But Lucy felt it too. The weight of it. The truth of it.
"Yeah," she said softly. "That's what people who care about each other do."
They stayed like that for hours—watching TV, eating pizza, existing in the quiet comfort of each other's presence. And when Lucy finally went home at midnight, climbing the stairs to her own apartment, she felt lighter than she had in years.
Tomorrow, she'd call Shayna and accept the offer. She'd start the process of selling her grandmother's bakery, of letting go of the past five years, of stepping into an unknown future.
Tomorrow, everything would change.
But tonight, Lucy Chen was exactly where she wanted to be: present, alive, and finally ready to see what came next.
Friday morning practice was brutal.
Tommy had Jake running plays while explaining coaching philosophy, working with Owen on his positioning while teaching Jake how to give feedback that would actually land, managing the team's energy while learning how to read the room.
By 10 AM, Jake was exhausted and exhilarated in equal measure.
"You're a natural at this," Tommy said as they watched the team run drills. "You know that, right?"
"I feel like I'm drowning in information."
"That's normal. Coaching is ninety percent observation and ten percent knowing when to intervene. You're already good at the observation part—you've been studying the game your whole life. Now you're just learning to teach what you know."
After practice, Jake showered and checked his phone. A text from Lucy.
Lucy:Called Shayna this morning. I accepted the offer.
Jake's heart did something complicated. Pride mixed with fear mixed with excitement.
Jake:How do you feel?
Lucy:Like I just jumped off a cliff. Also like I can finally breathe.
Jake:I'm proud of you.
Lucy:Thank you. For everything. For believing in me.
Jake:Always.
Jake pocketed his phone and headed to his truck. As he walked through the parking lot, he passed Steve Kowalski's businesscard sitting in his cupholder—a reminder of the choice he'd made, the path not taken.
He didn't regret it. Not even a little.
His phone rang. His mom.
"Hey, Mom."
"Jake! I was just thinking about you. How are things?"
"Really good, actually. I'm learning to coach. It's hard but good."
"And Lucy? How's that going?"
Jake felt himself smile. "Also really good. She just accepted an offer to sell her bakery."
"That's wonderful! Is she happy about it?"
"I think so. Scared, but happy. She's going to travel, go to culinary school, figure out what comes next."
