There’s noise, but it’s muffled for a beat. My vision tunnels. For a second, all I can hear is my own pulse.
Then the roar slams back in.
My mother’s hand flies to her mouth. My father exhales sharply, a small sound that might be satisfaction, might be something else.
I’m on my feet before I realize I’ve stood.
Eric’s hand is on my shoulder, steering me. “Smile, Ollie,” he murmurs. “You did it.”
I did.
I’m staying.
LA.
Everything tight in my chest loosens all at once. My eyes burn, but I blink hard. No tears. Not here. Not now.
My mother stands and hugs me, careful, like we’re posing. “Congratulations, sweetheart,” she says, voice bright. “This is… wonderful.”
My father pats my back twice. “Good work, son.”
Good work.NotI’m proud of you.But I don’t need those words anymore. I’ve heard them enough from someone else that I can carry them into this moment.
I hug them both, because I do love them, beneath all the control and pressure and politics. I hug Eric. I shake a few hands.
Then I walk.
Down the row. Along the path they’ve carved through the tables, up toward the stage.
The Monarchs cap is in the hands of a League staffer. Black. Gold crown. LA stitched on the side.
He hands it to me, and my fingers close around the brim. It’s heavier than it looks.
I put it on. The fit is snug. It feels right.
Flashbulbs go off. People are shouting my name. The commentary rolls over the speakers—something about “anchor in the paint,” “local star stays home,” “instant defensive presence.”
I hear none of it clearly, because I’m focused on one thing.
The camera.
There’s one directly in front of the stage, red light glowing. I walk up the steps. The commissioner sticks out his hand. We shake. We pose with the jersey. The logo looms behind us on the giant screen.
And for a heartbeat that stretches long enough to feel like a promise, I turn my head and look straight into that camera lens.
I don’t blink.
I don’t smile too wide.
I just look.
If he’s watching—and I know he is—he’ll know.
This is for you.
I did it.
We’re still in the same city.
