Page 63 of Summer Breakdown (Training Seasons #2)

The championship is killing Frankie off, and the Titans aren’t even in it yet.

She has to fill out form after form after form.

They only got in two weeks ago. The proper celebration hasn’t even happened yet, and she’s drowning in emails.

Well, the team celebrated, and Frankie was hungover for days.

She’s learning that being a parent means something more than having cute kids.

Even if she wants to lie in bed in the dark regretting her decisions, she’s not able to.

(The first day was an actual need to , but Lani didn’t care.

She wanted to go to the park and play on the swings, and Frankie does just about anything she wants.)

They’re celebrating today, though. The main ones.

The ones she likes outside of the training grounds.

From this afternoon, training is cancelled for three whole weeks.

A couple of months ago, Frankie would have panicked about what to do to fill the time.

Now, she might cancel all her plans to watch Jasmine nap in the garden. Maybe she’ll get lucky tomorrow.

Today, the group is getting together at their place.

Frankie’s hosting. Well, Jasmine is helping her.

They’re hosting together, like a real couple.

She wants to be at home. Why did she think it would be a good idea to start a women’s team at the same time as getting to the championship?

Ridiculous planning on her behalf, but the Glory Park contract came through so it just made sense.

Last year, there’s no way she could have done it.

She’s not alone anymore, Jasmine’s right here.

Well, she’s at home and Frankie misses her.

Instead, Frankie’s been buzzing in her office, and staring at the sun on this unseasonably hot day—probably the last pool day until next year. Frankie rolls her neck as her phone buzzes. She smiles when she sees it’s Jasmine.

Jasmine: looked over the forms – nothing to worry your pretty mind about until next weeeeek

Jasmine takes on some of Frankie’s crazy.

Her calendar is simplified, sort of. She doesn’t have as many reminders now because Jasmine does some.

They take their medications in the morning (Lani makes her take them with a strawberry yoghurt because that’s how she takes hers), and Marcel remembers to tell her about the things he does at school, the fact he wants to take Tabitha to the skate park, and that he’ll pick Lani up from playschool on his way home from school on Wednesday’s.

Frankie has structure, but it doesn’t feel overwhelming because it’s not all on her. She didn’t know how good it would feel for someone to take some of the burden without being asked.

Jasmine: one of them is finance so I’ll do it next week

Jasmine: you know Mal said about M’Baku’s sister? She’s hot check her out

Jasmine: not as hot as you

Jasmine: can you bring milk please

Jasmine: and yourself

Jasmine: come home – I miss you

Frankie smiles and immediately puts her computer to sleep. M’Baku’s transfer is going through; that was all she had to do today. Kai’s not happy about it, but he kissed Frankie on the forehead after practice anyway, so she thinks he’ll get over it.

The walk home is nice, even if there’s no breeze at all and the back of Frankie’s top sticks to her skin.

She takes a picture of the ducks in the park and sends it to Jasmine and Marcel.

Frankie’s banned from buying Lani a phone until she’s fourteen, even though she misses her during the day and Lani would want to see the ducks.

When Frankie unlocks the front door, she knows everyone is in the garden already. She thinks she might be late; she hears Mali and Lani running around.

Frankie laughs the moment she can see the decorations outside.

Jasmine is so ridiculous. She called her out for her birthday decorations, as if Frankie didn’t see her eyes light up each time she saw something new.

This is something else. There’s a balloon arch over the pool in Titans colours, bunting between the trees, and a large, glittery photo wall.

Frankie’s sure that’s mainly for Mali. She stands by it now, taking hundreds of photos of Zach and Lani. The rest might be for her.

Jasmine smiles when she sees her and walks over quickly in her tiny bikini. Frankie loves her so much.

“You’re the most extra person I’ve ever met in my life,” Frankie says, pulling her into a hug, “and I love it, and you.”

“You only get your first championship once.”

Frankie hums. “I’m so obsessed with you. ”

Jasmine smiles, kissing her once, and then dragging her to the table. Frankie doesn’t like direct sunlight, but she will be wherever Jasmine is.

“You’re ridiculous,” Ezra says, as he turns up with a bag in his hand. Frankie wonders if he was walking just behind her but didn’t say anything. It’s possible when she looks at her phone, she’ll see so many photos of him flipping her the bird.

“You love it,” Jasmine replies.

Ezra’s cheeks tense. He wants to smile, like a little loser. Frankie has seen the front page of the paper after their win stuck to his fridge. Adebayo wonder siblings. A photo of Frankie and Ezra smiling together. Jasmine framed it in their hallway.

