Gemma’s face fell. “Tim, I’m so sorry. I knew how much you were hoping you could stay here.”
“It sucks, but everybody could see it was coming. I’d hoped the school board would listen to what we teachers had to say, but everything we do seems to fall on deaf ears.” He placed his hands in his pockets. “Anyway, that’snotsomething we need to delve into. Tell me aboutyou.What are you thinking and feeling?”
“I’m confused and I’m scared.”
“About?”
“Do I take the surgery route? Or the non-surgery route? Do I contact Dreams on Ice and fill them in on what’s going on? Or do I just wait it out? They still haven’t offered me a contract for next year. Then there’s the question of if I’m even ready to retire. IthoughtI’d decided, but now I’m second-guessing everything.”
“That is a lot,” Tim said matter-of-factly. They walked over to one of the picnic tables and sat down. “From my own experience, you’ll be doing a lot of second-guessing for the foreseeable future.”
She sighed tiredly. “How did you know surgery was right for you?”
“With the rotator cuff, I didn’t have a choice. My shoulder kept popping in and out of its socket. I needed the operation to stabilize the joint. The Tommy John surgery was a little different. I didn’t have to have it. I was told that with the damage to my shoulder, my baseball days were significantly numbered no matter what I did.”
He drew a circle on the lid of his coffee cup and stared at it. “But teenaged me naively thought the doctors had no idea what they were talking about. I firmly believed I could be one of those rare exceptions to the rules. A medical marvel. I elected to go ahead with the UCL repair so I could give myself every possible chance of playing again.”
“Do you regret it?”
“No.” He met her eyes. “I tried and I failed. I would’ve been upset with myself if I’d just given up. It made it much easier to be at peace with everything in the end.”
“I think that’s where my heart is too. As terrified as I am with the idea of having an operation, I’m more frightened that I’d never be able to skate again if the injury became worse. Like you, I want to give myself every possible chance to prolong my skating career.”
“It sounds like you’ve got your head wrapped around the treatment for your hip.”
“I guess I do.” She crossed her right leg over her left. “What do you think I should do about DOI? Do I tell them or not?”
Tim took another sip of coffee. “I think that you should be the one who tells the catcher which pitch to call.”
“Which means?”
“You should be the only one who gets to decide your future. If I were in your skates, I’d start by following up on that contract, then meditate and figure out what is going to make you most happy in the long run. I’d caution you not to ask too much advice from your friends or family. They’ll always keep your best interest at heart by offering you their two cents, but in the end,youneed to be the one who’s happy with whatever the outcome is going to be. It’syourhappiness.Yourlivelihood.Yourfuture. Not anyone else’s. Having the words and opinions of others in your mind can emotionally influence you.”
“That’s a harsh assessment, don’t you think?” She blinked in surprise.
“Yes, it is. Itisharsh, but it’s exactly what I would’ve wanted somebody to tell me if I were able to go back in time.”
Her lips twitched. Tim was being his open and honest self with her. She understood that he said exactly what he thought out of a place of concern and care for her. He didn’t want her to make a decision that she’d regret. He wanted to ensure that she’d behappyin the long-term. Everything he did was with her in mind.
Hearing you say something like this makes me fall even harder for you.
She finished her coffee, and aimed and tossed it into the rubbish bin.
“Nice shot.” He applauded.
“Do you mind if I have a go on the swings? It’s been ages since I played on a set.”
“Anything the princess wishes.” He linked his arm through hers, and they strolled over to the sandbox and swings. Tim bowed. “Milady.”
Giggling, she kicked off her flip-flops, and walked over to the nearest swing. Her feet sunk into the ground as she did so. Tim copied her, removing his own dress shoes and socks, and rolling up the legs of his trousers.
Moving behind Gemma, he wrapped his arms around her waist, gently pulled the swing back, and pushed her forward. A rush of air tickled her face as she glided forward and back. The metal of the chains creaked.
“Would you like to go a little higher?”
“Yes, please!”
Tim’s hands touched her waist and propelled her to her heights. As she sat on the swing, everything felt so carefree. She was weightless and as close to being able to fly as a superhero. Her heart soared, and in that moment, Gemma knew she was developing feelings for Tim that were deeper than anything she’d felt or experienced before.
