They cast her curious glances but headed over to the locker room once Ari gave them a nod to go ahead. Once they’d left, Ari and Thandie walked over to a bench in the hallway and sat down. Ari’s mind instantly wandered back to dinner the otherday, cringing at the memory. They’d both acted out, but Ari could understand why Thandie hated her so much.
“I am really sorry about the accident,” Ari said. “Truly, I would have never done something like that on purpose. I was just—”
“I know,” Thandie said softly. “You don’t have to apologize.”
When they were kids on the teenage league, a few of their teammates had been friends. So, they’d ended up at enough of the same sponsor talks, brand events, and post-competition afterparties to become friendly acquaintances. But they hadn’t spoken one-on-one like this since the accident. After a few moments of silence, Thandie finally sighed and spoke up.
“If I was on the men’s team, people would love me for being competitive, you know,” Thandie said. “The way I move on the rink? They would praise me for being strategic. The energy I put into being the best? They would say I’m focused, relentless, an athlete on their way to the hall of fame.”
“You are,” said Ari, because it was true. Thandie was undeniably one of the best in the game.
“Thank you. But that’s not the narrative that people focus on when I’m on the rink. Did you know that a commentator once said live, on air, that I’m ‘not a girl’s girl’?” Thandie sounded genuinely hurt. It was one of those throwaway insults that cut deep.
“I organize all my teammates’ birthday dinners, coach the under-fourteens’ team in the breaks between seasons, and would literally go to war for the people I love. But I’m allegedlynot a girl’s girlbecause I have the audacity to beand believethat I’m the best at what I do?”
“It’s bullshit.” Ari nodded. She’d never really looked at things from Thandie’s point of view. But she knew full well that it wasn’t easy being a woman in professional sports.
“So, if you know it’s bullshit, why do you perpetuate it?”Thandie said, looking directly at her. There was no annoyance in her voice. Just curiosity, and a little bit of hurt. Ari paused for a moment.
“I don’t understand.”
“I heard you, you know. At the first major game I played when I came back from the injury that almost ruined my life? I walked into the canteen and heard you and your teammates describing me like I was this mean, vicious, unreasonable person just because I didn’t want to make small talk and hand out fake smiles.”
Ari thought back to the competition Thandie was talking about. She did remember talking about Thandie with her teammates, but she had no idea that she’d overheard them. She would have never said anything if she’d known she was in the room.
“I didn’t know,” Ari said, but it was a weak excuse. Thandie shook her head.
“It’s one thing to hear that from commentators and rival teams, but from you? We don’t have to be friends, but a little bit of grace and consideration would have been nice. You know how quick they are to villainize women.EspeciallyBlack women. Of all the people in the league, I hoped that you would stand up for me when I came back.” Thandie shrugged, disappointed.
And suddenly everything clicked into place. Ari was hit with a wave of self-awareness.
“I guess I was just so caught up with my own worries and insecurities that I never stopped to question whether I was projecting them onto you,” Ari said, looking over at Thandie. “I’m so sorry.”
But words didn’t feel like enough, so she lifted her arms and pulled Thandie into a hug. At first Thandie froze, but then she hugged her back. It felt like the end of one chapter and the start of another. When they let go, both women laughed a little.
“Don’t think I’m going to go easy on you because we hugged it out.” Thandie smiled.
“I would expect nothing less than you at your best.” Ari nodded, but she couldn’t just leave it there. So, she told her the truth. “You know we all look up to you, right?”
“Flattery doesn’t work on me,” Thandie said, waving her off and picking up her bag.
“But it’s not. It’s the truth. Your comeback was the best thing to happen to the sport, seeing you pick yourself up, come back better than before, and be so determined. It inspired us, especially me.”
“Really?” Thandie’s eyes lit up.
“Yeah, it did. I used to think,If Thandie can come back like that, there’s no excuse for us not to do everything we can to do the same. The sport is better because you’re in it, and it shouldn’t have taken all of this for me to tell you that.”
“Okay, that’s enough sincerity for one day,” Thandie said, standing up.
“See you on the rink?” Ari said.
Thandie flashed her a wicked smile.
“May thebest teamwin.”
46Drew
DAY TEN OF THE 2026 OLYMPICS
