Page 59 of Chasing The Goal
Ava
Group FaceTime tonight? I need to read your face while we unpack this.
Yes. After work. Bring the emotional snacks.
Ava
I will be the voice of nurturing reason. Or at least try.
Dakota
I’ll bring sarcasm and too many opinions.
I stared at the screen a beat longer, my chest warming just enough to soften the edges of the morning.
The rest of the workday passed in blurry snapshots. Updating practice schedules. Checking off supply lists. Answering emails that all blended into one long scroll of logistics and time stamps. Eliza gave me a nod in passing, the kind that said we were good without needing words.
Jaymie popped in around midday, damp hair curling slightly from a shower, water bottle tucked under his arm.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey.” I didn’t even fake busy. Just met his eyes.
He lingered in the doorway a second longer than necessary, like he was waiting for something else to happen. But I didn’t know what to say yet.
“I’ll call you later,” I offered. “There’s stuff to catch up on.”
He nodded, mouth twitching into a barely-there smile. “Cool. I’ll be around.”
Then he disappeared down the hallway, his laughter trailing behind him as Logan yelled something about protein bars.
***
Home felt smaller that night, like the walls had curled in just a little, watching and listening. I kicked off my shoes, dropped my keys into the bowl by the door, and flopped down onto the couch, letting out a dramatic groan as I melted into the cushions.
My phone buzzed.
Incoming FaceTime: Ava + Dakota
I answered, holding the phone slightly above my head so they wouldn’t get a full double-chin view. Ava appeared first, curled up in her kitchen nook with a glass of wine and a thick sweater. Dakota followed, lying in bed with a green clay mask smeared unevenly across her cheeks.
“Okay, you look wrecked,” Dakota said. “But like, in an empowered ‘I just made a major life decision and survived’ kind of way.”
Ava leaned in, mock-serious. “And your skin looks good, so honestly, emotional growth is glowing on you.”
I laughed. Actually laughed. “You two are menaces.”
“Details,” Ava said, snapping her fingers. “Give us the full scene. Start to finish.”
So I told them. The coffee bar. Jackson’s face when he admitted he wasn’t in it. The way he’d spoken, calm but distant. How I’d said what I needed to say—clearly, firmly, and without letting my voice shake. I told them about the money. The lawyer. The way he left.
I didn’t cry. I didn’t have to.
By the end, Ava’s eyes were glassy and Dakota had peeled half her face mask off without noticing.
“You’re a badass,” Dakota said. “A tired, emotionally fried badass, but still.”
“You did the hardest thing,” Ava added softly. “You chose peace over pretending. I’m proud of you.”
