Page 80 of Full Court Love
LUCY
Patience is not a virtue I possess. I tried as hard as I could, but the reserve has dried up. My resolve has withered.
I need to go find Jordan.
I gave him what I assumed to be enough time to have this conversation. Given what I generally knew he wanted to say, I figure he should be about done. I’m now wandering the hallways around the men’s locker room trying to find him and his parents.
I’ve run into just about every member of their team, as well as their families, the coaches and their families, the managers and their families, and even the trainers and their families.
But no Jordan.
I really hope it didn’t go so poorly that they had to leave. I want to celebrate with him. I want to tell him how proud I am again. Selfishly, I also want him to help ease my anxiety about my own game tomorrow.
More than anything, though, I want him to finish what he was saying to me out on the court.
I want to hear him say it so badly.
And I want to say it back to him.
The hallway I’m in is essentially deserted, but it looks like there’s one more back inlet where a storage closet might be. As I get closer, I hear the low, smooth voice I desperately want to be the soundtrack for the rest of my life.
The only thing better than the voice itself are the words I hear being spoken. Apparently, I’m becoming a master eavesdropper.
But this time, the words fill my heart with warmth and excitement. I stop, back against the wall, and listen.
“...and she is my top priority right now. I love this girl and fully plan to marry her someday. I won’t let anything or anyone jeopardize that.”
There’s a few moments of silence where I swear they must be able to hear my heartbeat. It’s pounding like a drum as my eyes well up with tears.
He loves me.
He wants to marry me.
I’m his top priority.
Lord, I want to run to him right now.
But I wait as he continues.
“So, what are you guys thinking? I know you weren’t expecting me to be done with basketball so soon, but law school is what I really want. I’m ready to move on. I’ve been researching the teams most likely to draft Lucy, and there are highly ranked law schools in each of those cities. I’ve already applied to all of them.”
My jaw drops. We had discussed law school, of course–Jordan is way smarter than anyone knows and is so excited at the new challenge of being a lawyer–but he never mentioned the rest of it.
He’s in this for real. It’s not just convenient or fleeting—he’s taking real steps to build a life with me. There’s a “we” right now. He’s making life decisions that revolve around us being together.
I realize my mouth is still hanging open when he continues, his voice a little more nervous now.
“Someone, please say something.”
“Honey, I don’t know if I’ve ever been prouder of you than I am right now.” His mom’s voice is thick with emotion.
The long pause that comes next feels like an eternity. His dad is apparently at a loss for words. As the seconds drag on, I wonder if he’s being defiant or just so angry he can’t speak.
Finally, I hear the clearing of a throat. “This is a lot for me to take in, Jordan. It ending so abruptly…”
He trails off and I lean sideways, straining to listen.
“I know I’ve made some mistakes. I’m…I’m sorry for that.”