40. Bennett

Bennett

I"d barely settled into my worn-out couch late the next afternoon, the sting of our defeat against Phoenix still fresh, when the familiar buzz of my phone interrupted the silence. It was my agent, Paul Holmes.

"Ry, I've got some incredible news," his voice broke through the speaker, a hint of excitement lacing his words. "Tallahassee wants to sign you for a two-year contract."

My heart pounded like a drum in my ears as I rose to my feet. This was it; this was what I"d been working towards. My mind raced with questions. "Are you serious? What are the terms?"

Paul filled me in on the details, and then continued, "They're offering a competitive salary," he explained, "and they see you as a key player for their lineup."

A rush of adrenaline coursed through me at his words – key player? Me? The idea was almost too good to be true. Yet there it was, within reach. The excitement bubbled up inside me; I couldn"t keep it in any longer.

"This is amazing!" I burst out, grinning so wide it felt like my face might split in two.

"Is that a yes?

"Are you kidding me? It's a hell yes! Whoo-hoo!" I yelled, pumping my fist in the air. "What's the next step?"

"We'll go through the formalities," he assured me calmly amidst my euphoria, "but I wanted to let you know first. You'll need to sign the contract and then we'll handle the announcement and transfer details."

As I ended the call and sank back into my couch, clutching at my pounding heart, I could hardly believe it – a NAPH contract! A sense of accomplishment washed over me as reality began to sink in; all those years of hard work were finally paying off.

My thumb hovered over Xander"s name on my contact list, my heart pounding in anticipation. The moment I hit the call button, his face filled up the screen. His eyes widened as he took in my expression.

"You"re not going to believe this, Sunshine," I spoke into the phone, a grin spreading across my face. "Tallahassee wants me on their team for a two-year NAPH contract!"

His mouth dropped open before splitting into an infectious smile that I'm sure mirrored mine. "That"s amazing, Ry! We"ll be playing in the same league!" His words were like music to my ears.

A pang of longing hit me as I thought of how we wouldn"t be sharing the same locker room. "I wish it was with you on the same team," I confessed, but quickly shook off the disappointment. "But hey, we"ll make it work."

"Absolutely," he agreed with a determined nod. Then his eyes lit up with mischief. "Go check the note labeled ‘You Did It' that I left you in the container."

My heart fluttered at his words and I reached for the container holding our shared notes – little tokens of love and encouragement.

I pulled out Xander"s note and unfolded it, reading aloud to him over FaceTime:

Congratulations, Berry! You"ve always been

destined for greatness and now everyone else

will see it too. I never doubted that your dream

would come true when the time was right.

I looked up at Xander, feeling a rush of emotions. "You believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself." The fact that he'd written that note months ago before he left for Newark was mind-boggling. It was as if he knew this day would come. My voice thick with gratitude, I whispered, "That means so much to me, Sunshine. I couldn"t have done this without you."

The love of my life watched me with a warm smile, his eyes reflecting the love I felt through the screen. "I"m so proud of you, Ry. You"ve worked hard for this."

"I can"t believe this is happening." This time, my voice cracked. "I"ve been dreaming of this moment for decades. And now that it"s real, it feels almost surreal."

"You"re going to crush it." My sunshine sounded so confident in my abilities, I straightened my shoulders. "I"ll be cheering you on every step of the way."

"Your support means everything to me."

"Who knows? Maybe one day we"ll end up on the same team."

"I"d love that." A smile spread across my face. "But for now, I"m just excited to take this next step."

"Me too. And hey, maybe we"ll get to play against each other. That could be fun."

I laughed. "Yeah, I'll try not to go too hard on you."

"You think you could beat me, old man?"

"Old man? I'll show you that age doesn't matter when I get my hands on you." I wiggled my eyebrows at him.

We both burst out in laughter. It took us a while to get our wits about us.

"But seriously, Ry. You"re going to do great things."

After that boost of confidence, I thought I could conquer the world… and help Tally bring home The Cup next season.

Ry and I spent the next few minutes talking about the future, our plans, and how we would navigate the challenges ahead. Despite the physical distance, the bond between us was stronger than ever.

The morning sun was just peeking over the horizon when I found myself inside the press conference room at the Grizzlies" arena. A few reporters and flashing cameras awaited.

Karen Mitchell, her red hair bobbing as she leaned forward for my response, asked how I felt about moving to the NAPH and joining the Tridents. "Thrilled," I said, feeling my heart race in my chest. "Playing in the NAPH is a childhood dream come true. And joining the Tridents? It"s like finding your name written on a winning lottery ticket."

Brian Tate was next, his glasses perched precariously on his nose. "Ryan, transitioning from the PHL to the NAPH is a significant step in your career. What aspects of your game do you think will translate well, and where do you anticipate facing the greatest challenges?"

"It feels as if I'm stepping onto a rollercoaster after years of carousel rides," I replied, trying to lighten up the atmosphere with humor while also being honest about what lay ahead. "My speed, agility and playmaking abilities should serve me well in this faster-paced game.

"But let"s not kid ourselves," I continued, "It"s going to be a challenge adjusting to that level of physicality." I could feel my palms get sweaty as I thought about facing those challenges head-on. "It"s a learning curve I"m eager to tackle head-on, and I"ll be working hard to adapt and elevate my game to meet the demands of NAPH competition."

Eva Garcia then chimed in with her question. "You and Xander had to deal with being in different leagues for a while. How do you plan to balance your relationship now that you'll be in different divisions and potentially playing against each other?"

"Being in different divisions and potentially facing each other on ice adds an interesting twist," I admitted with a small chuckle. "We"ve built our relationship on trust and communication, though," I continued earnestly. "We"ll use FaceTime and make frequent visits whenever we can." As laughter rippled through the room at my casual mention of technology aiding my love life, I couldn"t help but smile too.