Stars Align

Wave The White Flag.

Dani~

I toss the capped pregnancy test into the garbage bin after seeing the negative result. I just thought I'd take one since I'm a day late. I'm just excited. I also figured I'd stock up on tests so I'm not running around town to find some when I might need them.

Christian went to San Diego for the Divisional series and I stayed back. They have two games there before coming back to Milwaukee.

What I'm not going to do is let my first negative test result get me down. It's not worth it. I'll probably see many of those in my future and I'll have to be okay with it.

I wash my face before heading downstairs to make breakfast. I stand over the stove, scrambling the eggs in the pan. I put the eggs onto a plate before eating them.

The doorbell rings and I go over to the door to see a huge box waiting outside for me. I get the box inside and push it into the kitchen. I find a pair of scissors and open the box to find a short note.

Dani,

In this box includes game jerseys from your years on Team USA. Also included are a few from your collegiate era at UW. I also got in contact with your high school coach and they had the jerseys you used to wear lying around. We wanted you to have these. I don't know what you're going to do with them but I couldn't let them sit in a storage closet or be thrown away. I hope you find great use and remember some great moments with them.

~ Coach Kelly Sheffield

I put the note aside. There's no way all of my jerseys are in here. I take out the mountain of jerseys from Team USA before reaching the red and white Wisconsin jerseys. I've always wanted my jersey all these years, and now I have multiple.

I take the college jerseys out to find a few of my high school jerseys. They retired my number once I graduated college. But I also know nobody has worn my number since I graduated high school.

All of the memories flood back from when I was in high school and fighting for a chance at a state title. All of the memories from college and every NCAA tournament appearance. From my first Olympics. From the day I met Christian in Minneapolis just days before I tore my ACL.

From us spending way too much time together as 'just friends' and not owning up to our feelings. Well, I wasn't owning up to them. From my first game back after a traumatic leg injury that messed with my head for a while. From the first time I broke the all-time kill record. From putting my mental health first in a time when I needed Christian more than ever. From my second Olympics and from just about a month ago when I broke my record and won again in Chicago.

Twenty years with this incredible sport. I've been getting better every day with the emotions attached to the sport. It's been slow but I'm getting there.

I guess I can finally do the accolade wall that Christian's been wanting me to do since he has his. I don't know what I'm going to do with the rest of these jerseys but at least I have something to do today.

Christian brings in box after box from the porch. "What the hell did you order?"

I go over to him and look at all the packages, "Most of this is Mikayla's stuff that she's sending here."

"What's wrong with her house? Why our house? There is not enough room."

Remember how I said I wanted to smack him? I grab a pillow from the couch and hit him without him knowing, "We have three empty rooms. There's enough room."

"Oh, we're gonna go there."

I drop the pillow on the couch and slowly back myself away. There's never a dull moment between us. Especially right now as we stand on opposite sides of the couch. "I'm going to get you no matter what so just give up right now. Wave the white flag."