That meant a lot, coming from Brian. He’d watched her go from a gangly kid to a formidable contender as she’d gone off to college, and he’d continued to coach her during summers when she was home. No amount of career wins, endorsement deals, or social media followers could take the place of the approval of someone she deeply respected.
“Do you ever miss it, playing professionally?”
“Every day,” he said seriously. “But I love coaching, too. It’s something I always felt you would be great at.”
“Are you trying to recruit me for a job?” she joked.
“If I thought I could get you, absolutely.” That same serious tone was back in his voice. “You have your whole life ahead of you, Syd. I’m excited to see what you do with it, just as much as I loved watching your matches on TV over the last few years and seeing you learn new skills when you were just a kid.”
His words affected her, deeply, and she started to feel her eyes prickle with tears.
“To be honest, I’m not sure what comes next,” she admitted, working to talk around the lump in her throat.
“How long are you in town?”
It was a great question. “I’m not sure, honestly. I came back to relax and get my bearings for a little bit. Definitely through the summer.” She’d committed to attending Grant’s wedding in early September with Reese, which was still months away. Sure, she could fly back and forth from Florida, but there was this feeling she had, like Stoneport was where she needed to be.
Brian tapped at his temple. “I’ve always found that life, just like tennis, is a mental game.”
Sydney groaned, remembering the countless hours of drills she’d been put through, the exhaustive self-regulation to stay calm under pressure, the visualization of the possibilities she could find herself in during a big match. “Don’t I know it, sensei.”
“How’s the knee, all things considered?”
“It’s decent. Fine for casual play. I’d need a full surgery and recovery if I wanted to get back to the professional level, if the doctors are right.” She paused before adding, “And there’s the lack of trust in myself to contend with, if the sports therapists are right.”
Brian considered her words, then his focus shifted to Jenna, who’d appeared back at the edge of the court.
“Well then,” he said, as Jenna picked up her racket and begantaking practice swings, “you want to make this kid’s year and force her to play doubles against us?”
Sydney locked her car and headed into The Stone’s Throw.
She and Brian had won, unsurprisingly, but Jenna had put up a good fight.
After Jenna’s private instruction had ended, she and Brian had gone to a restaurant and grabbed a late lunch, along with a drink, something they’d never done before.
And the whole day had felt… good.
Comforting and normal in some ways. She’d gotten back on the court. Brian’s laughter boomed loudly whenever he missed a shot.
But it was also strange and foreign. Brian wasn’t coaching her; his tips were directed at Jenna on the other side of the net. And Sydney had still been tentative with some of her movements, not wanting to put too much pressure on her knee once they’d gotten into the match.
When she ambled into the lobby, limbs loose from a day of exercise, she noticed Reese sitting at the check-in desk.
Her hair was up, with tendrils framing her face as she looked down at a printed stack of papers.
Sydney stopped at the front desk just as Reese looked up, surprise written across her face.
“Don’t worry, I’m not a check-in,” Sydney said, putting her hands up. “But I was starting to wonder if you’d absconded back to the West Coast.”
Reese blushed, and it made Sydney wonder if she’d actually been avoiding her. “Sorry, it’s been a busy week.”
“Hallie said you were deep in financials,” Sydney supplied, suddenly feeling awkward when Reese didn’t seem to want to meet her eyes.
Reese gestured vaguely at the papers still in front of her. “Yeah, I’m trying to wrap my head around everything.”
“So you aren’t ignoring me?” Sydney let the surge of adrenaline from her day of activity pull the words from her before she could second-guess them. “A girl sort of expects a call after a date where she meets the parents.”
And suddenly, Reese looked absolutely apologetic. She pinched the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes. After a moment, she opened them to look at Sydney. “I’m sorry about that. It had nothing to do with you, honestly. I’m a little bit stressed about this whole bridesmaid thing with Brynn, and I throw myself into projects when I’m stressed,” Reese said, gesturing at the multiple colored highlighters and sticky tabs that were affixed to different pages in the pile.
