Page 48 of Balancing Act

“Alright. Let’s run through your routine. Full sequence this time. Start from the low bar,” Jamie instructed, stepping back to give her room.

Lily nodded, gripped the bar, pulled herself up, and began her routine. But her focus was elsewhere—her transitions between the bars were sloppy, and after her third misstep, Jamie called her down.

“Okay, talk to me. You’re not focused today. Where’s your head?” Jamie asked, trying to keep her voice gentle but firm.

Lily dropped down from the bar and let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing her hands on her leotard. “I don’t know. I’m just... distracted, I guess.”

“What’s distracting you?”

Lily hesitated, her eyes darting toward the floor. Jamie could see the internal battle playing out in her mind. Finally, Lily sighed and looked up at Jamie, her blue eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and frustration.

“Can we go for a walk?” she asked tentatively. “I don’t want to talk about it here.”

Jamie nodded. Lily grabbed her sweats, shoes, and jacket before meeting Jamie at the door, and the two of them headed out into the light rain.

“What’s going on in that brain of yours? Still feeling like you were a few weeks ago?” Jamie asked, as the pair turned onto the wooded path that ran behind the gym.

“What? No, that’s better. The boxing has really been helping,” Lily said, without elaborating any further as they walked, the sound of crunching pine needles filling the quiet air.

“Okay. Well, then, what’s going?—”

“I think my moms are getting back together,” Lily blurted out, her voice cracking slightly.

Jamie’s stomach dropped as her heartrate soared. Her mind yanked back to the coffee shop, to her conversation with Beth. She forced herself to stay calm. She couldn’t let her own feelings show. This wasn’t about her—it was about Lily.

“Oh?” Jamie asked, trying to keep the shock from seeping into her tone. “Why do you think that?”

They stopped in the middle of the trail. Lily shifted uncomfortably, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t know. It’s just... the way they’ve been acting lately. They’ve been spending more time together, and they’ve been... I don’t know, nice to each other.”

Jamie nodded slowly, her mind racing. What should she say? Could she even say anything?

“Maybe they’re being friendly?” she offered cautiously, trying to sound neutral. “I know it’s complicated, but sometimes parents get along better when they’re not together. That doesn’t always mean they’re getting back together.”

Lily frowned, clearly not satisfied with that answer. “But what if they are? What if they’re trying to get back together and... I don’t know. What if it doesn’t work again? What if it’s like last time?”

Jamie’s heart twisted at the pain in Lily’s voice. She was scared of being hurt again.

“How would you feel if they were getting back together?” she asked cautiously.

“Terrible,” Lily said quickly.

That made Jamie’s ears perk up. Confused, she pressed Lily for more.

“Terrible?”

“Yeah. They just...” Lily threw her arms up in the air with an exasperated sigh before balling her hands into fists and stuffing them in her hoodie pocket. “I know they love me, and sometimes I feel like they think that getting back together is what I want, but it’s not.”

“It’s not...” Jamie kept her tone steady, not wanting Lily to pull back from her.

“No. Everything was fine the way it was, and then last year sucked, and I... I want everyone to be happy.”

Lily kicked a pinecone and watched as it rolled off the path into the brush. They stood in silence, watching the pinecone on its journey down the hill. Jamie didn’t press her for more information.

Lily spoke again, softer now. “I don’t know if this makes sense, but my moms are better when they aren’t together like that. Like, I know they love each other, and they love me, but I don’t think they love each other in the way Taylor Swift writes love songs about.”

“That makes sense,” Jamie said softly. “Have you talked to your moms about this?” Her question was tentative as she already knew the answer.

“No. I mean, like, I didn’t know until yesterday—well, not really—but yesterday kind of confirmed it. They were both being so weird at the game. Did you notice that?”