Page 53 of The Pickleball Girl Finds Her Match

Sebastian had spent almost his entire life on his own, by himself. Granted he’d been surrounded by coaches and other tennis players at IMG, but it wasn’t like he had family by his side. And when he went to UCLA, he’d been by himself then, too. Nothing had changed other than the city he lived in. As long as Sebastian could remember, his “family” consisted of staff, teachers, and other student-athletes.

He had been a tennis player since he was eleven years old. Sebastian didn’t know how to do anything else … be anything else.

Tennis had been his identity.

So during those dark days after he’d mangled his knee, he’d realized that it wasn’t his injury that was making him so miserable. It was that he couldn’t step onto a tennis court, and that essentially rendered him nonexistent. Aside from being a tennis player, what was he? Just another twenty-year-old, business major, washed-up athlete.

Everybody thought that Sebastian had quit tennis. But the fact was, tennis had quit him. Tennis had left him behind.

“Sebastian, I am so deeply sorry,” said Barbara, her voice soft. “Where were we? What were we doing? You were so alone and had no support during that time. I had no idea.”

“It wasn’t just you, Bibi. It was everyone,” replied Sebastian. “Sloane didn’t even want to be with me anymore. She broke off our engagement pretty fast.”

“Sloane did that? Sebastian, we all thought that you were the one to break things off. Why would you allow all of us to be so misled?”

Sebastian’s lips tightened into a thin line, and he shrugged. “Even though I’m still kind of bitter about it, back then I thought it would be better for everyone to give her sympathy and for me to be the fool. I didn’t fault her. I wasn’t the guy she had bargained on anymore.”

Tears shone in Barbara’s eyes. “Your mother and father, Granddad Clive and I … we all thought we were doing the best thing for you, encouraging you in tennis. We thought that’s what you wanted.”

“You know, I’ve been told my entire life how similar Granddad Clive and I were. I think that I mostly played tennis because I wanted his legacy to live on with me. Even still, there was a real possibility that I could have been better than he was … who knows,” said Sebastian.

Barbara bowed her head, one hand over her heart. She held out her other hand, and Sebastian grasped it with his.

“Because tennis was my life, I never thought about finding or doing anything else. Now I have to.” He let out a deep sigh. “I guess it’s time I did.”

“I’ve always had faith in you, my darling, and your grandfather would have wanted you to be happy with whatever you eventually decide for yourself,” said Barbara. “I will always support you.”

“But will you, though?” asked Sebastian, his eyes sad.

“Oh, Sebastian, I failed you once. I promise to never again.Never.”

Sebastian leaned over the table and tenderly kissed Barbara’s cheek. He rose from the table, collecting their coffee cups, the moment of confession through. Music carried over from across the street, an Ed Sheeran song playing on a tinny speaker.

“What would you like to do today?” Sebastian asked over his shoulder as he carried the cups inside the house.

Barbara smiled at Sebastian’s back. “Well, I do need those ceiling light bulbs replaced …”

Sebastian peeked his head out the door. “Wait, so you actually need help around the house? It wasn’t a ruse to get me here to visit?”

“Of course it was a ruse,” said Barbara, giving a dismissive wave of her hand. “We’ll leave the light bulbs for the handyman, and perhaps you and I can go have a nice lunch at the clubhouse.”

Sebastian chuckled. “Bibi, I’ll never be able to figure you out.”

“Better men than you have tried,” Barbara said with a smile, “and were not successful.”

Sebastian walked back onto the patio and leaned against the half wall. A loud cheer came from the pickleball courts, causing Barbara to look across the street, and her smile faded. The winning pickleball players had jumped into each other’s arms, chest bumping and grabbing at each other, dancing in a pack.

Barbara sniffed. “Must they gather like that, all crowded together?” she said, irritated. “Like a common mob.”

Sebastian leaned against the wall, smiling. “A mob having a great time.”

Barbara shot him a sharp look.

Sebastian chuckled. “I’m not trying to argue with you, Bibi. I’m just saying that if a sport can interest all kinds of different people, then it must have some appeal.”

Barbara pursed her lips and folded her arms.

“I mean, I find it super fun,” Sebastian said, looking thoughtful. “And I’m kind of considering playing it.”

---