Coach Thompson stood at the edge of the pool in her purple track suit and rubber shoes, dangerously close to falling in. She looked up from her clipboard and peered over her pink and purple reading glasses at the girls swim team seated poolside on the bleachers. “Hey, this is a pretty good-lookin’ group.” She smiled and nodded as she looked across the rows.
“Okay. It looks like we have a pretty big team this year, and I’m really excited about what I saw at tryouts.” She rested the clipboard on her hip. “I think this is going to be an exciting swim season if you each do your part individually to achieve great team results. Just remember, even though you swim alone, you’re part of a whole. There’s no ‘I’ in team.
“New swimmers, I want you to go to the posting on the locker room door and find your lane assignment.” She tipped her head toward the door. “Then, go ahead and get into your lanes and wait for further instructions. Returning swimmers, you know the drill. The workout is posted on the chalkboard—get to it and have fun!”
Thirty-six swimmers in racing suits, goggles in hand, climbed off the bleachers and went to peer at the list on the locker room door. Milling around with their shiny black swim caps on, they looked like a bunch of eight balls rolling around on a pool table. Kate tried to get her cap over her thick head of hair—no luck. She pulled and tugged on that tiny cap—still no luck. Just as she secured it over one side and moved to the other, it rolled up and her hair sprang free. She considered swimming without it just as she felt a tap on her shoulder.
“Need some help?” Pam offered.
Kate reddened as she saw that Pam’s luxurious blond hair had been tucked under her cap without any apparent struggle. “Please.” She was desperate.
“The trick is conditioner. You should get it wet first. Then condition it, put it in a ponytail,and wind it around the elastic band.” Pam took off her own cap to show Kate. “Then, your cap should slip on pretty easily. Plus, if your hair’s already wet and coated with conditioner, it won’t get damaged by being in the chlorine for so many hours every day. But here,”—Pam pulled an elastic band from her wrist—”use this for today.”
“Thanks!” Kate took the elastic. “I’m doing that conditioner trick tomorrow, for sure.” How cool of her to help. She managed to get most of her hair tucked safely away and went to look for her name on the list.
“Kate,” Coach Thompson called. “I almost forgot. Your name isn’t there. I want to use this warm-up time to figure some things out with you, if you don’t mind.”
“Okay …” Kate looked back to the locker room door and the other swimmers. “What do you mean ‘figure some things out’?”
“Hop on in here.” Coach gestured to the empty lane reserved for warm-ups and cool-downs. Kate lowered her body into the water, trying to look like a pro by not showing any reaction to the temperature.
“I think it’s pretty clear that you can swim. You’re really fast, and you have a beautiful freestyle stroke. I’m sure that your speed is going to improve even more as you start real practices, and I can’t wait to see what we can do with your times.” Coach squatted near the pool’s edge and lowered her voice. “But first, I want to see how fast you can pick up flip turns and starts so we can decide if you’re ready to swim varsity.”
Nervous excitement buzzed through Kate’s veins. Kate could do it; she knew she could. She listened intently as her coach explained the mechanics of the flip turn, and then she pushed off the wall. Approaching the opposite side of the pool, she glided in with her arms at her side. She tucked her chin and rolled forward. About halfway through her flip, she unfolded her body, just like the coach had said. Placing her feet on the wall, she pushed off. Slightly off center, one foot slipped from the wall so it didn’t have the power it could have, but she rotated to her stomach and continued to swim. Not bad.
After about fifteen minutes, Coach nodded. “Okay, that’s enough. You’re going to be great. Go ahead and swim with the varsity girls in lane five. Just keep working on your flip turns.”
Kate hoisted herself out of the pool. “Thanks, Coach!” Could things get any more perfect? She joined her group and eased herself into the water, careful not to get in anyone’s way.
Pam and Brittany, along with a few other juniors and seniors, filled the lane. Since Kate had no idea how things worked, she stood to the side and let them pass.
Brittany blew a dramatic sigh and exchanged knowing glances with a few other swimmers. “See that chalkboard over there?” She pointed to the back wall, rolling her eyes. “You look there to find out what our workout is. It tells you how much to swim, how to swim it, and anything else you need to know.” She rushed through her explanation. “It also tells you the times. See the clock? If you’re given a certain amount of time to swim and you get back here earlier, that’s a break for you.”
Kate repeated the instruction in her mind so she wouldn’t have to ask again, determined not to earn another eye roll. “Okay, that makes sense. There are so many girls, though. How does that work?”
“Well, we all start out swimming in a line on the right side. If someone wants to pass you, they’ll touch your foot or leg to let you know. Move over to the right as much as you can and let them pass. Also, watch for swimmers comingtoward you on your left as they’re on their way back. Got it?”
Kate nodded and put her goggles in place. Ready or not, here I go. She pushed off from the wall and glided through the water until she surfaced and started to swim. Within seconds, she could reach out to touch the feet of the swimmer ahead of her. She considered not passing, just to avoid making waves. But that wasn’t why she joined the team. So she reached forward and touched her foot and then passed.
In just a few more seconds, she touched the foot of the next person and easily passed that swimmer, too. At the end of the lane, she did a flip turn just like Coach had taught her—not great, but it could have been worse. On the last length of the lap, Kate passed two more swimmers, which put her first in line.
Sandy Coble, one of the star seniors, said through labored breaths, “Kate, go easy, this is a three-hour practice. Don’t wear yourself out in the first thirty minutes just trying to prove something.”
