Page 54 of Balancing Act (Soulmate #1)

NINETEEN

BETH

The morning was still dark when Beth eased her car into the empty parking lot at PGTC. She glanced over at Lily in the passenger seat, whose eyes were heavy-lidded.

“Are you sure you don’t want to catch a little more sleep before practice?” Beth asked, stifling a yawn of her own. “You’ve been working so hard, love. I’m sure Amanda would understand.” Her concern that Lily might be pushing herself too hard still slid through in her tone.

Lily flashed her a tired smirk, already shaking her head. “Nah. I’ll be fine, Mom. Besides, Amanda promised she’d help me nail that new combo. If I want to do as well as I did in Austin at my competition in March, I need to put in as much work as possible to perfect my routines.”

Beth smiled at her daughter’s enthusiasm.

The old familiar pang hit her—a mix of pride and protectiveness layered with a strange gratitude.

After all those years of tension, this was where she and Lily were now.

Lily was thriving, and their relationship had never been better.

That made everything worth it. She gave Lily’s arm a gentle squeeze.

“Promise me you’ll listen to your body, love. Don’t push too hard.”

“I won’t,” Lily answered, her eyes sincere.

Lily leaned across the console and pulled Beth into a hug, surprising Beth before she sunk into her daughter’s embrace. Lily had come so far in the last year and had grown up so much, and Beth couldn’t be more proud of the force of nature Lily was becoming.

“Love you, Mom.” Lily pulled back, slipped out of the car, and quickly hurried toward the large metal doors. Beth watched Lily enter the gym, giving her one last wave before she turned the car around.

The roads were quiet as she drove home, dawn starting to brush the sky with hints of pink and gray that came with dreary February mornings. She felt that familiar pull, a nudge deep inside her that she’d learned to recognize as her creative spark waking up. Today felt like a painting day.

When Beth got back to her studio, she slipped her earbuds in and picked up her paintbrush, diving headfirst into the commission piece for one of Sean’s clients.

She worked diligently, methodically splashing misty green and agreeable gray brushstrokes onto the canvas.

It was a nice break from her usual style, but she couldn’t help the desire to find her next big project.

But for now, commissions paid the bills.

She honed her focus on the painting in front of her, and the world narrowed to her and the canvas.

Brushstrokes came easily today. Now that she was thinking about it, they had been coming easily for a few months, and she knew exactly why.

She pulled her attention away from that thought and instead let her mind fall into that peaceful rhythm where everything faded away except the canvas and the colors before her.

But Jamie slipped in anyway.

Her thoughts drifted to the feeling of Jamie’s arms around her, the warmth of her embrace.

She could picture her vividly—the way she laughed with her whole body when Beth said something amusing, or the subtle, self-assured smirk that curved her lips when she knew she was being effortlessly charming.

Beth loved how Jamie sent her photos throughout the day, offering a glimpse into the quiet corners of her world, even when they were miles apart.

She even saw it in her interactions with Lily and how Jamie had helped her change how she supports Lily’s dreams.

Jamie had woven herself so seamlessly into Beth’s life that it felt strange to remember a time without her. Their lives were intertwined in ways that felt inevitable, and Beth loved how that felt—steady, grounded, and theirs. She wondered, Is this what it’s like to fall in love as an adult?

The only other time she’d fallen in love, she’d been eighteen, too young to know herself, too inexperienced to understand what it meant to build a life with someone. But this? This felt like more than love—it felt like growth.

Jamie filled spaces Beth hadn’t even known were empty, leaving her with what she had felt would always elude her—the feeling of having it all. It was like a secret that everyone else had unlocked but that she’d believed she’d never get to discover for herself.

Austin was like taking a giant leap forward.

Slowly, more of Jamie’s walls had come down.

At dinner that night, she remembered how Jamie had been so honest with her about her past, as Jamie told her about Kendall and their friendship and how the lines had blurred for her.

She opened up about her experience as a closeted athlete and how isolating that had felt as she carried that secret along with the secret of her cancer diagnosis.

“I’m done with all the secrets, Beth,” she’d said, as she sipped from her beer. “I don’t want any more of them.”

That thought had eaten at Beth in the few weeks since their trip. And she knew exactly why. Her phone chimed, breaking her thoughts.

