“Yeah, she just called to wish me luck,” I replied.
“I don't mean to intrude, but there is a way she can watch the game if she’d like.”
“There is?” I questioned.
“Does she have Skype?”
“Yeah, we talk on it all the time. But my laptop isn’t anywhere near good enough to capture the game in good enough quality for her to watch.”
Wade grinned. “Mine is, though. One of the perks of taking this job was a brand-new MacBook. We can stream the game to her in HD if she's near a computer.”
A huge smile took over my face. “Seriously?”
“Sure! Ask her.”
I turned my attention back to Anne. “Annie, are you near a computer now?”
“I am, yeah, why?”
“Turns out, you can watch the game on Skype! My coach said he'll set up his MacBook, and we can stream the game to you.”
“Oh my God! Yes! Yes! I'll get hubby and the kids; we'll all watch. And, I’ll try to get Mom linked in, too. Let me chat with your coach, and I'll give him my Skype details.”
I was super excited that my sister, and hopefully even Mom, would be able to watch my game. “Thanks, Wade; thank you so much!” I beamed as I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him. I very quickly realized what I’d done, immediately released my grip, and took a few steps back awkwardly.
“No problem,” he replied with a smile as our eyes locked briefly before I looked away.
Staring at the phone, I handed it to him. “She’s going to give you her Skype info.”
Ten minutes later, he had his computer set up to stream the whole game live. That’s when the nervousness started kicking in; there were definitely a few butterflies in my stomach. I glanced over at Leena and saw the same anxiety on her face.
“Hey,” I said to her, “let's go for a jog around the court, try to clear our heads.”
“Sounds good,” she replied. We set off at a steady pace, breathing slowly and rhythmicall
y.
“You nervous?” I asked.
“Uh…yeah,” she replied. “I didn't think there'd be such a big turnout.”
I glanced around at the stands, which were already pretty full. The crowd was bigger than I'd expected, too. I had thought only a handful of people would show up, but it looked like at least a couple hundred people, maybe more. I immediately wondered if our celebrity coach was part of the reason.
“Well, let's not worry about it too much,” I encouraged Leena, “and besides, most of them are here to cheer for us. With all this support, we're sure to do well.”
“I sure hope so. We need to win this game, we really do.”
“I know. Believe me, I know.”
Leena looked across the court at the girls by the bench, the ones who hadn't made the starting lineup. Tammy and Kelly looked especially upset. “Those two are definitely hoping we'll screw up,” she said, nodding her head subtly toward them.
“Well, let's not give them that satisfaction,” I replied.
“I don't intend to.”
We reached our side of the court, and the referee blew his whistle for the five-minute warning. The game was about to begin. Leena had been chosen to represent our team, and she walked across to the net to meet the Miami team member and the ref to flip a coin to see who would serve first. We lost the coin toss, so Miami elected to serve first.
My heart was hammering in my chest, and my mouth suddenly felt as though I could drink a gallon of water and it wouldn’t even quench my thirst. I couldn't believe how nervous I felt. I breathed in slowly and deeply as their server soared the ball across the net.