CHAPTER 12

“Are you okay tonight?” Wyatt asked.

Kendra turned to her and said, “Yeah. Why?”

“You’re hardly talking,” Wyatt pointed out. “I feel like I’m filling in the silence a little.”

They were on a commercial break toward the end of a match. Indoor volleyball consisted of five sets, if necessary, but this one would likely end in three since one team had lost the first two sets and was about to lose the third by at least four points.

“I’m sorry,” she replied. “I didn’t realize.”

“What’s going on?” Wyatt asked.

“We only have, like, thirty seconds left. Maybe after?” she suggested.

“Sure. Okay,” Wyatt agreed.

When the commercial break ended, the camera was back on them. Wyatt discussed the play of the team that was losing and tossed it to Kendra to talk about the team that was winning.

“What we’ve seen tonight is a good sign for any fan,” Kendra began. “The team is finally starting to gel. They lost three starters to other teams and one to a retirement last season, so there were concerns that they wouldn’t be able to do the same thing they did last year when they made the playoffs and nearly won the whole thing. Now, we’ve got a first-round draft pick showing real leadership out there on the court, and a few of the veterans have really stepped into the positions they’ve not had to occupy before. If they keep this up, I can easily see them making the playoffs this year and maybe making a good run.”

“There were some talks about the playoff expansion this season. Previously, we’ve had six teams, with the top two divisional teams getting byes into the next round, but this is the first season where we’ll have eight teams and no byes. I know the top two teams right now are probably a little upset about not getting those byes.” Wyatt chuckled a little.

“Maybe, but they shouldn’t be. With the expansion of the league, we were due for a change. We have sixteen teams now, and we’ve got some great competition within those two divisions, along with the need to get more matches out there for folks to see that great competition. Now, for the first time, all of the playoff games will be televised live, as opposed to people having to try to find some of them on streaming services. We’re finally seeing some real investment in women’s sports, volleyball in particular. You know better than most, Wyatt, what it’s like to see that change start to take shape.”

“After we won the first gold medal for US women’s volleyball in Tokyo, we’d hoped to see instant change. I think we did to a certain extent, but we’ve continued to work hard to make sure we’ve got more exposure to the sport, more televised events, and more developmental opportunities for young athletes who hope to make teams like the two on the court tonight. I think the second gold medal – or, rather, winning them back-to-back, specifically – was what really started to get some folks to notice how good this country is and can continue to be in this sport. There’s definitely more interest in it since. So now, paying female athletes equally, giving them more endorsement and sponsorship opportunities, and investing in future generations of athletes is the way to go to keep winning medals and show them, since it’s about making money for some, that we can do that, too.”

“Agreed. So, let’s talk about what’s going on deep in this third set,” Kendra shifted gears as the match resumed, and they were no longer on camera.

They turned their swivel chairs around and looked down, watching the first serve after the TV timeout.

“We’ve got an outmatched team tonight,” Wyatt commented on the match at hand. “And I know they’ve got a few key injuries, but what you’d like to see is the players who are being called up from the bench really showing that they can step into those roles, leading out on the court, and showing the depth. We’re not seeing that tonight.”

“And do you think that should concern their coaches?” Kendra kept the conversation going.

“I think it’s something for them to pay attention to. They’ve got two players out for a long time. Their captain is out for the rest of the season. And they have a hamstring they’re watching for their top middle blocker, but it’s already looking like she’ll be out for the next four to six weeks, so they’ll need to quickly identify who can step into that role and really perform out there. What I’m seeing tonight isn’t a major concern yet, but it is something they have to address when they watch film and in practices.”

When the match ended just how they thought it would end, with one team losing easily in three sets and the other looking like a real championship contender, Kendra packed up her things and looked around, expecting Everly and little Julia to appear.

“They’re at the hotel,” Wyatt said. “She’s trying to take it easy, even though she’s not that far along. Honestly, as much as I love having them with me when I travel, she’s probably not going to do so for much longer to be extra cautious.”