“You being ridiculous doesn’t mean I don’t like it.”

“I finished your letter, by the way,” Jasmine says.

“Tight,” he replies.

Jasmine smiles, her arms around Frankie’s waist, her chin resting on her shoulder. “Tight.”

“Where’s Lani?” Ezra asks.

“Zach stole her.” Jasmine shrugs, and Ezra grunts.

He’s obsessed with her. Frankie knows he won’t care who he adopts, but she sees him with, like, eight girls.

He clears his throat, and everyone spins to look at him.

Lani’s face lights up, and Frankie rolls her eyes.

Jasmine doesn’t have to tell Ezra to go get her, so she doesn’t run. He’s already moving.

He sweeps her off the ground moments later, throwing her far too high into the air for Frankie’s liking.

Lani hasn’t seen Mike since the day Frankie picked them up.

She knows Jasmine’s not that sad about it.

She doesn’t think Lani is either, not when Ezra hands her a cardigan he knitted for her.

It took Frankie three orgasms to finally get Jasmine to tell her what the link was for.

She could have just asked Ezra. The cardigan is yellow and covered in little white daisies.

She screams, and then she cries when he shows her his matching one.

It’s rude that he’s trying to steal her child .

“Mama! Frankie!” she says, and Ezra carries her over. “Look!”

“That’s so pretty!” Frankie says.

“Ez made it just for me.”

Jasmine smiles against her shoulder. “I can see. How lucky are you?”

Lani hugs him tighter. “When you have kids, can they be my best friend?” she asks.

Ezra shrugs. “Depends.”

“On what?”

“Haven’t decided.”

Lani glares at him, but then her face softens. “You’re so silly. Do you want to play mermaids?”

Ezra takes her cardigan and passes it to Jasmine, slips his slides off, and then runs, even though he shouldn’t, towards the deep end.

“Hold your nose!” he shouts, and Lani blows her cheeks up before they disappear under the water. Zach follows, running from the photo wall Mali has had him against for the past ten minutes, and Marcel jumps after. There’s going to be no water left in their pool.

Mali doesn’t have her wig on, so she runs towards them and grabs Frankie’s hand. Then, they remember they like their clothes and pull them off at the side.

Frankie’s arms find Jasmine the moment she jumps in the pool. She pulls her close until Marcel taps her on the shoulder and says, “Tag,” then Jasmine is on her own.

Frankie is out of breath moments later, and she shouldn’t have ditched Jasmine so quick, because she’s faster than her in the pool. Now, Jasmine hangs on to Frankie’s shoulders as Frankie holds on to the edge. Jasmine laughs, panting into Frankie’s ear.

“Fuck,” Jasmine says. “I can barely breathe.”

Frankie swears she heard the closing of the front door, and she’s about to go out and check, but then she hears the telltale signs of jewellery clinking .

“Did you convince Cam to get in the pool?” she whispers to Jasmine.

She shrugs. “I wanted Ezra to smile.”

“I love you,” Frankie replies. “Thank you for taking care of my family.”

Jasmine hums, and no one else has noticed Cam is here yet.

She looks like Cam, no lingering heartbreak, in a tiny little bikini and a cover-up.

Cam doesn’t usually get in the pool because it doesn’t align with a hair wash day, but her hair is loose and curly and so cute. Frankie waves, and Cam winks at her.

“Room for one more?” Cam asks.

The pool turns calm as everyone spins. “Cam-Cam!” Lani yells. Jasmine swims quickly to take Lani from Ezra. He won’t have dropped her, but he will want to get out and see Cam. It’s rapid, the way he swims to the edge and pulls himself out.

“Hi,” he says.

Cam giggles slightly, her smile as bright as Frankie has ever seen it. “Hi, sugar.” Then, Cam puts her bag down and jumps on him. Oh, Frankie hopes they get together. She wants Cam to see what’s right in front of her.

“Incoming!” Ezra says, before he drops them into the pool.

“I need to get out of my parents’ place,” Cam says, taking a sip of her drink. The sun is low, but there’s still some heat to it. Frankie’s done in the pool, though. Now, she sits in dry clothes and lets the warmth run through her .

Jasmine rests against her. “What happened to the flat you wanted?”

Cam sighs. “It went off the market so quickly. Ezra said I could stay with him.” She looks over at him playing with Lani. They’ll get out soon too. “I dunno. I’m difficult to live with and he’s my favourite thing. I don’t want to ruin that.”

“Okay, rude,” Frankie replies.