Page 64 of Bending Under Pressure

The thing I love about tennis is that, as with the books I read, I can lose myself in it. My mind shuts out my problems, my disappointment, my hurt, and my anger. I can shift that focus toward my game. The girl I’m playing today isn’t that good. Not to be mean or conceited, but sometimes, we get matches where it’s not evenly matched. I’ve been the girl deemed ‘not that good’ based on whoever was standing on the other side of the net.

Because of this, our match is quick. She messes up on her serves, the balls landing outside of the lines, or she misses the returns. If she does make the return, they don’t stay in play when she hits it back to me. We only truly rally once throughout our match. Jess and I should have no problem taking her and the number two seed in doubles.

I halt mid-step when I turn to wait for Jess’s match to finish. There, standing on the other side of the fence, is my dad.

He showed.

He was late.

But he came.

I rush off the courts and around to where he is.

“Dad!” I throw my arms around him, feeling his torso shake with his laugh.

“Hey. I’m sorry I was late.”

“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re here.” I hug him tighter, finding it hard to believe he’s here. He feels like he always did. He smells the same, like Old Spice. Right now, it’s hard to think that this person who looks, smells, and feels the same has acted differently from the person I loved.

“Me too, Haley.” He drops his arms from around me and I’m forced to let go as well. “You played well, though you weren’t playing someone with your skills. Your play at the net has improved.”

I grin. “Thanks. Coach Spell has been working my volleys hard.” Taking a deep breath, I hesitate asking my next question. What if he disappoints me again? “Are you staying after my game? We can go eat at Elsie’s.”

“It’s a long drive back, Haley.”

He’s right. It’s a two-hour drive. I nod. “Okay.”

“Haley!” Coach Spell yells. “Come here.”

Jess has finished her match, so we’ll be starting our doubles

in a few minutes. Dad won’t be staying for dinner, but I can’t be too upset over it. He did show up. That’s the least I could ask for. Maybe there’s hope that we can go back to the way things used to be.

I sure hope so.

Thursday night, I’m sitting at home, relaxing in my room, and texting Haley. Her impatience and eagerness for another race makes me smile. However, Cameron usually sets them up; with him still on the outs with Jess, he hasn’t felt like it. The only reason they aren’t talking is that neither of them is willing to make the move first. Cam has told me to leave him alone about it, so I have.

I kind of wish he would go ahead and do something though. He refuses to tell Mom or Dad what’s going on, only that he and Jess had an argument. Dad is even more worried since Cam was willing to talk to him before it happened, but not afterward. I get why he doesn’t want to, but I also hate seeing them worry.

My phone vibrates and I pick it up, expecting a text from Haley.

Nope.

It’s not from her.

Natalie: Hey. I was wondering if you’d like to drive over to meet your aunt and spend Saturday with us?

I guess it is time.

Keelan: Sure. I’ll double check with my parents. Text me the address, so I’ll know where to go; I know Mom will want it, too.

Part of me is making sure I say ‘my parents’ and ‘Mom’ because I want to remind her who raised me. Remind her that she doesn’t have any leverage over me. However, part of it is simply because what else am I supposed to call them? They are my parents: my mom and dad.

When she texts me the address, I go down to the living room where Mom and Dad are sitting next to one another on the couch. Mom is resting her head on Dad’s shoulder and they look happy. Cam and I are adopted and everyone knows we are, and I’ve always thought it was cool that our skin is different colors just like our parents. If someone didn’t know, they could assume my complexion came from Mom while Cam’s from Dad. It’s always made me feel as if we were even more of a family.

“Did you come to watch the show with us?” Mom asks as I take a seat in the recliner, popping up the footrest to get comfortable.

“Kinda. Natalie wants me to drive out there to meet her sister and hang out with them on Saturday.” I pull up the address in the GPS on my phone, knowing what her next question will be.

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