“Makes sense. You don’t want to risk anything.”

“No, but it’s also more than that.” Wyatt hefted a backpack over her shoulder. “Ev has work of her own to do, and coming with me and working from the hotel, with Julia on top of that, doesn’t exactly help her do it, so she’ll stop coming with me soon. I miss them when they’re at home and I’m traveling by myself, though. That’s why Ev comes with me. Well, that and there are two of us to take care of our daughter, who is starting to learn how to get into things she shouldn’t, and she’s weirdly fast for someone who, essentially, waddles.”

Kendra chuckled and said, “You hate being without them, don’t you?”

“I really do. Everyone used to have this impression of me, which I didn’t do anything to debunk, but they just assumed that I was some kind of hotshot Lothario or something, and that could not be further from the truth. I was a total late bloomer when it came to my personal life, but when I met Ev, that was it. We argued a lot, but it was like the fun, hot kind of arguing, and once we really got to know each other, I knew it: she was the one, and I wanted no one else. Marrying that woman is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I have more medals and trophies than probably most other professional athletes in history. I hate it when we’re apart. And now that we have a kid and we’re about to have another, I hate it even more.”

“You’ve not thought about stopping the travel?” Kendra asked.

“I have. We have. It’s hard because we’re finally on TV consistently, you know? And not on ESPN 55 or something like that.” Wyatt laughed. “We’re on the main stage, and I want to be a part of that.”

“Well, you did help build the stage.”

“It’s more than that, though,” Wyatt shared. “I love seeing the not-so-little-anymore girls, who once met me at a match and had their picture taken with me or got me to sign something for them, show up to play in a college match I’m here for, or even a pro one now. It’s amazing to see.” Wyatt smiled. “But, yeah, I won’t do this forever. My contract is up soon for a reason. I don’t plan to renew. I’ll come back to it in a few years, maybe, if I still want to, but I’m considering taking a coaching job close to home. We’ll have two little ones; I don’t want to miss them growing up. And Ev is excelling at her work, so I don’t want to take her away from it anymore, but I also don’t want to miss her when I’m in some hotel room miles away. I’m a sap. What can I say?” Wyatt shrugged.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Kendra asked and nodded for them to walk away from the stands and toward the exit they’d take to the back of the stadium.

“Yeah, of course. About what was up with you earlier?”

“I’m in a pickle, I think.”

“A pickle? Haven’t heard that one in a while.” Wyatt laughed as they walked.

“Do you remember me asking you about Aspen Ashley the last time?”

“Yes. Your new neighbor.”

“Yeah. And she’s…” Kendra looked down at her own feet. “Well, she’s pretty great.”

“No!” Wyatt laughed and said, “You and Aspen?”

“No. No. Not like that.” Kendra stopped walking. “I mean, yes, like that, but nothing’s happened. We’re not together or anything.”

Wyatt stood there and examined her face thoroughly, which made Kendra a little uncomfortable, but she went with it anyway, deciding to let it go in order to get what she was feeling out.

“You like her, though. I knew it the last time we talked. I knew there was something up with you then, and I knew it tonight,” Wyatt said, catching her off guard.

“How do you always know stuff like this, exactly?”

“Doesn’t matter. I just do,” Wyatt replied. “And right now, there’s something you want to tell me, but you’re not. I’ve noticed it before, whenever we talk about your playing days and why you didn’t play in college. I know you could have, and I can tell you still wish you were out on that court. Same as me.”

“You still wish you were out there?”

“I think every retired athlete does in a way. I don’t regret retiring when I did, being able to go out on my own terms, and I am very happy in my life, but sure – I’d love to have another season, get another championship, and maybe another gold medal. Who wouldn’t? You stopped after high school, though, and I didn’t want to press, but there was something that stopped you, wasn’t there?”

