Page 149 of Fake Married to the Grumps

“I need to make it,” I answer, heading for the door. The only thing that keeps me sane since Gracie left is the game. On thecourt, I can forget all my worries and indulge in the rush of the game that exceeds every other feeling.

I have to meet with the rest of the team in about thirty minutes, and we’ll have a little practice before the main game tonight. It’s not a major practice, but it’s a way for our coach to hype us up for the big night.

“I’ll come watch you tonight,” he says. “It’s the start of the NBA playoffs. The whole world is watching, and you need me rooting for you in the crowd, don’t you think?”

Jace’s enthusiasm should cheer me up, but nothing seems to do the trick these days. I offer him a tiny smile, then open the front door and pause halfway.

“Do you think Gracie will be watching tonight?” I ask while hovering around the doorway. The delicate dance of my nerves heightens after I ask, and I realize I’m holding my breath as Jace turns to look at me again. “I just … It’s not a big deal if she’s not. I know she’s busy and all …”

“Gracie has never missed any one of your games, Trev,” Jace answers. “She’s a diehard fan. If you didn’t know that, then you don’t know Gracie.”

A flutter of hope rises inside me. “Oh,” I gasp as the heat inches towards my cheeks and leaves me with a flush. “See you tonight.”

That afternoon, during the final practice before the playoffs, Billy walks over to me and extends a hand for a casual shake.

“Hey,” he greets after we bump shoulders, “How’s Gracie? Is she gonna be around tonight?”

My relationship with Billy isn’t fully mended after what he did, and there’s no way I can trust him with anything again.

“No,” I answer him with a light shrug. “But she’s definitely gonna be watching.”

“Cool,” he whispers, then nods.

Knowing Gracie will be watching the game tonight leaves me with a tingle in the pit of my stomach. I can’t explain it, but finding out she has watched me all these years makes me happy.

Nothing else will matter but the two of us.

I keep thinking about those words Gracie said to me that night in my kitchen.Can I trust these feelings?I’ve lived with the conviction that I’ll never let love weaken me like it did to my mother.Or let it change me like it did to my father.But the days rolling by without Gracie arebleak, and I hate it.

I’ve never been more certain about anything than I am at this moment.

Coach blows his whistle and pulls me out of my thoughts.

“Gather around, guys,” he calls, and we all jog towards him in the training court for a brief meeting. The game against thePhiladelphia 76ers tonight marks the start of the playoffs, and I’m hopeful for a successful championship run.

***

Hours later, the arena pulsates with the rhythmic bounce of basketball and the electrifying hum of anticipation. My shoes squeak against the polished court floors with each step I take towards the net.

Tension hangs in the air like a heavy mist as the game unfolds. It’s only three minutes to the game’s end now, and my team leads the Bulls with a whopping twenty-seven points.

Our opponents mimic my every move like zombies, clamoring to get the ball out of my hands as I aim for the net with my famous slam dunk move. My feet leave the ground with a high jump, and a hushed murmur swallows the court. I don’t hear anything else but the thud of my pulse and the distant echoes of the crowd as I’m suspended in mid-air.

Once the shot lands in the net, the crowd explodes in jubilation, marking the end of the game.

The commentator rambles on with excitement, and my teammates run toward me to celebrate with shouts and cheers of excitement.

A second later, they lift me in the air and chant our victory song while marching in a circle. The joyous moment lasts for a while, and as the rush of adrenaline starts fading, I realize I’m scouting the faces in the arena’s audience for one person.

Gracie.I can’t think of anyone else I want to run to and celebrate with right now. Her brilliant smile would be perfect in this moment, and my world slows.

“Hawkins! Hawkins!” the crowd starts to cheer, and the commentator rushes towards me with a mic.

“As the man of the game, what do you have to say after such an amazing game tonight, Hawkins?” He shoves the mic at me, and I’m well aware of the expectant viewers all waiting for me to say something that will trend in the media for days.

“I’m grateful,” I say after finding my voice again. I lick my lips and burst into a light chuckle. “To my wife … I’m grateful to my wife, and I’m also deeply sorry to her. She’s stood by me through it all, and I’ve been such a fool not to realize how much I love her.”

“Wow,” the man comments and starts unloading another question, but I don’t hear a thing he says as I back away from him and head towards the court’s exit.

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