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"you feel like home"
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I walk into the brightly lit gym and can't help but smile at the good memories this brings me. I remember being young, traveling to a new gym, meeting new people. Gymnastics competitions slowly got more and more stressful and as I grew up, I stopped enjoying them. But now, I'm going to this competition as a coach and it feels good.
I walk over to my group and they greet me with smiling faces. While I'm only a recreational coach, the local gyms put on a small competition for the kids to see how'd they do in a competitive program.
"Hey, coach Delaney!" I look down at Charlotte whose hand is wrapped now around mine. To the left of her is Sterling and I hope he can't tell how flushed his presence has made me. He just shoots me a smirk followed by a wink as he walks towards the spectator section, probably not wanting to overstep or distract Charlotte. Her hair is in a messy ponytail and I chuckle at what I presume is Sterling's attempt at doing his baby sister's hair.
Getting Charlotte to sit down in front of me, I fix her hair into a tight bun as the rest of the group starts their warm-up, running up and down the floor.
A long 3 hours later and the competition is over. The joy radiating off the kids is palpable as they collect their rewards from the judges. Which are merely participation awards every child gets, but what they don't know can't hurt them, like Santa or the Easter Bunny.
I text Jemma letting her know I won't be home for another hour or two as I try and call my mom to get a ride home. Stupidly, I let Chase drive me here and take the car back with him so now I'm stuck in this gym until my mom picks up her freaking phone and comes to get me.
I see all of my athletes off, finishing the conversations with all their parents and congratulating them, all except one athlete.
Charlotte runs over to me, jumping down from Sterling's hold. She wraps her small arms around my legs, trying to hug me, so I bend down and embrace her properly.
God, my heart is melted.
"Congratulations, Miss Charlotte." She beams at my words. "You did great today."
"She's right, Charlie, you were incredible." Sterling looks down at her with the sweetest grin on his face.
Getting distracted playing on the floor with another kid, Charlotte saunters off leaving Sterling and me alone.
"Congratulations to you too, coach."
I roll my eyes at him but I can't help it when the corners of my lips tug upwards.
"Is it safe to say you're fully recovered from your hangover?" Sterling smirks at me knowingly and I want to retreat inwards at the reminder of my drunken actions.
