Page 33 of Best Year Ever
“I want to make sure that you’re taking care of yourself, though. Are you happy? How’s everything outside of tennis?” she asks.
My mind flashes to Landon—a decidedly “outside of tennis” activity—but I push thoughts of him out of my head.
“All’s well, don’t worry. I’ve got so many friends here from Pinnacle and the tour. Plus Dad. The fame thing is a little weird still, but I do have an awesome team that takes care of me.”
She listens and puts on a light smile, but I can tell there’ssomething else on her mind. “What about boyfriends? A gorgeous twenty-year-old like you must have requests for dates left and right.”
I pause, thinking about how I want to answer.
“Well, tennis makes it hard to have a boyfriend,” I explain. “It’s so demanding, and I don’t need a man in my life to make me fulfilled.”
She looks at me expectantly, like I should have more to say.
“Tennis is my boyfriend, if anything,” I say with a chuckle.
I can tell she doesn’t love that response. She sets her wineglass down and looks at me.
“Now Rori, you never should be with a man to be ‘fulfilled.’ That’s the last thing I mean. You make your own happiness and don’t settle,” she explains. “But you also don’t want a life without love. You don’t want to shut off your heart for your entire tennis career, which could last for years.”
I look down at my plate as she continues. “Your mother would be the first one to tell you, she was such a free spirit. Stay open to anything. And it’s okay to change. To grow. To have new experiences. That’s life.”
I bring my head up to make eye contact with her again, to show I’m listening.
“Okay, Aunt Mandy, I’ll think about it,” I say, trying to placate her so we can change the topic.
Would I love to make it all work, my career, family, friends, and a guy all fit together so I have a balanced life? Sure.
But I don’t know how to do that. How to make it all happen without taking away from tennis.
And if I don’t prioritize the game, I’m scared that it may leave me behind.
Everything at the Pink Sisters fundraiser goes off without a hitch the next day, with a fewsurprises.
It’s crazy to me, but everyone treats me like I’m a pop star or something. All the attendees seem to know who I am, which is wild to experience in my hometown, where only a year ago I could do anything without being recognized. Who knew that winning a few more tennis matches would result in this uptick of attention? I spend a lot of time signing autographs and taking pictures before one of the event staff pulls me away for interviews.
The next surprising development happens as the winners cross the Fun Run finish line.
“And our female winner for the Fun Run is…. Grace Battle,” the announcer says over the loudspeaker.
Huh? Landon’s sister?
A couple of minutes later, I’m led over to where Grace is recovering from the race. Panting heavily, she still looks striking with her long blond hair and runner’s physique. I notice she also has Landon’s hazel eyes.
When she sees me, a big smile comes over her face, and she steps forward to shake my hand.
“Hi Rori, I’m Grace. So nice to meet you,” she says. Her expression looks genuine, not fake.
I relax and match her energy. “Congrats on winning the race. Landon mentioned you’re an incredible runner. But how’d you end up here?”
She doesn’t seem thrown off by my question. “Well, I run amateur races all over Florida, for fun. And this one was on a master calendar of races I follow. Orlando to Tampa isn’t a bad drive, so it was the best option this weekend.”
I nod, her explanation seeming logical.
“I did see your name on the registration material though and also mentioned it to Landon, since I know you two just had that photo shoot. So I’m here on a mission for him too,” she says. “Give me one second to grab my bag from my car.”
What does she mean, a mission for Landon?
Five minutes later, she’s back—delivering an answer to that question, also the final surprise of theday.