Jamie 11:23 AM

Hey, you! I hope you’re having a good day. I’ve got some exciting news I can’t wait to share. I’m wrapping up a few things, but I’ll call you in a little if you’re free.

Beth 11:24 AM

I’d love that. I’m home and just painting, so call whenever.

Exciting news, Jamie had said. She wondered what it could be. Beth sighed as she studied the next blank canvas. Secrets. The word echoed in her head. Jamie didn’t want any more secrets, but she was still one to the people Beth cared about most—her family.

She picked up her paintbrush again, but her focus was scattered. It was time. Time to tell Sarah about her and Jamie. She had thought that thought alone would fill her with dread, but no, she felt rooted in her decision.

Sarah will understand , she told herself. They’d made a promise, after everything they’d been through over the years—to respect each other’s happiness, whatever form it took. She could trust that, couldn’t she? She hoped she could.

This will be fine , she thought as she swept her brush across the canvas in a long, fluid move, the bristles splaying out in all directions. Sarah will be happy for me. She wants me to be happy.

The phone buzzed again, pulling her back. Beth picked it up, a grin already pulling at her lips.

“Hey!” she answered, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice but not quite succeeding.

“Hey yourself.” Jamie’s voice was warm and familiar, and she practically melted into it. “What’re you up to?”

“Finishing up the last of the commissioned pieces for that new research center downtown. Dropped Lily off early at the gym, so I figured I’d make the most of a quiet morning.”

“Sounds productive. Is now a good time? I don’t want to interrupt your creative flow.” Beth found herself momentarily taken aback by Jamie’s thoughtfulness. “I do have some pretty exciting news, though,” she coaxed.

Okay, her curiosity was definitely piqued. “Now’s a great time. I’m all ears.”

“You know how I’ve been chatting with Shannon York about that venture company she’s starting, right? The one geared toward investing in women’s sports and amplifying female athlete’s stories?”

“Yeah,” Beth said, the conversation coming back to her. “Last you mentioned, you were intrigued but hesitant.”

“Exactly. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, and the more I think about it, the more excited I feel about the work and the opportunity.

I met with Shannon this morning and told her I’m all in on Empwr Ventures,” Jamie said, her tone nearly bubbling over as she continued.

“You’re talking to the soon-to-be head of the Athlete Ventures Program. ” Jamie paused for dramatic effect.

Beth could hear the eagerness fused to her every word, and she couldn’t help but give into the swell of pride she felt for Jamie.

At nearly every turn they’d faced in their time together, albeit short, Jamie had actively taken steps toward a shared life with her.

And Beth still felt the need to pinch herself, to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

Three months ago, Jamie had stood in her living room so full of fear, so closed off to the idea of the future, and it broke her heart.

But then Beth had seen the tiny flicker within Jamie, that part of her that wanted something other than a life of fear, and Beth couldn’t help but want to nurture that part of her.

“That sounds very official. What exactly does the head of the Athlete Ventures Program at Empwr Ventures do?”

“Not a clue,” Jamie quipped. “I’m still working with Shannon to flesh that out.

However, I would be focusing on the branch of Empwr that would help professional athletes navigate career transitions.

And a big part of that would be leading the Empwr program that invests in female-athlete-led businesses. ”

“Wait, investing? I thought you were going to do more, like, spokesperson work?”

She could hear Jamie’s smile in her voice. “I’m more than a pretty face, Beth. It’s time I put my MBA to good use.”

“How did I not know you have an MBA?” Beth mused, racking her brain for some snippet of a conversation where Jamie might have mentioned this detail.

“There’s a lot you still don’t know about me.” Jamie’s playful words drifted through the phone. “But don’t worry, we have all the time in the world to keep getting to know each other.”

All the time in the world. That sentence settled on Beth comfortably.

“There’s one kind of big thing, though,” Jamie continued.

Beth could tell she was pausing for dramatic effect.

“Shannon got traded to Puget Sound Pride. So, instead of Portland being the headquarters, Empwr Ventures will be based in Seattle. I’m considering renting out my place in Oregon and moving up there to make things easier for the launch.

You know—less travel, more stability, and the opportunity to be a little closer to this beautiful artist I happen to be seeing. ..”