Page 71 of Sidelined Love

I can't fight the laughter that escapes me. It's true—overthinking is my Olympic sport, and I've won many gold medals in that event.

“But seriously, I need this to be simple. Life's complicated enough and I have too much to do.”

“I get it. You want something that's not going to throw your world upside down.”

Funny enough, he has already done that, but I don't say it out loud. We continue to chat for the rest of our trip and soon I'mparking in a spot near the entrance of the main building on Oak Terrace's campus.

Jade hops out of the car first and I find myself trailing behind her. Part of it's my nervousness, but it's also obvious Jade wants to see her grandmother.

The automatic doors sweep open with a soft whoosh as we enter the lobby. Immediately I'm greeted by the sight of residents living their lives, some walking slowly with canes, others zipping through in motorized wheelchairs.

Jade waves at an older man who is positioned strategically by the window, sunlight casting a gentle glow around his silver hair. “There's Mr. Kowalski! Gran and he sometimes play bingo together.”

I smile at her enthusiasm. Jade has this talent for making everyone feel welcome and like they are her best friend. Since I don't have that ability, I find myself in awe and sometimes slightly annoyed because that means people then come over and talk to me.

We make our way to the activities director's office after a few more hellos and introductions, courtesy of Jade. Stepping into the office, we find Mrs. Linda Rafferty, her round glasses perched on the end of her nose as she scrutinizes the documents in front of her.

“Mrs. Rafferty?” Jade says as she knocks on the already open door, her voice filled with the same warmth she extends to everyone.

The older woman lifts her gaze, and a soft smile finds its place on her face. “Jade! And this must be Hailey. Thank you so much for coming out here today.”

I step forward to take the lead, my fingers lightly gripping the strap of my bag. “Thanks for having us. We're here to go over the final arrangements for the chess event this Saturday.”

Mrs. Rafferty nods, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she gestures for us to sit across from her. “Of course. We're all very excited about the event. The residents have been playing and practicing with one another and it's a beautiful sight to see.”

I can't help but smile because the thought makes me so happy. It's one of those moments that makes me realize how worth it all of this is.

I pull out my notebook, flipping past scribbled notes about environmental policy levels until I find my checklist for the event. “So, we'll need to confirm the setup for the tables and chairs in the main hall…”

Mrs. Rafferty interjects, “All taken care of. Your diagrams were very detailed—I will make sure maintenance sets everything up the way you've asked.”

“Excellent,” I reply. This is going better than I thought. “We'll bring some more chess sets from campus because we'll need more. Also, we'll have more chess club members coming from campus who can help with teaching and playing with those who might not have an opponent.”

As Mrs. Rafferty and I continue to run through logistics, from accessibility accommodations to outlining emergency procedures, the nerves fall away and my passion and love for chess as well as this event returns. My impostor syndrome has been laid to rest for the time being, giving me the ability to think and act more freely.

Finally, with everything addressed down to the last detail, Mrs. Rafferty leans back in her chair with a satisfied sigh. “Well, it looks like we're prepared for an afternoon of chess! You've done an excellent job coordinating this, Hailey.”

“Thank you,” I say sincerely. The proverbial ball for this event is rolling and so far, so good. And I was damn proud of it.

Jade clasps her hands together excitedly before standing up. “This is going to be so great! I can't wait.”

As we leave Mrs. Rafferty’s office and head toward the wing where Jade's grandmother resides, our conversation drifts to how well the meeting went and what we need to do next to make sure things go off without an issue.

We come to a stop outside room 215 and Jade gives a quick knock before turning the doorknob and pushing the door open. “Gran? We're here!” she calls out.

Seated by the window is Mrs. Hazel Samuels, and as we step inside, a smile spreads across her face when she sees Jade.

“There's my girl!” she exclaims, holding out her arms.

Jade immediately goes to her grandmother and gives her a gentle hug. Mrs. Samuels pats Jade's cheek affectionately before her gaze settles on me.

“And you must be Hailey. I've heard so much about you from this chatterbox granddaughter of mine.”

I can't help but laugh. “It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Samuels. I hope Jade hasn't been spreading too many stories about me.”

“Oh nonsense, she only has wonderful things to say,” Mrs. Samuels says with a wink. The neatly arranged cards on the table in front of her make me think she was playing a game of solitaire before we arrived. She pushes the table aside to stand and greet us properly.

Mrs. Samuels points to the stylish bar cart on the other side of the room that has lemonade, water, and cookies on it, “I've set up a little treat for us. Don't be shy, pour yourselves a drink and grab a snack.”

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