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“Do you have a card or something?” Her question surprises me, but I try not to let it show. “I was just telling Josie that my husband and I are looking to add an apartment above our garage. We’ve talked to a couple of big firms, but I don’t like how cold they are. I’d much rather work with a local contractor and, if it’s a woman-owned business, even better.”

I glance at Josie, who’s grinning with accomplishment. I can’t believe this is happening. It’s not at all what I expected, but maybe this is what Bryce and Carter really meant when they told me this group is big on chasing dreams. It’s always been in the back of my mind and having another project would mean that I need to stay in Columbia, at least for a little longer.

Lucy is waiting patiently for an answer. “I don’t have a card, no. I’m just starting out on my own, but I’d love the chance to talk more with you and your husband, figure out what your needs are. Do you have a design?”

Somehow, she gets even more excited. “Yes!”

As Lucy dives into the logistics of the project she has already planned out, Josie quietly slips away to let me handle the rest. As Lucy talks, she informs me she has several friends who are looking to hire someone as well, and with each potential project mentioned, something settles in me. I can do this. I can branch out on my own. We talk for about twenty minutes to go over the basic premise of the design. She doesn’t even hesitate when I shyly admit that I’d want to wait until at least one of the projects I’m working on is done and that I wouldn’t be able to start until after the Olympics.

When she learns that my boyfriend is one of the swimmers opening the new club, her gears change to how excited they are to have an alternative to the school team for their son to join. Apparently, his current team doesn’t view swimming as a viable option for scholarship opportunities and would much rather put money toward football and baseball. The longer we talk, even when we bring Josie back into the fold, the more I see the future unfolding ahead of me.

Me running a business. Carter and Bryce running a business with Mia by their side. Josie finally having the space and time to write and publish the book she’s been hiding from me. This little found family we’ve created for ourselves could have it all.

AftermeetingLucy,everythingfalls into place over the next few days. I decide to take the leap and open a renovation and construction company. When I tell Carl and Dave, they both make me promise to always come to them first for any project, which makes me feel even more confident in my ability to lead a project. Bryce sets me up their lawyer friend to help make sure everything is in place for my business and Mia offers to help with the marketing of the business, which I demand I pay her for because I’m going to do everything right.

Carter again surprises me by coming back up to Columbia for a night, despite the fact he has a meet in less than a week. He’s too excited about the prospect of the business, and we stay up way later than we should to talk about the details. He comes up with the name Effervescent Renovations, knowing that Thomas always complained about me being too much. Carter argues that my “too much” will be the thing that helps me succeed. It’s short, catchy, and flows. When I text Mia the official name, she’s immediately firing off ideas of an iridescent color scheme, something that will catch the eye without being too overpowering.

By the next morning, Mia already has a bunch of social media posts created to market my new business endeavor. I know she’s getting bored since the guys haven’t told her the name of the business yet, but I’m still amazed by everything she’s done in such a short time. When Carter comes bounding into the office, all grins, I realize I might not be the only reason he drove back to South Carolina on short notice.

“Hey! Can you two come with me for a second?”

He doesn’t give us the chance to answer before he’s happily going back the way he came. Mia and I exchange a look before she shrugs, sets her tablet down, and stands. I follow her lead, the two of us trailing my rambunctious boyfriend down the stairs, through the lobby, and out into the parking lot. It’s an overcast, rainy, chilly day.

“What are we doing out here, Carter?” Mia asks, wrapping her arms around herself to keep warm. “It’s freezing.”

“Just wait a minute,” he admonishes.

A second later, Bryce and Josie, who are bundled up in warm sweatshirts, exit the building, and head our way. I’m relieved to see two sweatshirts gripped in Bryce’s hands.

“Oh, thank god,” Mia grumbles, taking one. I take the other. “I never thought I’d see the day Bryce Clark is more considerate than you, Carter. You could have at least told us we were going outside.”

He shrugs, a timid smile replacing the blinding one. “I didn’t want to risk ruining the surprise.”

“What surprise?” Josie asks, leaning against Bryce.

He clears his throat, his arm going around her shoulder. “You know how we’ve been quiet about the name?” Mia and Josie nod. “Well, we wanted it to be a surprise, and they just finished putting the sign up, so we thought now was a good time to reveal it.”

Bryce motions behind us, and we all turn to look up at the sign on the side of the dark blue building. It turned out beautifully. The logo is a swimmer, done in a beautiful mosaic of blues, coming up for a breath while doing the fly. Coming off the end of the wave in beautiful, but legible, script is the name of the club:

Adair Swim Club

Josie lets out a gasp, her hand shooting up to cover her mouth in surprise. “Oh, my god, you guys!”

Mia is staring up at the sign, looking a little teary-eyed. “Are . . . are you serious?”

“Hell yeah!” Carter wraps an arm around Mia’s shoulder; his other reaches out to tug Josie into his other side. They both go willingly. “You guys are part of this, too!”

“Besides,” Bryce adds with a smile, “I don’t think either one of you will ever understand how much your support has meant to us over the years. How much it means to us now. Just because the blog is done, it doesn’t mean Adair has to be.”

Mia leans her head against his shoulder, squeezing his side tight. In a second, the three of them have moved into a group hug that has me pulling my phone out to take pictures. It only takes some mild convincing to get Bryce to join in. It lasts all of three seconds before Mia complains her boobs are being smushed. All of us dissolve into a fit of laughter.

May2024

Walking into the pool that was supposed to be the home of Carter’s college swimming career is a weird feeling.

The whole time we were walking up to the entrance, Bryce was curling his lip like the natatorium had personally offended him. In a way, it had. This is the first time either of them have been back for a meet since college.

Most of Carter’s events didn’t even come up until the third day of competition, where he had both the 200-meter freestyle and the 400-meter IM. According to Bryce, these two events are the ones he’s most likely to make the team in and the ones he’s already represented Team USA in during the Games, earning a silver last year in the IM but not making the final in the freestyle, which also resulted in him being passed over for the final in the relay.