-Seven
NAOMI
Tuscany, Italy – April
When I first started therapy after my injury, I had to explain that I loved being a tennis player, but being one was also shitty because I couldn’t just rock up to South West London every day to do my job. I had to follow the sun.
That was the thing I hated most about being a tennis player, the travelling.
I never knew whether I was coming or going, and there was always a low-level sense of tiredness as a result.
Things got slightly better when we stopped staying in hotels because it felt like we had some kind of home base wherever we were, but I still hated it.
There was a reason my comeback schedule had been built with so much time spent in London. I needed to be home more. Rooted. I knew I could show up as a better version of myself on the court if I got to spend more time off it at this stage in my career. I wanted to see fewer planes.
Which was why it was weird that I was exactly where I wanted to be, but also felt like I needed to board a flight to Madrid. Tonight.
Sam was playing for his place in the final. He looked good. Strong. The best he’d looked all season. If anyone was made to play on clay, it was Sam Reed. But Ryder Quinn was also built to play on clay, and those two were engaged in a battle.
As the second set came to an end, going in Ryder’s favour, Sam left the court, and I headed to the balcony to get some air. After a few moments, my mum came out to join me, an Aperol Spritz in hand.
“It doesn’t get any easier, just so you know,” she said quietly, handing me the drink.
“What?” I answered as I dragged my eyes from the horizon.
“Watching someone you care about put themselves out there on the court. It doesn’t get any easier.”
I smiled. “Honestly, I’m just happy I don’t have to feel all the feelings internally.”
She returned the smile. “Yeah, that’s quite a rule you implemented. Although, interesting that it also seems to apply to Sam.”
“I had nothing to do with that. Wyatt asked what he wanted from him on court and was told he could try what already works. Now here we are. But I get it. If he saw me courtside acting like this, it could get distracting.”
“I don’t know, Mimi, I’ve seen the way he looks at you when you’re doing literally anything. You’re always a little distracting to him.”
Heat prickled at the tops of my ears. Sam had become a regular feature at Sunday dinners over the tail end of winter.
It was only after the third week that I realised I’d never officially told them Sam and I were dating, but they had obviously been able to figure it out because when we weren’t at work, we were together.
They’d taken it in their stride and happily accepted him into the fold as my boyfriend, mildly amused that I’d somehow ended up dating a tennis player.
When the tour was back in London, Hannah and Charlie were planning to come to a Sunday dinner, too.
“That, I can’t help,” I pointed out with a laugh.
“No, you can’t. You can go, you know. If he makes it through this match. You can go.”
I took a sip of my drink.
“Thanks, but no. I mean, I want to. But it makes no sense to go to Spain just to come back to Italy for one match. I’m supposed to be avoiding unnecessary stress. All that travel will drain me. He’ll make more Madrid finals.”
Mum hummed. A melodic sound that Wyatt had inherited. He used it when he was trying to think of ways to disagree with me. Mum used it when she was about to say something nice.
“You’ve got more finals in you, too. I know you’re going for the big one, but I have a feeling you’ll end your final grass court season on the highest of highs.
You’ve somehow managed to find an even better level since you returned.
I don’t know if it’s because the finish line is in sight or because you’re taking more breaks, but watching you play is always the highlight of my day. ”
I stared out to the horizon again and blinked rapidly to try to stop the tears from falling. When I felt like I was safe, I looked back at Mum. Her eyes were glazed over.
“I feel better out there. Yes, I’m aiming for something, but the pressure for everything else is off.
I get to go on court, knowing it will be the last time I go to any given place as a player and enjoy it as much as I can.
Points don’t matter, ranking doesn’t feel like the end of the world.
It’s just me, an opponent, and the court. ”
Mum smiled sadly. “It should’ve always been like that, and I’m sorry I made you feel like it wasn’t.”
I placed a hand on her wrist, where it was leaning on the balcony.
“It’s water under the bridge. Seriously. I don’t blame you for that time anymore. In a lot of ways, it ended up a good thing because I always knew what I didn’t want and got to create the environment that I did.”
“It’s one you flourish in. Now, I’m going to get started on dinner. Go watch Sam win his place in the final.”
With my drink in hand, I went back inside and did just that.