Page 121 of Balancing Act

Beth hesitated. “Nothing. I’ll tell you about it later.”

Jamie didn’t push, but she knew that tone.

Instead, she focused on Lily, the routine, and the moment. Whatever it was, she and Beth would talk about it later.

They always did.

Jamie stayed on the call until Lily stuck her final pass, and then Beth turned the camera to show the scoreboard.

“Tell her I said she crushed it.” Jamie smiled.

“You tell her.”

“Later, I promise. I need to get back to Shannon.”

Beth rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. “Okay, later.”

The call ended, and Jamie sat there for a moment, staring at the now-dark screen.

Something was off with Beth. She made a mental note to follow up with her when they talked later that evening.

Jamie slid back into her chair across from Shannon, stretching her arms over her head with a satisfied sigh. “Alright, tell me good news,” Jamie said, sipping her now lukewarm coffee.

Shannon smirked as she flipped through a few notes on her laptop. “Well, for one, I managed to secure that last-minute investor meeting for next week.”

“Nice,” Jamie said, impressed with how productive Shannon had been in the short time she had been gone.

“How did Lily do?”

Jamie couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips. “Amazing. She’s come a long way since I met her in September. She has a good shot at placing high in all her events this weekend, which is exactly what she needs for that push toward Olympic trials.”

Shannon’s eyes widened. “Wait, seriously? Do you think she could make the Olympic team? She’s only what, fifteen?”

“Yeah. She’ll be sixteen by the end of the year, which means she meets the age requirement. Skill was never the question,” Jamie said, pride swelling. “She’s gonna be amazing, I know it.”

She didn’t mind talking about Lily, or Beth. She increasingly realized how much she liked talking about them with others. Jamie had never been the type to gush about her personal life, but with Shannon, it was like they’d been friends for years already.

“Speaking of Lily,” Shannon said, leaning forward with a sly look. “You get this dopey little grin whenever you talk about Beth and her kid. It’s kinda cute.”

Jamie scoffed. “I do not.”

Shannon’s smirk only deepened. “You absolutely do. You’re full-on heart-eyes over there.”

Jamie shook her head, but she could feel the heat creeping up her neck. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Maybe I am,” Shannon said, sipping her coffee. “But anyone with eyes can tell how in love you are.”

Jamie shook her head with a smile. “Yeah,” she admitted, barely above a murmur. “I am.”

“And speaking of young talent—we signed a sixteen-year-old to the team. Amazing footballer. Insane field vision. She’s a little shy, still finding her confidence, but she’s got talent. She justneeds to believe she belongs there.” Shannon glanced up, tilting her head. “Kind of like how Lily was when you first met her, right?”

Jamie nodded in agreement.

“We should introduce Lily to Wren,” Shannon said, tapping her fingers against her coffee cup. “Might be good for Wren to meet someone close to her age who’s already stepping into the big leagues. She could use someone to talk to, too. It’s a lot of pressure at that age.”

Jamie considered it, tilting her head. “That’s not a bad idea. Lily would probably get a kick out of meeting her, and if Wren’s feeling out of place, maybe having a friend who gets it could help.”

Shannon grinned, brown eyes gleaming. “Look at you.”