The Sporty Sister

Full Circle

Due to the seriousness of the situation, the council decided to hold a special vote. So Christi waited. She occupied her time by helping out Jose.  With Danny's knowledge of law and Christi's expertise as an athlete, she was able to wiggle Jose out of his agreement. She helped Camilia, her former partner in crime, narrow down her college choices to the best scholarship for her. Pretty soon, she was the unofficial counselor for many of the athletes at Jose's high school. She didn't even understand how it happened.

 One moment, she had nothing on her plate. Now, she felt like a juggling act. She was so busy, in fact, that she didn't even blink an eye when she saw pictures of Andrew with his new squeeze plastered all over ESPN. It was Leslie. The same Leslie that had gone out with Danny all those months ago. No surprise there. They were both publicity superstars. Each picture was from some function or another with perfect wardrobe and everything. That couple would be big. Christi had to admit she was happy for Andrew. Leslie was a much better fit for what he needed. 

Instead, she focused on helping the kids. When she thought she wasn't doing anything helpful, Jose wiped away the worry with a small, but important speech. 

"Well, you aren't invested in it. Our counselors don't understand our love of sports. Our coaches are too invested in getting us discovered. We need someone who can be . . .what's that word Ms. Edison said. . .objective. Yeah. Objective. If you tell me not to do soccer, it is because you really think I would be better elsewhere, not because you think a sports dream won't work. You won't push me toward your alma mater like my coach did either. You will be truthful and honest. You know. I know that you are speaking for me."

So Christi continued to help because they needed it. She wanted to help. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then, the call came in. 

Danny had just walked into Christi's apartment with take-out. Christi picked it up as she gave Danny an absentminded kiss. 

"Hello? Yes, this is she."

Christi nodded. 

"Okay. Of course. Yes. Thank you." 

She hung up and stared at Danny with a wide smile. He quickly dropped the bag on the table. He knew she got it. It was all over her face. She never could cover her emotions well. Besides, he knew she blew it out of the park. He was in no way bias. 

"I g-" 

He kissed her deeply as he carried her to the couch. 

"Dan-" 

"I know. I always knew."  

Since he knew, there was no more need to waste her breath. So she resumed kissing him. The take-out sat on the table forgotten.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nine months later

There had been a lot of hustle and bustle to get everything organized, but it was happening. The center would have its grand opening tomorrow. They were ready. Christi walked through the renovated space. The town had decided on a job training center, classrooms for group counseling and even work spaces to offer hobby classes. The fields were freshly cut and lined with fresh paint. A local store even donated a kids playground set. It was a labor of love for Christi.  The large auditorium would now be the banquet hall to rent out to the town and others. Not to mention, some local garden enthusiasts had created a beautiful garden that Christi hoped would bring in more events. 

This was only the beginning. After some discussions with her family and Danny, she decided to become a sports agent. She got in touch with her old agent. A man she admired, but ignored during her self-pitying stage. He offered to get her set up and train her properly. She still hoped to offer her services to high school athletes transitioning to college, but she knew an actual paying job would help. She hadn't told those at the center, but she planned to donate half of her commission to the center. She was simple in her needs, so she didn't need much. Besides, she had tons of support. 

For example, Danny. He thought that she didn't know, but she had snooped and found the ring already. 

She grabbed her jacket, ready to head out. She had an urge to see him. 

The lights in the banquet shut off suddenly. Christi froze. Then, bright holiday lights lit the room. The door to the banquet opened to show Danny. He was dressed to the nines in a tux. He gave her that same smirk that she remembered the day they met. He was older, but he had grown more handsome. He took a step toward her. She knew this was it. 

She remembered that ill-fated proposal on Halloween with Andrew. There were so many wrong things. Her clothes. The timing. The people. The man. 

She loved the attention to details that Danny had. The moon shining through the windows. The soft, lighting of the tiny lights. The surprise factor. In the end, Christi realized she didn't need any of that.

 She would only remember that look on his face. The open, loving look he focused on her as he bent down on one knee. She wanted to hold this moment in time, but she knew she ought put him out of his misery. So before he said anything, she spoke. 

"You don't even need to ask. Yes."