PRESENTING THE PAST - Paige Bueckers x Nika Muhl, Diana Taurasi x Sue Bird

CHAPTER 19

NIKA

"Hey, sweetheart. You okay?" Mom asks, coming up behind me as I make small waves with my feet in the pool. It's her off-season, so when there are no big commitments, she always stays here in Connecticut with me. I came home tonight because it's Friday, and Kate and Cait will be here tomorrow.

"Yes, Mom. Just clearing my mind," I reply, looking up at her with a smile. She sighs and sits beside me, dipping her feet in the pool too.

"Come on, best friend Sue Bird activated," she says playfully, making me laugh. She gives me a mock-offended look, but that's just how we are. "What's bothering you?" she asks, making me stop laughing and sigh.

"Paige has been acting strange lately," I begin, and Mom quickly jumps in.

"She's cheating on you?" she asks, making me furrow my eyebrows and laugh.

"First, she wouldn't cheat. Second, we're not even officially together, so would it be cheating if she's seeing someone else?" I ask. She forms an "O" with her mouth, trying to process what I said.

"Oh, so she's giving you the 'we can only be friends' vibe," Mom assumes again.

"Mommy!" I whine, then laugh. "It's not that. Not about us. We're really happy, and Paige takes great care of me." I tell her, and she smiles happily. "She's having problems with her grandma. Apparently, her grandma is giving her and Diana a hard time." Mom looks curious.

"What do you mean her grandma?" she asks, looking interested but with something else in her expression.

"She doesn't talk much about her, but I'm sure it's not Diana's mom," I say, and Mom looks away, furrowing her brow.

"Yeah, I know about that grandma. How is Paige?" Mom asks, but I focus on what she said first.

"You know her grandma?" I ask, but she just shakes her head.

"Not personally. I heard about her from D back in college," she explains. I nod, then turn my attention back to the pool.

"The first time I waited for her at UConn and she didn't show up—" Mom cuts me off with a snort of laughter.

"Oh, the time when the other 'white chocolate' showed up." My hand automatically splashes some water at her.

"Mom!!" I whine, and she raises her hands in mock surrender.

"As I was saying, the first time she ditched me, she told me it wasn't intentional. She was stuck in the countryside with her grandma. She always says her family is complicated, and she tries to protect me from that side of her." I glance at Mom, who's now looking at me. Her eyes sparkle in the light, or is that a tear? "Mom, are you okay?" I ask.

She snaps back to reality. "Yes, I'm fine. I just admire her so much for protecting you, even from her own family." She gently caresses my hair.

"But sometimes I feel like she doesn't want to open up to me. Don't I make her feel like I'm here? Like she doesn't have to carry everything alone?" I ask. Mom sighs and places her hand over mine.

"Sweetheart, just try to understand Paige. Letting her know you're there is enough. She'll open up when she's ready. Right now, she's protecting you by not telling you everything. Let her do that. Not everyone is brave enough to shield someone they care about," Mom says. Her words seem to carry more meaning, as if there's an unspoken message underneath. What that is? I haven't figured it out yet.