“Oh my God!” I scream, slapping the water. I did it!
It was such a fast heat two other girls also get Olympic trial cuts. The announcer shouts over the loudspeaker that we’re going to Omaha. Tears roll down my cheeks. All my hard work, years upon years in the pool, led to me having awesome endurance. It led me to this moment.
In June, I will be going to the biggest meet of my life!
Coach Josh gives me a big hug, and then I rush for my boyfriend. He lifts me up into his arms, spins me in a circle (which is probably an unsanctioned activity), and kisses me in front of a cheering crowd. Everything is great until Jason runs up and smacks me on the butt with a kickboard.
When I call Mom and Dad, they scream congratulations over and over, which is pretty funny considering they are catering a library fund-raiser tonight. It’s fun to imagine the librarians shushing them.
Then Levi and I sit in the stands to watch the rest of the finals and cheer for New Wave. My heart won’t stop racing. My smile feels permanently glued to my face. I can’t sit still. I did it!
Levi peeks at the time on his phone. It’s 6:30 p.m. “Looks like we won’t make it back in time for prom.”
I lean against his side, resting my cheek against his shoulder. “That’s okay. This is better than some dance.”
“You’re damn right it is,” he says. “But I still want you to have your prom.”
He tugs me up out of my seat, leads me into the hallway, and disappears into the guys’ locker room. He comes out a moment later with a small cooler and a shopping bag. From it he pulls a wireless speaker, which, after a flick of his thumb on his phone, begins to play a slow classical song. He also fishes out a candle, lights it, and places it on the ground. The cooler reveals a plastic box containing a white orchid corsage decorated with bright blue pearls. This he gently slips onto my wrist.
“I love it,” I tell him, and he steals a quick kiss. Still in our suits and sweats, he pulls me into his arms and starts slow dancing with me.
Everything is perfect.
I’m with my best friend.
Four Years Later…
A Sam Henry Epilogue for Hundred Oaks Fans
Must. Stay. Awake.
Must. Stay. Awake.
In the past when I saw new parents, I never understood why they were so exhausted all the time. Then I became a dad and learned babies must be fed constantly. That’s all my baby does. Eat. Which isn’t surprising considering how much his mom and I love food.
I stare down at my beautiful son as I balance his tiny body on my thighs. I run my fingers over his wisps of light hair. Just like Mom and Dad.
“Sean’s going to be a great wide receiver one day,” I say.
Jordan gives me a look of horror. “He’s a quarterback!”
“Wide receiver.”
She lifts one of Sean’s tiny arms between her thumb and forefinger. “Look at these guns. He’s a born quarterback.”
“He can pick whatever position he wants,” I say, leaning down to kiss his forehead.
Jordan yawns. “With our luck, he’ll end up hating football and want to play chess or something.”
“He’d be the best chess player in the world.”
At my words, Jordan snuggles closer to me.
We’re sitting on the couch in the den of the new house we bought a few months ago. It’s only seven o’clock in the evening, but our eyelids are drooping, and we can’t stop yawning no matter how much coffee we drink. Of course the baby is wide awake because he’s a Henry, and Henrys are born troublemakers. Instead of sleeping, Sean is busy making gurgling noises and looking around. I have no idea what he’s looking at though. They say babies can’t see very far away when they’re first born, and he’s only a week old.
A week old, and already the most popular guy in Franklin. Pretty much every person we know has dropped by to see him. My sister, Maya, and her fiancé, Jesse, love Sean so much they’ve been here every day. In addition to a little Braves onesie, they brought him an acoustic guitar. What is he supposed to do with it? I mean, I know he’s my son and he’s going to be great at everything, but he can’t hold up his head yet, much less a guitar. Still, it’s good to know we have built-in babysitters whenever we need them.
And before she got pregnant, Jordan had been training for an eventual triathlon with our friend Matt Brown. Of course he showed up to see the baby, and then immediately asked when Jordan’s going to start biking and swimming again. Seeing as how she can’t keep her eyes open, I think it might be a little while before she’s back at it.
This past week has been all about concentrating on Sean, but now we need to concentrate on something else: staying awake to watch the swimming Olympic trials. Jordan’s former students, Maggie and Levi, are both competing for spots on the US Olympic team.
They didn’t make the cut four years ago, but there’s a good chance they will this time. Levi recently won NCAA Swimmer of the Year, and Maggie led Cal-Berkeley to an undefeated season.
ESPN shows video of Maggie and Levi standing together on the pool deck, laughing at something together. Levi wraps an arm around her waist and kisses her forehead.
The TV announcer says, “Maggie King and Levi Lucassen, both expected to score spots on the US Olympic team, have been dating since high school…”
“Jordan!” I say, not taking my eyes off the screen. I pat her leg. “Woods! They’re on! Jordan!”
That’s when I hear the snore.
I peek over at Jordan. Her eyes are shut, her mouth wide open.
I’ve known my wife—my best friend—since we were seven years old. As kids, we would nap together, sleeping head to toe. That’s how I know she’s always been a snorer. But I will never get tired of it.
I love her.
I pick up the remote to press record so we can watch the trials later.
For now, I’m content to watch her and our son sleep.
Acknowledgments
I had a tough time in high school when it came to relationships. It felt like everyone but me had a boyfriend. Guys hardly ever asked me out. What was I doing wrong? I wore the clothes other girls wore. I did my hair like them too. When I pursued guys who didn’t want me as much as I wanted them, it always ended poorly.