And just maybe she’s wrong about one thing, though. I didn’t want to be here. But this morning when I overslept my alarm, I got up in a rush and swept out the door without stopping for a shower or breakfast because I knew Lennon was here waiting for our workout. And I didn’t like the thought of letting her down.
Haulton University was the last place I wanted to be last month, but slowly, it’s becoming the highlight of my otherwise dull days.
16
Luke
“You wanted to see me?” I ask Alice, poking my head into her office. She’s hunched over her desk watching something on her phone intently. Probably game footage.
In the last few weeks, we’ve won four games and lost two. Not the best, not the worst. Jenna’s got a lot of work to put in with the defense. Some of the shots getting past Lennon aren’t her fault.
“Yes, come in!” Alice calls out cheerfully and takes off her glasses. She sets them on her cluttered desk. “Got any fun plans this weekend?”
“If getting takeout and staring into the abyss sounds fun, then yes,” I deadpan and Alice laughs. “No, not really. You?”
“My sister has a booth at the indoor craft market in City Hall on Saturday, so I’m going to go show my support. I already have a houseful of knitted stuffed animals lying around, but what’s a few more?”
I scratch the back of my neck. “Sounds fun.”
“Don’t lie to me,” she scolds playfully. “Now, I just wanted to check in and see how things are going with Lennon and Grace.”
I settle back into the chair and throw my foot over my knee. “Grace is a solid backup,” I say. She’s only played in two games so far this season and we won one, lost one. “She’s consistent in practice, and I’ve been working on her coming out of the crease more to keep the puck in play and gaining that confidence.”
Alice nods and jots a note down on a yellow pad.
“But as you know, I’m just working with her during the time allotted in practice, so I don’t have much more to say on her.” What I don’t tell Alice is that I often forget about Grace. In the past few weeks, she’s made me jump more than once when she asks a question because my focus is solely on Lennon. I should feel bad, but I don’t.
“Grace is a good kid. Enjoys the sport, listens well, and is a good teammate. But she’s not looking at this as anything but a sport for her to play over her four years at school and then leaving the pads behind.”
I nod. “Nothing wrong with that.”
“Not at all. Good work, keep on her in practice. She’ll likely be starting next year after Lennon graduates, so it’s good to be working with her already. Now, how about Lennon? I think your extra conditioning with her has been paying off.”
“It has,” I say, pride swelling. “Her stamina is better, and by the third, she’s starting to look as fresh as in the first.”
“She’s been doing well. Do you think she finally has her head in the game again?”
“I don’t think she ever didn’t,” I say, surprised at the defensiveness in my tone. “But she’s putting a lot of pressure on herself after last year’s loss.”
Alice purses her lips as deep lines marr her forehead. “I was worried about that. The team took the loss hard, but Lennon…she blamed herself.”
“When the team wins, it’s a team effort. When a team loses, it’s the goalie’s fault.”
Alice rolls her eyes. “Spoken like a goalie.”
I hold my hands up in defense. “That’s not a denial.”
“Hush. Now, fill me in on her.”
Excitement bubbles in my chest as I tell Alice about Lennon’s progress, and I relish in it. Maybe at the beginning I didn’t want to put in extra work, extra hours, with her, but now, it’s given me a new purpose.
In the last game, when Lennon successfully blocked not only the initial shot during a breakaway, but also gloved down the rebound with calm and calculated ease, I couldn’t help but yell out my excitement along with the rest of the team. It earned me a few looks, likely because most of the girls have barely heard me speak more than five words, but it was worth it.
All the work Lennon has been putting in so far has made it worth it. And there’s still so much more potential in her.
Alice listens intently, jotting down more notes, and a faint smile crosses her face as I finish. “Good work, Luke.” She plants her elbow on the desk and rests her chin against her hand, appraising me with a warm expression. “I think you’re finally finding your footing here.”
I nod slowly. “I never thought I’d say it, but I agree.”
