Chapter 28 Grace
Grace
Ishow up at the track at seven sharp the next morning, and a gaggle of the team is waiting to get started.
Spotting Coach Shelley, I walk straight to her, feeling a little self-conscious now that I’m facing a block of the Tolliver team, knowing none of them.
“Oh, Grace. Amazing that you made it,” she says as she notices me approach. “Let me introduce you to everyone.”
Oh goody, that’ll keep all of their eyes off of me.
“Ladies, we have a special guest today for our run, a really exciting one. This is Grace Battle. She finished top three in several major events over her years at Princeton. Including second in the 3000 meters at the NCAA indoor championships two seasons ago, and third in the 5000 meters at the outdoor championships the year before that. Princeton won several Ivy League championships during that time too, right?”
I nod. “Yes, we almost had the triple crown my junior year.” The triple crown is when you win the cross-country, indoor, and outdoor championships in a year.
“Incredible. Anyway, she’s at Tolliver Business School now and agreed to join our run today.”
The women’s faces change once they know who I am. Admiration, curiosity, and excitement all make an appearance. Their body language collectively shifts as well—more respectful and attentive.
Sometimes it’s hard to remember that my accomplishments are the kind that merit such responses. At least amongst the track world. I may not have gotten on talk shows, but the runner universe knows.
Most of the general public, even sports fans, only think of track in the context of the Olympics.
Maybe some are aware of the annual World Championships.
But these days, the NCAA championships are loaded with Olympic and world competitors, including international runners who come to the U.S.
for college. So, to make top three—heck, to make the event finals—of the NCAA championships means you’re in rare air.
“This is so cool. Hi, I’m Marcie,” one of the runners says as she steps toward me and offers her hand. She’s wearing a large smile, and her black curls are cut in a pixie style, which makes her face seem even more open and welcoming.
“Marcie is one of our Captains,” Shelley explains. “She runs the 400 and 800 meters. We have several ladies from our cross country team here too of course, it’s a really mixed group.”
I shake Marcie’s hand and feel myself relaxing with the positive vibes now in the air.
“Jasmine, come here for a second,” Shelley calls out. A brunette steps forward, her hair in a braid. She’s almost my height and built like I was two years ago—as lean as her body requires to maximize her speed without sacrificing stamina.
She gives me a shyer smile than Marcie did, but it’s still genuine.
“Hi.” She waves her hand while saying it, which is kind of cute.
“Hey there.” I keep my voice a little quieter so the whole group doesn’t feel the need to keep watching the conversation. “Coach was singing your praises. It’s great to meet you.”
Jasmine beams at the compliment. I know all too well how much kind words could mean to her if she’s struggling with confidence.
I then turn back to Coach Shelley and the larger group. “Thanks for having me here today. I hope I can keep up.” Several of the ladies chuckle.
“Let’s get started then,” Marcie directs the group. “Our usual five mile team run.”
As Marcie leads the ladies out, I join towards the back of the pack.
While Coach and I didn’t talk about it on our call, the purpose of this morning’s run is likely a combination of maintaining conditioning and team bonding.
With the whole team there, including sprinters and field athletes, the run likely won’t be at a training pace.
This is confirmed when Marcie keeps us at a relaxed tempo.
For middle distance runners like Jasmine and me, it’s not a challenge to hold a conversation at this speed, not unlike when Johnson and I ran that one day too. So I decide to prompt a chat and learn more about her if I can.
Positioning myself to be at her side, I see how at ease she is now that we’re running. “So you grew up in Florida?”
She nods. “Yes, the Bradenton area?”
“That’s on the Gulf Coast?”
“Yes. Lived there my whole life.”
Our pack is now out of the athletic complex area and running on the main campus. “Is this a route you normally take?”
We twist around a building and continue on the wide sidewalk. Marcie seems to be leading us off campus, which makes sense for the distance planned.
“For our team runs, yep. I have some other favorite paths I like to do when it’s only me.”
Since this morning feels great so far, I decide to take a leap of faith. “I’d actually love to learn some new runs around here. Maybe we can run together sometime?”
She looks at me in surprise—a good kind of surprise. “Oh my god, run with you one on one? Yes, anytime!” Her excitement seems to have knocked away her shyness.
“Awesome. I’ll grab your number when we’re back so we can coordinate.”
