It took her a minute to set up her iPad with the feed for Wren’s game. If they won today, the USWNT would head on to the gold medal match. She tapped the mute button, leaving the feed to run in the background of her thoughts. Then, Lily shifted her focus. What to do about her predicament?
She had been excited when Dr. Ryan said he didn’t see any reason why she wouldn’t be able to compete in her college season. But Dr. Mel had given her more to think about. Lily had pretty much written off a third Olympics. But that idea excited her more than the thought of rushing through her rehab just so she could compete in December. The Olympics had always been the dream, not collegiate athletics.
She closed her eyes again, leaning back into the pillows. What she really wanted, more than anything, was to be able to ask Jamie what she would do. Jamie always had the answers, or at least some weirdly abstract way of getting her to them. But she couldn’t do that. Not anymore.
A flash of wild curls crossed her tablet screen as Wren zoomed in and out of the frame, running through her warm-up alongside her teammates. Lily beamed at the sight of her; she couldn’t help it. Even through a screen, the sight of Wren made her want to smile.
Lily reached for her phone, pulling up the group chat she kept with her moms.
Lily to the Gallagher Girls 6:54 PM
Decision made. I want to go with Dr. Mel’s approach. Mom, please let her know. Also, I’m craving lime Jello. Can you find me some?
She tossed her phone down onto the bed beside her, sighing, that little voice in the back of her head whispering,What if I’m not the comeback type?
That evening, after she and her moms had watched Wren’s game, all crowded around Lily’s tablet, her moms had flipped a coin to decide who would stay overnight with her in the medical center. Sarah won and had just drifted off to sleep in the recliner next to her when Lily’s phone lit up with a text.
Wren 12:04 AM
Are you awake?
She looked over at her mom, whose chest rose and fell rhythmically with her sleep, before deciding to call Wren anyway. She needed to hear her voice. Wren answered on the first ring.
“Lily, oh my god, I’m so sorry, I just got done with team stuff, and I saw the post about your fall, and then I saw the video—you’re okay, right? I mean, obviously, you’re calling me, but, like, you’re okay? What’s the plan? Wait, did you break something? Shit, do you need surgery?”
Lily had always found Wren’s rambles to be so amusing—they were filled with so much heart, and it was exactly what she needed right now. Something familiar to sink into.
“Hey, superstar,” she said softly into the phone, keeping her voice low so as not to wake her mom.
“Why are you whispering?” Wren asked.
“Mom’s staying at the medical center with me tonight. Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Ruptured Achilles Tendon. I’m about to rock a pretty sexy boot for a while.”
“Lils, that’s—I’m sorry. That’s rough.”
There was quiet on the line as Wren’s truth sat there in the space neither of them was attempting to fill. Lily liked that about Wren—as nervous with her words as she could be, she always understood the times when Lily didn’t want to say anything more on a subject.
“It’s going to make for one hell of a comeback story,” Lily joked weakly. “Can we talk about you now, superstar? That cross to Watson was perfection.”
She could practically hear Wren’s pride through the phone and she marveled at the way it pulled her own out.
“Yeah,” Wren said excitedly. “I mean, everything just fell into place. She was exactly where she needed to be, and I saw the opportunity and?—”
“Hey, Wren.” Lily cut her off. “Take the compliment, okay?”
“Okay,” Wren said sheepishly.
More silence followed, accompanied by the rustling of fabric as Wren moved around on the other end of the call. But Lily didn’t mind. Her presence, even quietly, felt so good in whatever form she could get it.
“I wish I could be there tomorrow when you get out of surgery. I might be able to talk to the coaches, but I don’t know.”
“Absolutely not,” Lily said indignantly. Was Wren serious? She had a gold-medal match to prepare for; Lily was the last thing she should be thinking about right now.
“I’m serious, Lily, I want to be there.” Wren’s eager voice came through the speaker, but Lily cut her off.
“I thought you wanted a gold medal?”
“What?”