“I don’t really like talking about it, but yes,” Kendra confirmed. “And I never tell anyone the specifics, but, well, I told Aspen the other day, and I’ve kind of realized that I actually like her. At first, I thought it was just a crush because I didn’t know her all that well, and I don’t know that I know her well now, but we live next to each other, and I see her a lot. She helped me paint my house, and then I went to a practice she had with her partner, and we all just played around. It was… Honestly, it was the best day I’ve had in a while.”

“You went to a practice with her?”

“Yes. And I played a little for the first time in forever. She was great, Wyatt. She’s like this impulsive, filter-free, gorgeous woman who happens to love the same sport that I love, and she understands why I love it so much. She’s also kind and doesn’t seem to let any of this go to her head. I mean, she regularly gets called ‘the Wyatt Wicked of beach volleyball’ and ‘the next coming of Misty May-Treanor,’ and she doesn’t seem to care or notice or let it change her.”

“Well, she’s still making beach volleyball money and fighting for the sport to become more mainstream, so that’s probably part of it… But, yeah, whenever I’ve seen her before, I’ve always gotten a good vibe. She’s a truth-teller.”

“A truth teller?”

“Yes; she doesn’t lie. At least, I’ve never seen her lie. She’s genuine.”

“Yeah, that’s it: she’s a genuine person. That’s rare in my line of work.”

“She’s gay, you know?” Wyatt said.

“I know.”

“So, that’s not a problem.”

“No, but there are other problems.”

“Is it the old partner thing?”

“What?”

“Her old partner; is it something with that? Are you worried there?”

“What about her old partner?”

“You don’t know?”

“Obviously not, Wyatt.”

“Her old partner switched back to indoor after their partnership on the beach ended.”

“I know that. She’s on Team USA now.”

“But she had a thing for Aspen,” Wyatt told her.

“Oh. She did?”

“And Aspen didn’t feel the same way. Beach volleyball is a pain in the ass. I’m glad I stuck with indoor because it’s you and one other person, no subs, so if you can’t make it work with them, you can lose a whole qualification cycle for the Olympics.”

“And that’s what happened with them?”

“The way I heard it. This didn’t come from either of them, though, so I don’t know the extent of what’s true or not, but she told Aspen how she felt. And it wasn’t just that she liked her; she loved her. Aspen told her that she didn’t feel the same way. Things got awkward for a while. Then, one morning, when she was leaving her hotel room, she saw Aspen exiting her own room with another woman who had obviously slept over. I don’t know what happened, nor do I judge, but that ended their partnership. It was too hard for her to see Aspen with someone else, so she left, went back to indoor, and worked her way back up to the national team.”

“I didn’t know any of that,” Kendra said.

“You’d have to ask her what’s really true because that could all be a rumor, but that’s what I heard through the pro volleyball grapevine. And I know it affected Aspen because she should’ve been in the Olympics, bringing home a medal, and she lost her chance.”

“She and DJ should be good this time, though.”

“I’m sure. But it wouldn’t change how it felt for her to not make it last time. I would imagine, it’s similar for you, missing what you lost out on.” Wyatt paused for a moment and shifted her bag on her shoulder. “And if you ever need or want to talk to me about what stopped you from playing, you can. I’ll be here, you know?”

“Thank you, Wyatt,” she replied with a smile.

“What are you going to do? You said it was complicated, but you like her.”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Does she like you?”

“There are moments when I think she does, as well as moments where I’m not so sure. I don’t know whether that’s just my insecurity talking or if it’s true, but I’m left wondering. Besides, I still have to work with her, interview her on the sidelines, and see her in her backyard practicing, so it’s a lot. I’m trying to deal with everything I’m feeling all at once right now, which hasn’t been something I’ve had to do before.”

“Do you want to come back to the room with me? Ev and Julia are there. And I’ve found that spending time with a toddler really does wonders for your mood, assuming she’s not mid temper tantrum, that is. I can text my wife and check on that before you commit, if you want.”

“No, I’m good. But, thank you,” Kendra replied with a little laugh. “Tell them both hi for me.”

“I will.”