Reunited

Chapter 1- say yes.

"Navy just say yes.'' I have heard the same sentence for the past ten minutes. Say yes, come on, let's go. It will be fun. But all I could think about was Jayce. Would seeing jayce be fun after all those years, would it really be fun to have all the girls wear his number and cheer for him. That's not really what I would consider fun. Fun would be sitting on the couch watching netflix. With school I am already behind on her shows anyways why would I want to go to some loud stadium.

" I can't honestly, I have to prepare for my presentation." I knew lilly would come up with something but I didn't expect lilly to know what I was talking about. I didn't expect lilly to have been paying enough attention to what presentation I was talking about

" wouldn't this be the best time to work on your presentation live and in person."

I'm a sports medi journalist and my presentation is to write a detailed presentation about the NBA finals matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors. My plan was to watch the twitter hashtags #NBAFINALS2022. But i haven't been to an NBA game in almost 5 years so honestly this could be fun i guess, maybe. Right.

"Fine Lily You win." I rolled my eyes half annoyed because we both knew I would give in eventually.

"I always do! I owe you one."

"Remember that lily"

She convinced me that we had to go in NBA jerseys and when I told her I did not have one she said she would let me borrow her Klay Thompson jersey.I could never wear a Golden state Jersey that would be Treason. I am from Boston, born and raised so I could never do something like that. I only had one option.

I went back to my room and pulled a big locked trunk out from under my bed, unlocked it and there it was, all of the memories of my past in one big pile. Notes, pictures in frame and photo albums, teddy bears, jewelry, Sox months of memories in one trunk, and right on top a green and white Boston Celtics jersey with the number one on it and the last name Donavan.

Jayce Donavan. The Celtics starting Shooting Guard. I stare at it wanting to put it back and hide it but it is the NBA finals and it's like a requirement to wear a jersey for the finals especially if you are from one of the cities and I would not be caught dead in a blue and gold jersey.

I grab the jersey close and lock the trunk and put it back in its spot under the bed. Grab my favorite pair of black leggings and head to get changed while I'm getting ready. I think about the first time I wore that jersey.

***

September 2017- Jayces first game.

This was my first and only NBA game with Jayce playing. This was the night things went south. That's when I found out all of the lies and secrets. That's when found out about Abigail.

I was at Jayce's first NBA game against the Dallas Mavericks. He was getting to start because the starting shooting guard Derrick white had broken his wrist in the game against the Utah Jazz two days prior. So I was there to support Jayce. I bought a Jersey off of the NBA website before I knew he would be starting and wore it. It had his number 1 on the back and had his name, Donavan on the back also. I sat in the front row right behind the Celtics bench.

They came out onto the field. Jayce played very well he was and alway has been a defensive expert. But what stuck out to me was the way he ran on offense. He finished the game with eighteen points, four three pointers, six rebounds, and three assists. They won the game 115- 126.

While I was waiting for him to come out of the locker room so we could leave, his phone vibrated. I remembered he gave me his phone before the game and without thinking I unlocked it. maybe that was my mistake. He had a message from someone named Abiagil.

ABBI- Hey Jayce i just wanted to let you know...

I froze when the next text came in. a photo of an ultrasound and pregnancy test. I tried to think if there were any abigails in his immediate family. We had only been together for about a year at the time, but I had met everyone in his family. No abigail. He walked out of the locker room when i came to the realization of what i was looking at and he must have noticed the concern on my face.

"Navy is everything okay." you could hear the worry in his voice. But I wasn't sure what the worry was coming from.

"Jayce, who is Abigail." i say more shocked than angry. You could see his face drop and I knew right then what i was looking at was not a prank text or a wrong number.

"What does it say Navy?" he sounded defeated.

I handed him his phone and walked away.

"Congratulations." I said as I walked away. Lucky for me we came in separate vehicles because he was staying with the team that night so they could leave for Los Angeles the next morning, and I'm from Boston so I went home, took the jersey off, threw it on my vanity and went to bed. Ignoring all of the texts and calls from him for the rest of the night.

The next day I found out who she was. His high school girlfriend who came to visit him in his hometown when he was drafted where they rekindled something in one night and he said he tell me he because he said it meant nothing. It was a mistake. All I could think about was that the mother of your child means nothing.

I looked at him forgivingly. And all i could say was

"Go be a great father, I know you will. goodbye Jayce." I walked out and never told anyone what happened and haven't spoken to him since.

***

I never told anyone about that, not even lily. I got dressed and got ready to head out of the door preparing to see Jayce for the first time in almost five years.