We’re quiet for a couple minutes, and then I ask her a few more questions, since we’re both still breathing comfortably with the pace.
I learn more about her focus academically (Literature), her family (parents still married, with a little brother), and her favorite spot to eat on campus (a Chinese restaurant).
By the time we’re circling back and the run is in its last mile, she doesn’t stop chattering, asking me questions in return about my goals with my business degree.
The run's been a great ice-breaker, and made me motivated to help her get past her hangups. I know for certain I’m game to serve as support.
I only wish someone had done that for me.
As we run down the hill to the track, I notice Coach Shelley picking up that Jasmine is not only next to me, but talking.
Once we all settle down on the track, the run done, Marcie begins leading the group through stretches. I take part and then head over to Shelley.
“It went well, and we’re going to run together again.”
Her face looks relieved. “Thank you so much, Grace. And you’re welcome back anytime.”
I smile back. “I might take you up on that. It felt good to be in a team environment.”
“If only you had any NCAA eligibility left,” she jokes, and I chuckle in return. I burned through all four years of my eligibility at Princeton.
Something about Shelley erases all of my normal formality with coaches. Mine at Princeton were great, but she’s got a warm energy that transcends a coach’s role.
Almost…maternal. And god knows, I welcome that vibe where I can find it.
The day isn’t done with happy surprises. At ten, I walk into my sports management class for the first time and see that the visiting professor listed on the syllabus, “Ms. Springer,” has written her full name on the board.
Ms. Lily Springer.
Wait, what? Is this Johnson’s Lily? His business manager?
Shocked at the crazy coincidence, I take my seat at the U-shaped table instead of greeting her. It’ll be a small class as she set the limit at twenty enrollments, with a few prerequisites.
As other students trickle in, they go up and introduce themselves, shaking her hand. I feel bad that I didn’t.
But she takes the bull by the horn, and with one minute left before it’s officially the start of class, she looks straight at me and smiles.
“You aren’t Grace Battle, by any chance?” I nod. “Oh great, I thought it might be you. I’ve met your brother a few times, through my client Johnson. You have the same eyes.”
Getting over the surprise that she’s my teacher, I stand up and approach her. I offer my hand, which she takes readily. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’m really looking forward to this course.”
Of course, I don’t mention my own connection to Johnson.
The class itself is incredible. Lily walks us through some of the strategic work that she does as part of her job, and assigns a couple of books about the topic that I know I’m going to devour.
The other students are engaged too, with many of them expressing interest in pursuing careers in the sports industry. I realize it will be a great chance to network with them as well.
As I leave, after waving goodbye to Lily, I find a bench to sit down and text Johnson.
GRACE: You’re never going to believe this…
Later that night, he calls me to get the full story on both developments. I’m back at my condo, since Landon returned from New York on Sunday evening.
“That’s unexpected,” he says about Lily.
“I didn’t mention anything that would suggest you and I know each other well.”
He chuckles. “That’s one way of putting it.”
“If she doesn’t know, then no one can say that it’s impacting how she grades me.”
“True, true. She and I don’t exactly talk about my love life anyway.”
He’s quiet for a second and then clears his throat. “So I know this weekend was a lot, our dates, Carter and Jessica finding out…I don’t want you to feel rushed about anything else.”
“I’m good, Johnson.” And I am. More than good.
“You know how Tuesdays are my normal day off? When we have weekend games, anyway. I was wondering, could we make a standing date for Tuesdays? After you get done with your classes for the day, that is.”
“You know I love a plan,” I joke, and he laughs in return, a little nervousness trickling into his voice. “Yes, that sounds great, Johnson.”
From living with Landon’s schedule, I know that football dominates the rest of Johnson’s week right now. The fact that he wants to carve out his one technical day off for me means a lot.
He sighs like he’s been holding his breath. “Awesome. I mean, that’s a whole week from now, and I would love to see you more often, but it’ll be nice to know that Tuesdays are Grace days.”
I’m not sure he understands how much he’s revealing with his words. But the relief that floods his voice with the “Tuesdays are Grace days” line squeezes my heart.
“Tuesdays are Johnson days,” I mirror back.
I can hear the smile in his voice when he responds. “So tell me more about the run today…”
And as I explain everything that happened with the Tolliver team this morning, I feel something click into place. Something important.
Johnson, what’s happening here, how he treats me—I deserve this. I deserve whatever this is, for myself.