I’m a grown man. A professional athlete, for fuck’s sake. I thrive under pressure. Two minutes on the clock, down a touchdown? I live for it. Media, contract negotiations? Bring it on.
But somehow, the idea of seeing Alie today—knowing I’ll likely see her in some of these meetings—has my mind spinning and my heart pumping like it's a playoff game.
I grab my phone, headphones, and a towel, then head into the gym and start my sets.
I last about forty minutes before I give up the pretense of patience.
“Where you going, Pitz?” one of my new teammates, Wyatt St. Clair, asks.
“Uh, I have a paperwork thing upstairs.”
He nods like it makes sense and continues lifting weights.
It absolutely doesn’t make sense. All my paperwork has been signed, sealed, and delivered.
“I’m heading out after I’m done, so I’ll see you tomorrow,” he calls after me as I pull the door open.
“Later, man,” I say over my shoulder.
I take the fastest shower of my life, toss my bag over my shoulder, and make my way up to the administrative floor.
It’s quieter up here. A more controlled environment—carpet instead of turf, coffee instead of sweat.
When I find her door, it’s closed. I look up and down the hallway to see if anyone else is around, and then I knock lightly.
I can hear movement and a muffled sound that definitely isn’t Alie’s voice.
I knock again.
“Just a second.” Alie’s voice carries.
The door opens then, and the moment I see her, everything else just fades away.
Her hair is tied back today, and she’s got glasses on. She looks beautiful in a way that hits hard.
“Liam,” she says, startled. “Hey.” She moves into the doorway and closes her door slightly.
“Hi,” I reply slowly. “You got a minute?”
She hesitates. Just for a moment.
Then I hear it.
A tiny laugh.
It takes my brain a second to process what I’m hearing.
When I look over Alie’s head, I see her.
A little girl sits on the floor in front of Alie’s desk, surrounded by crayons, paper, and coloring books. Dark wavy hair. Big brown eyes. Tiny sneakers on her little feet, tapping on the floor as she looks up at me curiously.
Everything inside me freezes.
“Can I come in?” I ask, my voice coming out a little rougher than I intended.
Alie moves back and pushes the door open. “Uh … ” she looks over at the little girl. “Yeah, come in.”
She closes the door behind me.
