Page 5 of Crashing into Love

“I just got on the plane and came home. I didn’t tell anyone.”

“Why not? I could’ve picked you up, babe.”

“I took an Uber. It’s fine. I just got into bed, though, so I was hoping to get some sleep.”

“I can take the day off work; call in sick.”

“No, I need to be here.”

“And I can’t be there,” he said. “When are you going to finally–”

“Not today, okay?” she requested. “I’m tired, and sad, and I just need to be with my family.”

“It’s been six months, Selma.”

“I know, but…”

“But what?”

“Nothing,” she said. “I need sleep, okay? I’ll call you later.”

“Okay. I’ll be home around six. I can swing by and pick you up for a welcome-home dinner, take you someplace nice.”

“Maybe another night, okay? I’m pretty jet-lagged.”

“Yeah, okay. My girlfriend has just been gone for almost a month and has been pretty busy that whole time. I feel like I’ve been really supportive, but I would like to see her now that she’s home. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. I didn’t even know you were here. You could’ve at least texted that you’d gotten home safely, Selma,” he said.

“I think we should break up,” she replied.

CHAPTER 3

“You want to make the team again?” her coach asked.

“You know I do. This is not a big secret, Coach. I have to get back out there soon if they’re going to consider me. You know that.”

“No, I know that you need to listen to me. I’m in charge, remember?” he asked with a stern expression she’d seen more than once. “We’re a year out, Drew.”

Drew was the kind of person who needed a coach like this. She’d previously had one she’d been able to walk all over, and that hadn’t worked out because she needed someone to tell her how it was and insist that she follow their instructions. If not, she’d just risk going out on her own, getting herself hurt, or even just being too tired to make smart decisions on the course or in her training, getting hurt that way. It might as well be her Achilles heel. This coach knew that and made sure to tell her when she was being the kind of athlete he didn’t coach for that very reason.

“I am well aware of how far away the Olympics are; trust me. I don’t need a reminder.” She shifted from lying down on the physical therapist’s bed to sitting up and letting her legs dangle over the side of it instead. “I have three different countdowns on my phone. One for the team selection date, one for the date I’d leave with the team, and one for what would probably be my first race. I’ll change that one when the schedule is out. I’m ready.” She looked down at her knee, which looked completely normal now.

It was no longer swollen, and the scars had healed up nicely.

“You’re ready mentally and emotionally, yes. That’s not surprising; you’re a tough person. But your knee needs more time to heal, even if it doesn’t look like it. And don’t think I can’t see you staring at it right now, thinking about telling me that it’s fine.”

Drew rolled her eyes more at herself than at him because she’d been about to do just that.

“The doctor and PT said it’s good to go. And I’ve been training, too, so I don’t see the problem with amping things up to see how it does now.”

“We’ve done light stuff only. I think you need another week at least before I put you on any kind of course or attempt to race you,” he replied and crossed his arms over his chest.

That was the pose that told Drew he was serious and not likely to change his mind. But Drew was stubborn, and this was definitely her last chance. She’d already be surprised if she made the team, given her age and her recent injury, but they likely wouldn’t even consider her in four more years, so she needed to get back out there and show them that she was fine.

“I’ve missed two competitions already. I can’t miss another one. They won’t want some washed-up thirty-six-year-old on their team. I’ll be thirty-seven then, so even worse. I have to be at the top of my game, or they won’t risk it. You know how good US boarders have gotten since I started.”

“I do know. Still, you need to trust me. I know what I’m doing here. I’ve not steered you wrong yet, have I? I want you to take a little time off. I don’t mean forever. If you must, you can do some of what we’ve been doing in training recently, but take it easy on that knee. Make sure to ice it several times a day if you do anything at all. Your body doesn’t heal as quickly as it used to, Drew. You were going non-stop before you got injured, which is probably what led to you getting hurt in the first place. We’ve got a long way to go before the Olympics, so you need to remember that even if they select you, you still have to be uninjured and ready, or you won’t end up going. You know that as well as I do, so arguing really isn’t going to do anything for either of us right now.”

“I know. I know. You want me to take a break; I get it. But is now the best time? I need to at least keep my face out there. Even if I don’t compete, I can still go, support other boarders, and find ways to keep my name in the mix with interviews or something.”

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