Page 84 of Full Court Love
“Or you’re that girl who goes to the dance dressed as Cinderella, and somehow because of a microscopic mask, no one recognizes her. Her entrance is epic. Do that one.”
Her genuine smile has finally appeared, and I think my work here is finished. I give her a soft kiss on the cheek and walk to the edge of the carpet to let her have her moment. She watches me go, and once again, the way she looks at memakes me feel like the most important and amazing man who has ever lived.
Which defies all logic because just look at her. She’s walking a literal red carpet, and realistically appears to have just walked off a runway. I’m simply the man on her arm who happens to love her more than life itself.
She walks the red carpet for a few more minutes, finally gaining enough confidence to turn around and show off the back of the dress–the press loved that one. I can already see the articles comparing her look to whatever one she was imitating.
There’s no way it lookedthisgood in that movie, though.
She makes a beeline for me when she’s finally allowed to leave the carpet. We walk hand in hand into the venue. Every couple of minutes, Lucy gets grabbed for an interview, and I step off to the side to watch her charm yet another reporter with her beauty and humility.
Most of these interviews are live, and I know my parents will be tuning in. They already love Lucy like she’s their own daughter, and even though setting some boundaries has been tough, my dad is really trying.
Our first few phone calls were awkward and full of bouts of silence, but it’s steadily getting better. He’ll ask me about law school preparations and my classes. It’s all new territory for us–building a relationship outside of basketball has never been something I thought was possible. But I’m discovering how much we really do have in common.
I’m even discovering that I actually like my dad. He’s cool when he’s not trying to live vicariously through me. It’s no surprise that my mom and Lucy’s mom are getting along even better than we predicted. I’m pretty sure they talk on the phone multiple times a week and text almost every day.
I’m relatively certain they’ve already planned our wedding. My mom texted me the other day asking myopinion on flowers and which season is my favorite. These aren’t topics that come up naturally.
As if she’s reading my thoughts, Lucy flashes a smile my way.
Yeah, that girl is definitely my future wife.
The rest of the evening flows like it was scripted. Lucy told me it was always her dream to be drafted in the top ten, and she fulfilled it easily.
She went third.
The look of absolute shock on her face when they announced her name was completely authentic. It wasn't a feigned surprise. Even the highest projections had her going fifth at the earliest.
Her entire family cheered and cried. I stood up, and any attempt to maintain composure went out the window. She pulled my face to hers in a kiss that all of America saw.
I loved every second of it.
The Minnesota Cougars is Lucy’s dream team. It’s the WNBA team Lucy grew up cheering for–she still has their poster hanging in her childhood bedroom. Every aspect of this team is perfect for her. She’ll get to be within driving distance of her family and will likely be an immediate starter because they have an open spot at shooting guard.
And as for me, Minneapolis is the location of my top choice for law school.
I would’ve gone anywhere for this girl, but I secretly prayed it would be this one. Still, I really thought it was a long shot.
Yet, it happened. To be fair, me landing Lucy was also a long shot. I knew that from the moment I met her. Even still, some part of me knew at our very first meeting that I was seeing the rest of my life.
As we eat our McDonald’s ice cream in the limo on the drive back to the hotel, I look down at a sleepy-eyed Lucy.She leans her head on my shoulder, and her eyes close. My coat is around her shoulders, keeping her warm.
I lean over, gently kissing the top of her head. She lets out a little satisfied sigh, nestling closer to me.
I can’t help but smile.
The idea of this girl being the rest of my life is more than I ever thought I deserved.
Yet here she is.
I’m going to take care of her forever.
EPILOGUE: THREE YEARS LATER
LUCY
I’ve gone through the same pregame routine for essentially my entire life. Since that very first day I laced up my thrifted Air Jordans, I would eat gummy worms, listen to Taylor Swift, and head out to the court to shoot before anyone else was even there.