Page 56 of Balancing Act
“Oh, I know that feeling.” She thought back to her various moments of similar events. “But, hey, even if it is the worst-case scenario and your ankle is broken—which we don’t know yet—that doesn’t mean your road to the Olympics ends here. It just might get a little longer than expected.” She scooted the chair closer so she could face Lily.
“I know, but it would mean I didn’t beat you,” Lily said nonchalantly, “and that would really suck.”
Jamie’s face contorted, trying to figure out what Lily meant.
“You’re still technically the youngest person to have made the USA gymnastics teamever.” As Lily spoke, it dawned on her. Lily was right. Jamie had made her Olympic debut the day she turned sixteen, making her the youngest-ever member of Team USA at the time.
“But, when I make the team, I’ll be fifteen. My birthday isn’t until December.” Lily smirked. Her inserted confidence momentarily making Jamie forget where they were and laugh.
A nurse knocked on the door, coming to wheel Lily back for X-rays, and Jamie was left alone in the room. She sat in the stiff plastic chairs, her knee bouncing with restless energy, unable to shake the fear crawling up her spine. Lily seemed okay—calm, even. Her fingers itched to call Beth again. She needed to hear her voice, to let her know what was happening. But the No Cell Phones sign kept her from making the call. And besides, Sarah was taking care of that—taking care of Beth. Her stomach lurched at the thought.
The door to the room opened, and Jamie glanced up from her phone, where her thumb had been hovering over a text to Beth she had been about to send. It was as if she had conjured Beth with the thought of her, because she was standing before Jamie in a swirl of windswept blonde waves, her cheeks tinged pink from the cool air. Raindrops rolled off her coat, dripping onto the tile floor. Jamie shot up from her seat, and the chair clattered as it hit the wall behind her.
“Jamie,” Beth said, and she rushed in, her face pale and eyes wide with fear. Their gazes locked. Jamie felt a rush of something—relief, fear, love—none of it expected. She gave Beth a slight nod, trying to communicate that everything was under control, even if she didn’t fully believe it.
Jamie’s body ached with the tension of the past hour, her muscles stiff from holding it all together. She stood as Beth moved closer. The two stood there for a moment, everything unspoken between them filling the small hospital room. Jamie’s heart beat painfully in her chest, her body still buzzing with the remnants of adrenaline. She wanted to reach out, to touch Beth and offer comfort, but she didn’t know how.
Beth spoke first, tears welling in her eyes. “I’m so sorry I missed your calls,” Beth said, her voice shaky as she stepped closer to Jamie. “I put my phone down in the studio and got distracted, and?—”
“Hey, it’s okay,” Jamie interrupted, reaching out to touch Beth’s arm. “She’s okay. I got her. Don’t beat yourself up about it. You’re here now.”
The warmth of Beth’s arm beneath Jamie’s hand sent a jolt through her. Her pulse quickened, her body betraying her in the quiet hospital room. For a split second, she considered stepping closer, closing the gap between them, but then she caught herself and stepped back, letting the moment’s weight linger.
Beth nodded, looking away quickly as she blinked back tears. “Thank you,” Beth whispered.
“You don’t have to thank me.” Jamie brushed her thumb gently against Beth’s arm.
This was killing her, but neither of them seemed to know how to navigate the ambiguity that existed between them now. It was definitely there—the feelings for each other they had each finally said aloud—electric and undeniable. Could Beth feel it, too? Jamie was about to speak again, but her words were cut off as the door creaked open.
A nurse wheeled Lily back into the room and helped her onto the bed. Jamie dropped her hand from where it had been on Beth’s arm, taking a significant step away from Beth as she moved toward the door.
“The doctor will be in shortly with the scan results,” the woman said, before exiting the room.
Beth leaned down and placed a kiss on top of Lily’s head, wrapping an arm around her. “How are you feeling, love?”
“I’m fine, Mama,” she grumbled, but Jamie noticed how Lily leaned into Beth’s hug. “Jamie’s been keeping me company.”
“I know,” Beth said, her mood shifting as she assessed Lily, mirroring her calm manner. “And we’re so thankful for that.”
Beth gave Jamie a small, grateful smile, her eyes lingering on her a little too long. For a moment, the world seemed still, and Jamie couldn’t help but notice the gravitational pull that seemed to hook around her, pulling her deeper into Beth’s orbit.
“Well, Lily, now that your mom’s here, I?—”
“Don’t leave yet,” Lily said quickly, while Beth said, “You don’t have to go.”
“Can you stay for a little while longer?” Lily asked, her eyes hopeful.
Jamie glanced at Beth and back to Lily. The two blondes looked at her with their big blue eyes, which she was discovering she had an incredibly hard time saying no to.
“Yeah, I can stay, at least until your scans come back.”
Beth sat on the bed with Lily as Jamie pulled the chair closer. The three of them talked. Lily told Beth about her fall, and as she listened, Jamie could hear Lily’s spirits lifting, her voice sounding less fearful and more optimistic. She smiled. Kids really were resilient.
She watched as Lily lay on the bed, her leg propped up with a pillow, the ice pack now slightly melted. Lily seemed more at ease now, but Jamie caught the subtle way she flexed her foot every so often, testing the pain. Beth sat beside her, holding her hand, whispering comforting words to her daughter, her fingers brushing through Lily’s hair.
“Don’t test it,” Jamie said knowingly, tapping Lily’s foot lightly. “Not until we know what’s going on.”
Lily grinned sheepishly but stopped. “I wasn’t,” she said, with a shrug. Jamie glanced at Beth, who was also smiling softly.