Page 94 of Balancing Act

“Get some sleep,” Jamie murmured, her voice a gentle caress. “I’ll call you tomorrow?”

“Definitely.” Beth smiled. “Good night, Jamie.”

“Night, Beth. Sweet dreams.”

They lingered on the line a beat longer, neither wanting to be the one to hang up.

TWENTY

JAMIE

Jamie’s phone buzzed again, the persistent vibration cutting through the quiet of the empty house. She frowned, flipping it over to check the notification. Another article alert. Another headline with Lily’s name in bold print. She exhaled sharply, setting the phone face down on the counter. She’d call Lily after this meeting.

These alerts had been coming nonstop for two weeks since a clip of Lily competing in Austin had gone viral across social media, sparking a surge of attention focused on Lily. Lily had never had to navigate this level of scrutiny before. It didn’t help that, a week later, a high-profile article discussing athletes to watch for the upcoming summer Olympic Games named Lily the newcomer to watch this year, after outscoring several gymnasts on the current national team roster.

On a hunch, Jamie had preemptively created a search alert for Lily’s name to monitor if anything significant popped up following her performance, and now, she was glad she had. She had FaceTimed with Lily last night, but Jamie couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something Lily was holding in, and she wanted Lily to know she wasn’t alone in all of this. But first, she needed to call Shannon York.

She opened her laptop and took in the empty room around her while waiting for the screen to load.

This house.

She was going to miss this house.

It had been her sanctuary from all things complicated and stressful, where she had started over. But now it had a strange, hollow quality. Her life was packed into boxes and plastic tubs, making this home she had loved feel distant, almost unfamiliar. It felt surreal to think she would soon be leaving this place that had been her home for nearly a decade, but there was no sadness—only bittersweet nostalgia and a simmering excitement for what lay ahead. Her future was waiting for her in Seattle.

With a few clicks, Shannon appeared on the screen, her dark hair slicked back in a sharp ponytail.

“Hey, Jamie,” Shannon greeted, smiling. “How’s the packing going?” Her voice echoed through Jamie’s laptop speakers into the nearly empty living room.

“Slowly but surely,” Jamie replied, gesturing to the boxes behind her. “Feels surreal. Seven years here, and it’s packed in a few cardboard boxes. How was your move?”

Shannon nodded, her expression warm but businesslike. “It was good. Glad it’s done now. I think Seattle’s going to be good for us. And for Empwr.”

Jamie grinned. “I think so, too. Speaking of which, how is the launch timeline coming along?”

Shannon’s eyes lit up, energized by the shift in conversation. “Good. I just met with our lawyers, and it looks like we’ll be able to launch in May, as we’ve been planning. I’m close to securing our first round of investors.”

“That’s amazing, Shannon. I’ll keep the momentum going on the Athlete Ventures Program. I’ve already started drafting an outreach strategy to connect with athletes who could benefit from our resources.”

“Perfect. I’ve been thinking about our launch strategy. We need to make a splash, Jamie. We need something big to get people talking about us. Something that saysEmpwr is here.”

Jamie hesitated, a thought forming but not entirely settled. The idea she held on to felt bold, almost reckless, but it had the potential to create exactly the kind of buzz Shannon was searching for. “What if,” she started slowly, “I announce my role at Empwr on my social media?”

Intrigue laced Shannon’s words. “You mean on Instagram?”

Jamie nodded. “I know I haven’t posted there since my retirement announcement seven years ago. But I still have, what, four million followers? A single post could make a splash.”

Shannon’s eyes widened, and she leaned back, seeming impressed. “You’re right. That would be huge. People would pay attention. Returning to social media with an announcement like this would instantly put Empwr on the map. Not to mention the likelihood that media outlets would pick it up and talk about your return.” She paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “It could work. Are you sure you’d be comfortable with it?”

Jamie’s phone buzzed yet again. She subtly flipped the phone over, only to see a missed call and a text from Beth.

“If it helps Empwr get off the ground, it’s worth it to me.” Her tone was slightly distracted as she read Beth’s text.

“Now that I’m thinking about it, a more focused social-media strategy might be the right move.”

But Jamie, glancing quickly at her phone again to make sure she hadn’t misread, didn’t hear anything else Shannon said.

Beth 1:38 PM