“But you do have her,” Kate said. “No matter what you end up doing, you’ll still have each other.”
“I know.” Nicole nodded. “I keep telling Ariana that everything will be okay no matter what I’m doing after the season. It weighs on her, but I could see some relief when I told her I was coming to talk to you about this deal.”
Kate furrowed her brow. “What are you trying to say, Nicole? I can see there’s something else.”
Nicole could feel the emotions whirling around inside her. “I knew when I looked in her eyes that she was who I’m supposed to be with from now on. I want her to be with me now and always. This has been fast once we stopped fighting it, but I do know my heart.” Nicole could feel tears sting the back of her eyes. She saw Kate nod in encouragement and she kept going.
“It’s not that I don’t still need my alone time, we all do, but she’s my future. You know when you’re a kid and you can’t wait for Christmas to come? This is like taking all those years of wanting rolled into one. I can’t wait for this season to be over so Ariana and I can be together.”
“Okay, I get it,” Kate said. “But you are together. Take a breath, be together when you can, and it’ll all work out. That’s why we’re doing this.”
“But during all this wanting, Ariana is fighting to win a championship and worrying about what’s going to happen with us.”
“You’re helping her with that worry. You just said you were,” Kate said.
“I am, but nothing will take it all away until we don’t have to hide.”
“It won’t be much longer.”
Nicole gasped. “I know what I need to do.”
Kate raised her brows. “Want to share?”
Nicole smiled. “Not just yet. Thanks, I feel better. I never dreamed anything would be more important to me than basketball, but our life together is. I’d do anything for her.”
“Let’s hope giving up your job isn’t one of them.”
“Speaking of my job, I’ve got to get to the airport.” Nicole got up and hugged Kate then hurried to the waiting car. She hadn’t realized how much worry she was carrying as well. The uncertainty of their lives after the season had added to everything else. Now she knew what needed to happen and she was prepared to do it.
Ariana was sitting in front of her locker in the dressing room as game time approached. She had her earbuds in and was listening to a song when someone nudged her shoulder.
“What are you listening to that puts that kind of smile on your face?” Cameron asked.
Ariana grinned. “Nicole is sending me songs to listen to before games,” she said quietly. “It’s a way she can talk to me and no one knows.”
“Ah, that’s fun,” Cameron said.
“Yeah, she’s trying to lighten things up because there’s so much pressure from the playoffs, us and, ugh, all of it.”
Cameron sat down next to her and leaned against her shoulder. “You know, some of our teammates know you have a girlfriend.”
Ariana’s heart fell into her stomach. She looked over at Cameron wide-eyed. “What?”
“Relax, they don’t know who it is. They just know you have someone because you’re happier than usual and you seem settled.”
Ariana scoffed. “I’m anything but settled. Everything is so up in the air. We had a long talk yesterday and she’s seeing Kate today before she leaves for Phoenix. She’s got an idea for a deal with the network that will keep her calling games. I’m so relieved because I know she loves it.”
“Good,” Cameron said. “We need you focused.”
“Oh, I’m focused, but I am wondering what happens after we win this championship. I want to be with Nic all the time.”
“Then be with her.”
Ariana looked over at Cameron and smiled. “It’s that easy isn’t it?” Suddenly it became clear to her what she wanted her life with Nicole to look like. All this time Nicole had had to take the lead. They met at her apartment around Ariana’s practice schedule and both their game schedules. Once the season was over, the secret would come out and Ariana could be with the woman she loved whenever she wanted.
“I’m going to need your help with something after we get back from Indiana,” Ariana said.
“Sure thing,” Cameron said. “Hey, what’s the song you were listening to?”
