It was a freaking curse to a sports coordinator, I swear. I had enough problems without imagined Signs from Above, like the way my girls revolted at the mere suggestion of actually doing some kind of sport at the sports center. My lip twitched in a small smile as I remembered our last softball game.
We’d lost, of course. It hadn’t even been a contest. It was so ridiculous I’d laughed my way through the following weekend, telling my friends the details over a couple of beers at our favorite nightclub.
We had done so badly that it wasn’t even frustrating, it was downright funny. From the moment a stray ball had hit Shauna in the face, the whole thing had been a comedy of errors. Her replacement, Jessa, simply could not be pried away from flirting with the visiting teams’ center field. Meanwhile, Domenica had played the entire game with her earbuds in, blasting Nicki Minaj while the umpire yelled at her for dancing on the field.
Shameless, completely shameless. But at least they’d been out on the field, and not in the street. With one more push, the door finally gave and I walked into the gym, my eyes slowly adjusting to the shadowy space in front of me. Immediately, I caught sight of a weird shape in the corner. At first, I couldn’t quite make it out. Boxes? Piles of packing tape? I walked closer, and my nose told me what it was before my eyes could. It was a smell I hadn’t experienced in years.
Oh boy. Brand new sports equipment.
Lots of it.
A small, sarcastic laugh escaped my lips before I could stop myself. What I wouldn’t have given for this stuff last year, or even last month. Or just, you know, any time except for the week we were emptying the building so we could close. Was this some kind of sick joke? Who could’ve possibly thought it was a good idea to do this now?
There was a ton of equipment, all wrapped in thick plastic. The cost of everything probably could’ve kept us open for at least another year. I stood motionless, waiting for someone to come out, to point at me and laugh with a mocking ha-ha. We’d struggled to make do for years, and now this happens?
I ran back to the door, yanking it open with all my might and bolting to Adam’s office. He was exactly where I’d left him, sitting behind his office desk, ensconced in a grey hoodie. Three cups of steaming hot coffee were spread out in front of him; he knew me well.
“What the hell, Adam?”
He clasped his hands together and smiled gently, motioning for me to sit down.
“Hello to you, too, sweetie,” he said with a light voice.
“Please, just cut to the chase. What is going on here?”
“It’s a long story,” he said, the serious tone in his voice piquing my interest even more. Something was definitely up. Behind the dark circles of his eyes, there was a glimmer of light that I hadn’t seen since last October.
I sat in the chair, nodding silently. Whatever this was, it was obviously big. Had we landed a corporate sponsorship after all? I didn’t relish the idea of shilling out sugary energy drinks of dubious neon colors, but if it would keep this place open….
“I tried to call you last night, but your phone was off and I couldn’t bring myself to tell you such big news over voicemail,” he began as I picked up my drink with trembling hands. “Someone read your interview on Mountain News Daily. He wants to make a donation that’ll keep us afloat.”
Blood rushed to my head, and the pounding in my heart threatened to overcome me. A last-minute donation! I jumped to my feet, coffee sloshing out the sides of my cup as I hastily put it down. Adam opened his arms, his smile a mile wide, and I ran around the desk into his embrace.
“How much is it?” I asked.
“More than we ever imagined we’d get, Em. Enough that, if we wanted to, we could still move out on Friday—but only to go to a better building.”
Pulling away from the hug, I looked him in the eye. “That’s crazy,” I said. Getting this place had been a miracle in itself, its cheap rent making up for the somewhat run-down facilities.
“Not that we should waste it on something like that,” Adam continued. “But we could. That’s how much he’s giving us. There’s just one condition.”
I nodded without hesitation, brushing his words away with a swipe of my hand. Of course I’d accept whatever condition was needed. It was the least we could do.
“We’re going to enroll two teams in summer sport leagues, boys and girls. Our new benefactor will coach one team himself, and you’ll be in charge of the other. Training starts tomorrow at ten, West Field.”
“You accepted, right?” I said with a smile. I’d been bracing myself for some unpleasant task, but teaching sports was my forte. I loved the summer leagues, and doing it for money wasn’t far from my definition of heaven. I probably looked deranged, grinning from ear to ear, but I couldn’t help it.