Breaking Through

twenty-eight

Caitlin stepped onto the practice court, feeling a fire she hadn't felt in a long time. Her mind was still swirling with thoughts of Sam—of their night together, of the kiss they'd shared in the rain, of the thought if going home to her. It felt like everything was finally clicking into place, and it showed in the way she played.

From the first whistle, Caitlin was unstoppable. Every dribble was sharp, every pass perfectly timed, and each shot fell through the hoop with a satisfying swish. Her teammates were quick to notice.

"Yo, Caitlin's on one today!" Erica called out, watching as Caitlin drained a three from well beyond the arc.

Lexie shook her head in disbelief as Caitlin sprinted back on defense, stealing the ball and dishing it off to Hull for a fast-break layup. "Girl, if you don't play like this tomorrow, we're gonna have words," she teased, grinning as she jogged down the court.

Caitlin just laughed, but her mind was somewhere else, or rather, with someone else. It was as if the time with Sam had grounded her, reminded her why she loved this game so much, why she pushed herself so hard. She played with a sense of joy that had been missing for a while, and it wasn't lost on anyone.

Aliyah jogged over, playfully nudging Caitlin's shoulder. "Whatever you did last night, do it again tomorrow," she joked, her eyes twinkling.

Caitlin just smirked, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Don't worry, I probably will," she said, her confidence soaring. She hadn't felt this light, this in control, in a long time.

Practice wrapped up with high energy, the team buzzing with excitement for tomorrow's game. As Caitlin grabbed her things, she couldn't help but feel like everything was finally falling into place—on and off the court.

Caitlin stepped through the door of her house, still riding the high of a perfect practice. The smile on her face widened as she imagined finding Sam still curled up in bed, just as she'd left her. But as she made her way through the apartment, her heart skipped a beat when she found Sam not in bed, but standing in the kitchen, humming softly as she closed the freezer.

"I thought I told you to stay in bed," Caitlin teased, her voice playful as she approached Sam, wrapping her arms around her waist from behind and pulling her into a warm, lingering kiss.

Sam smiled into the kiss, her hands coming up to rest on Caitlin's arms. "I know," she whispered, turning to face Caitlin fully, her eyes dancing with amusement. "But I had to run an errand."

Caitlin raised an eyebrow, leaning back slightly, though she didn't release her hold on Sam. "An errand? In Indiana?" she asked with a smirk, her tone teasing. "What kind of errand could you possibly have to run here?"

Sam grinned, stepping away and walking back to the freezer. With a playful flourish, she pulled out a pint of coffee-flavored ice cream, holding it up like it was the greatest treasure in the world. Caitlin's heart swelled, her smile growing wider.

"I know it's not an ice cream cake," Sam began, her voice soft but filled with emotion, "and I know I missed some big moments... but you coming out? That's the biggest moment. I'm so proud of you, baby, and I can't wait to be there for all the other big moments still to come."

Caitlin stood there, speechless for a moment, overwhelmed by the love and pride shining in Sam's eyes. She felt her throat tighten as a wave of gratitude and happiness washed over her. She stepped forward, pulling Sam into a tender kiss, her voice barely above a whisper when she finally spoke. "You don't know how much that means to me."

They stayed like that for a moment, wrapped up in each other, the rest of the world fading away. The ice cream melted slowly on the counter, forgotten in the warmth of their embrace. Sam's words echoed in Caitlin's heart, solidifying what she already knew—this was it. Sam was it.