Page 79 of Balancing Act (Soulmate #1)

That’s why Jamie knew the name. Cornelia was one of the most powerful figures in women’s sports, known for her no-nonsense attitude and unwavering support for female athletes.

“I always knew you’d do big things, Shannon. You never disappoint.” Cornelia’s cool, assessing gaze shifted to Jamie. “And you must be the infamous Jamie Lyons. You two have done something special here,” she said. “Congratulations.”

Jamie nodded and accepted the handshake firmly. “Thanks, Cornelia. That means a lot.”

She gave a small nod, and Jamie noticed her eye briefly drifting to where Sarah stood, but then Cornelia was gone, already engaging in conversation elsewhere.

“Damn. Cornelia Stanhope in the flesh,” Amanda said, as she joined the group, looking briefly over her shoulder.

“She’s hot, right? I don’t even like women, and I’d still listen to whatever she has to say.

” Jamie concealed a laugh in a cough as Shannon rolled her eyes.

“What?” Amanda shrugged. “Tell me I’m wrong. ”

“How long until we’re able to call her Nell?” Jamie asked, giving Shannon a questioning eyebrow raise.

“She lets you know when, but word to the wise, I wouldn’t dare call her that until she deems it okay. Now, enough of that. Are we ready for the big moment?”

“More than ready,” she said.

Lily grinned and pulled out her phone, flipping through her notes.

“Alright, here’s the plan. As soon as the clock strikes midnight, we go live.

Everyone knows we’re posting the same image at the same time—well, everyone except Jamie and Shannon.

You two are each posting your own thing.

But by 12:01, colorful posts saying ‘Invest in Women’s Sports’ will be all over the internet. ”

“It’s genius,” Shannon said, clearly impressed.

“I know! Everyone will be talking about it.” Lily beamed as she clapped her hands.

Jamie felt a rush of pride as she looked at Lily. She had an eye for strategy and impact that Jamie was starting to admire more and more.

Shannon glanced at her watch. “Speaking of which... it’s time.”

Jamie took a deep breath, the energy in the room shifting subtly as people started gathering toward the small stage. She wasn’t nervous about the speech, or any of this really. It all felt so familiar but now reframed in a way that was manageable.

With Beth standing beside her along with Lily, Amanda, Sarah, and even Shannon—the realization hit her that not only had she made this incredible life that she adored, she managed to find a family along the way.

As if sensing the shift, Beth met her gaze, gently tracing her fingers up Jamie’s arm in a reassuring way saying You’ve got this without uttering a single word.

“Alright,” Jamie said, stepping forward. “Let’s do this.”

She stood beside Shannon on the raised platform and looked out over the crowd.

From up here, she could see everything—the glittering chandeliers throwing warm light over the sea of people, the neon sign casting everyone in its warm glow as a quiet murmur of anticipation settled over the room.

It reminded her of Beth’s art show all those months ago.

The way she had stood in front of a room full of people and spoken about passion and letting go of inhibitions. Now, it was Jamie’s turn.

Shannon’s voice rang through the space, steady and commanding. “We’ve talked a lot tonight about what Empwr is. About what we’re building here. But I want to take a second to talk about why.”

Jamie let Shannon’s words wash over her as she scanned the room, her eyes landing on Beth, like there was some kind of gravitational force she had no desire to fight against.

She was watching Jamie, blue eyes locked onto hers, a quiet sort of pride written into every line of her expression.

And Jamie—Jamie felt everything all at once.

The way Beth had stood by her side through all of this, not just the launch of this business but the relaunch of Jamie Lyons—Jamie Lyons 2.

0. Beth had made her believe in the big-ness of herself again.

The way Beth had reminded her—every single day—that she was worth fighting for.

Jamie inhaled deeply as Shannon finished her part of the speech and turned toward her. It was her time to shine.

“Hey,” she said into the microphone, her voice steady despite the nerves thrumming beneath her skin. “Some of you may have forgotten me, but I’m Jamie Lyons.”

A soft ripple of laughter moved through the small crowd, a few knowing smiles exchanged between journalists who had been around long enough to remember her name.

“I was twenty-four when I retired from gymnastics, and I think that shocked quite a few people, because I never really explained why.” Her eyes found Beth in the crowd.

She nodded and mouthed You’re doing great , and Jamie knew, in that moment, that she could do this.

“I had breast cancer, and it stole my career before I was ready to let it go. And when I left, I didn’t leave the sport. I left everything.”

She glanced across the crowd, her eyes landing now on Amanda, who gave her two thumbs up.

“For a long time, I swore I would never come back to this life.” She gestured around the room.

“But unfortunately for me, I have a very demanding best friend—yes, I’m looking at you, Amanda Fitz-Simmons.

” She pointed to Amanda, who raised her champagne glass at Jamie.

“And she’s the type of person you can’t say no to.

And being back reminded me about how much I love this community—this fight, this belief that things can be better for the next generation of women in sports.

That they should be better, and be treated better. ”

A hush settled, the room hanging on her every word as she continued.

“Women’s sports have never been given the investment, the opportunity, the respect that we deserve.

We’ve been told for decades that we’re not profitable, that we don’t draw the same crowds, that we should be grateful for the scraps we’re given.

But here’s the thing—we were never the problem. The system was.”

A murmur of agreement moved through the audience.

“And now? We’re changing that. Empwr is about rewriting the story. It’s about making sure women’s sports don’t just survive, but thrive. It’s about investing in women—because when you invest in women, you invest in the future.”

She let that settle for a moment, scanning the crowd again.

“There’s a quote I’ve always loved: ‘We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.’ That’s true, but I want to add to it.

” She found Lily in the crowd, who was nudging Wren excitedly.

“‘We build for the ones who come after us,’” Jamie said, her voice firm and unwavering.

“We have only just begun to show you what we’re made of, so keep watching.

Keep supporting. Keep investing in women’s sports.

Because I promise you—you haven’t seen anything yet. ”

The room erupted into applause.

Jamie let out a breath, finally letting herself look at Beth again. And there she was, watching her in a way that had the power to undo her completely.

She let the applause settle around her, let the energy of the room seep into her. The cheers, the clinking glasses, the warmth in Beth’s eyes—it was all so good, so much more than she had ever let herself hope for.

But beneath it, there was a quiet undercurrent of her own fears, the ones she was learning to coexist with as she waited for more information.

Her test results.

Somewhere in the next few weeks, a phone call would come. And with it, an answer to the question that lived permanently in her mind. Would her time be up?

For years, fear had been the loudest voice in her head.

The what-ifs, the worst-case scenarios, the instinct to run before the ground could be pulled out from under her.

Tonight, standing here—with Empwr, with Beth, with every single person who had become a part of this new life she had built—she realized she didn’t have to choose between fear and joy. She could hold both at once.

Because wasn’t that what all of this was? A balance between hope and uncertainty, love and loss, risk and reward.

She could be scared and still let herself be here. Let herself want this, have this, love this—love Beth for as long as she possibly could.

It was Beth’s gaze that steadied her—and the warmth of her hand, reaching for Jamie’s as if it had always belonged there.

Whatever came next, she’d face it.

Beth had once asked her if she was ready to stop running.

She was. And Jamie had never been more sure of anything in her life.