Coming Up For Air | ✓

epilogue

DECEMBER

Leaving a trail of water in her wake, Stella—soft towel tightly wrapped around her—flies through the wide rectangular doorway separating the showers from the rest of the locker room. She glides across the floors, and then, quite literally, jumps over the bench stood between two rows of lockers, her hand already already reaching out for the wooden door of her own.

"God," Sophie—her teammate and friend—mutters, following her tracks, her feet tucked into a pair of gray terrycloth slippers. "Where's the fire?"

Hannah shoots them a look through the mirror stretched along the wall, digging through her cosmetics' case as her lips slip into a knowing smile. "Jake's visiting this weekend."

"Jake?!" Comes a third voice—Sienna—from inside the showers. "The Jake?"

Stella's lips tug into a faint smile as she shimmies into her underwear. "One and only."

Next to her, Miya gets her locker open. "I was beginning to think you made him up," She says, bending at the waist as she runs her hands through her dark hair. "You know, in the my Canadian boyfriend way, you know?"

Letting out a chortled breath, Stella slips into her t-shirt and shoots her friend a look. "I'm deeply hurt. And he's not even Canadian, so."

Miya simply shrugs.

"He's very real," Hannah confirms, mouth pursed in concentration as she regards her own reflection. "I've overheard them talking on FaceTime. It was very sweet."

Then—turning to look at the other girls—she pulls a pointed, disgusted grimace.

And Stella, as the mature adult she is, shoots a rubber hair-tie her way—lips slipping into a satisfied smile as it hits Hannah in the dip between her collarbones. "You're acting like I don't spend my days listening to you going on and on and on about Amira."

Hannah tosses the hair-tie back, rubbing the heel of her palm over her skin. "Shut up."

Stella rolls her eyes, sliding into her jean-culottes—bouncing onto her toes as she zips them closed at waist—and grabs her phone from where it lies atop the shelf in her locker. Instantly, the beat of her heart quickens, smile widening, cheeks flushing warm as the device lights up with an influx of text messages.

'Jake'

Winter is not supposed to be this warm.

Is that the sun??

Okay, I'm on my way.

Pretty sure the taxi driver is breaking the speed limit.

Yeah we're definitely breaking the speed limit.

Made it to campus. Are you still at practice?

I guess you are.

Found a coffee cart.

I got lost.

Never mind.

Eyes still on the screen, Stella rolls her lips together—a familiar flutter wrapping around her heart—as it truly hits her: she's seeing Jake today. In a matter of minutes. He's here.

This is his first time visiting her. And it's the fourth time they're spending actual, physical time with each other since this summer.

He met up with her in Connecticut, a steady shoulder to hold onto during her days testifying in court. She's been to Boston to see him once—a short trip at the end of October. Then, again, at her moms' place two weeks ago as their families decided to celebrate Thanksgiving together.