Page 34 of Spin Serve

“I really do. Everyone used to have this impression of me, which I didn’t do anything to debunk, but they just assumed that I was some kind of hotshot Lothario or something, and that could not be further from the truth. I was a total late bloomer when it came to my personal life, but when I met Ev, that was it. We argued a lot, but it was like the fun, hot kind of arguing, and once we really got to know each other, I knew it: she was the one, and I wanted no one else. Marrying that woman is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I have more medals and trophies than probably most other professional athletes in history. I hate it when we’re apart. And now that we have a kid and we’re about to have another, I hate it even more.”

“You’ve not thought about stopping the travel?” Kendra asked.

“I have. We have. It’s hard because we’re finally on TV consistently, you know? And not on ESPN 55 or something like that.” Wyatt laughed. “We’re on the main stage, and I want to be a part of that.”

“Well, you did help build the stage.”

“It’s more than that, though,” Wyatt shared. “I love seeing the not-so-little-anymore girls, who once met me at a match and had their picture taken with me or got me to sign something for them, show up to play in a college match I’m here for, or even a pro one now. It’s amazing to see.” Wyatt smiled. “But, yeah, I won’t do this forever. My contract is up soon for a reason. I don’t plan to renew. I’ll come back to it in a few years, maybe, if I still want to, but I’m considering taking a coaching job close to home. We’ll have two little ones; I don’t want to miss them growing up. And Ev is excelling at her work, so I don’t want to take her away from it anymore, but I also don’t want to miss her when I’m in some hotel room miles away. I’m a sap. What can I say?” Wyatt shrugged.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Kendra asked and nodded for them to walk away from the stands and toward the exit they’d take to the back of the stadium.

“Yeah, of course. About what was up with you earlier?”

“I’m in a pickle, I think.”

“A pickle? Haven’t heard that one in a while.” Wyatt laughed as they walked.

“Do you remember me asking you about Aspen Ashley the last time?”

“Yes. Your new neighbor.”

“Yeah. And she’s…” Kendra looked down at her own feet. “Well, she’s pretty great.”

“No!” Wyatt laughed and said, “You and Aspen?”

“No. No. Not like that.” Kendra stopped walking. “I mean, yes, like that, but nothing’s happened. We’re not together or anything.”

Wyatt stood there and examined her face thoroughly, which made Kendra a little uncomfortable, but she went with it anyway, deciding to let it go in order to get what she was feeling out.

“You like her, though. I knew it the last time we talked. I knew there was something up with you then, and I knew it tonight,” Wyatt said, catching her off guard.

“How do you always know stuff like this, exactly?”

“Doesn’t matter. I just do,” Wyatt replied. “And right now, there’s something you want to tell me, but you’re not. I’ve noticed it before, whenever we talk about your playing days and why you didn’t play in college. I know you could have, and I can tell you still wish you were out on that court. Same as me.”

“You still wish you were out there?”

“I think every retired athlete does in a way. I don’t regret retiring when I did, being able to go out on my own terms, and I am very happy in my life, but sure – I’d love to have another season, get another championship, and maybe another gold medal. Who wouldn’t? You stopped after high school, though, and I didn’t want to press, but there was something that stopped you, wasn’t there?”

“I don’t really like talking about it, but yes,” Kendra confirmed. “And I never tell anyone the specifics, but, well, I told Aspen the other day, and I’ve kind of realized that I actually like her. At first, I thought it was just a crush because I didn’t know her all that well, and I don’t know that I know her well now, but we live next to each other, and I see her a lot. She helped me paint my house, and then I went to a practice she had with her partner, and we all just played around. It was… Honestly, it was the best day I’ve had in a while.”

“You went to a practice with her?”

“Yes. And I played a little for the first time in forever. She was great, Wyatt. She’s like this impulsive, filter-free, gorgeous woman who happens to love the same sport that I love, and she understands why I love it so much. She’s also kind and doesn’t seem to let any of this go to her head. I mean, she regularly gets called ‘the Wyatt Wicked of beach volleyball’ and ‘the next coming of Misty May-Treanor,’ and she doesn’t seem to care or notice or let it change her.”

“Well, she’s still making beach volleyball money and fighting for the sport to become more mainstream, so that’s probably part of it… But, yeah, whenever I’ve seen her before, I’ve always gotten a good vibe. She’s a truth-teller.”

“A truth teller?”

“Yes; she doesn’t lie. At least, I’ve never seen her lie. She’s genuine.”

“Yeah, that’s it: she’s a genuine person. That’s rare in my line of work.”

“She’s gay, you know?” Wyatt said.

“I know.”

“So, that’s not a problem.”

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