“Good point. But so far I’m fine. Thanks.” Kate knew they thought—or hoped—she’d tire out toward the end of practice. But, in truth, she’d barely exerted herself yet. By the timepractice ended, without even trying to—or really even wanting to—Kate had proven that she was the fastest swimmer on the team. She sighed. They would all hate her.
“Kate?”
“Mm-hmm?” She turned to the coach as she toweled off her hair.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” Coach beckoned with her finger.
Oh, great. Kate followed the coach into her office.
“You surprised me today. When you came out like gangbusters and passed everyone, I thought for sure you’d be worn out by the time practice was half over. But it looks to me like you could keep going. Am I right?”
Kate nodded.
“My guess is that you held yourself back a little to try not to get everyone mad at you. Am I right?” Coach peered at her over the top of her glasses.
Kate simply nodded again, not sure what to say.
“Hmm. Just as I thought.” She rolled her desk chair away and looked at the ceiling, lost in thought. After a moment, she abruptly turned to Kate. “Okay, that’s going to have to stop. You do your best at every practice, no matter what. Okay?”
Kate nodded again. She wished she would just open her mouth to speak instead of standing there nodding like a dummy.
“If you’re up for it,” Coach continued, “I think we can push you all the way to a college scholarship. I’ve never seen such natural talent climb into that pool.” She gestured with her thumb out the office door. “I think we can take you pretty far if you’re up for the challenge. But you’ll have to put in the effort and the time. Everything will matter—diet, sleep, practice, everything. What do you think? Can you handle it?”
“Oh, I definitely think I’m up for it!” A fire lit behind Kate’s eyes. She had joked about a college scholarship but never considered it a possibility.
“All right then, you get on home, eat lots of protein. Be here tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. for our varsity workout.”
Kate hurried from the coach’s office toward the locker room. Her bare feet slipped a few feet on the pool deck then, reversing her direction, she slid into the door frame of the office. “Hey, Coach.”
Coach Thompson looked up from her paperwork and raised her eyebrows in a question mark.
“Thanks!” Kate spun on her heels and hurried away, not waiting for a reply. She couldn’t wait to tell her mom about all of this. Oh, and she had to call Olivia and her sister. They’d be so excited!
Kate turned off her lights and set her pink alarm clock to wake her at five thirty the next morning. Her gym bag and school bag were already waiting by the door. She could just jump out of bed and go.
What a great day. But her excitement had been clouded by the one dark shadow over the day’s events—Olivia’s reaction.
“Now I’ll never get to talk to you,” Olivia had whined when she heard the news. “You’re a completely different person now. I guess it’s a good thing I moved away.”
Olivia had sounded lonely, and Kate wondered if life in Chicago wasn’t turning out to be as exciting as they thought it would be. Kate decided to pray for her friend. But before she got two words out, she fell fast asleep.
Yawn. After two weeks of early morning practices and not getting home until almost six thirty from evening practices, exhaustion weighed heavily on Kate. And on top of the schedule, Coach pushed her harder than the other swimmers because of her potential. As much as Kate loved swimming and enjoyed her celebrity status on the team, it took far more out of her than she’d anticipated.
“What’s the matter, Kate?” Pam asked when she and Brittany arrived at the locker room after school on Wednesday.
Kate tugged at the straps of her swimsuit. “Oh, I’m just beat. Practice today and church tonight. Then homework. Then practice in the morning. It’s just a long day. I’ll live, though.”
Pam snorted. “Skip church. That’s an easy one.”
I love church. “My mom makes me go.” Kate busied herself in her locker. Why hadn’t she been honest with Pam?
“Oh, I would hate that.” Pam wrinkled her nose.
“It’s not so bad.” Changing the subject away from church and back to the point, Kate said, “Besides, it’s only a tiny part of the reason why I’m so exhausted.”
“Try a cup of coffee in the morning. It’ll give you energy for practice.”
“Ewww. I hate coffee.” Kate wrinkled her nose.
“No one really likes it at first, silly.” Pam laughed and pulled her suit on. “They just need it. You have to make it taste good.”
“Yeah,” Brittany jumped in. “I hated coffee at first. Then I figured out just how much milk and sugar to add, and now I can’t live without it.”
“Yeah, I guess I could try it.” Kate shrugged.
Pam waved her hand. “Oh, just doctor it up. You’ll get used to it sooner than you think.”
“Mom, can you show me how to set the timer for the coffeepot?” Kate asked after church that evening.
“Coffee? Since when do you drink coffee?”
“It just sounds good for the morning before swim practice—warm, caffeine, energy. You know.” Kate held up the can of ground coffee and the pack of filters.
“Well, first you make sure the clock is set correctly or it won’t go off at the right time—every time we have a power surge, it resets the clock…. See?” She adjusted the clock to the right time. “Then you measure out two scoops of coffee—well, I use two scoops and that makes me half a pot. So we’ll use four scoops and share it.” Mom scooped the coffee into the filter. “Then you add a pot of water right here,”—she filled the water reservoir—”turn it on, and you’re done.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Kate gave her a quick kiss. “I’ve got to run—studying to do.”
After what seemed like only minutes had gone by, Kate lifted the heavy social studies textbook from her chest and rubbed her eyes, trying to focus on the clock. Three in the morning. She rolled over to the side of the bed, let her books slide to the floor, and turned off her light. She pulled her covers around her fully dressed body and immediately fell back to sleep.
Riiiiiing! Kate jolted awake to the sound of her alarm clock. She groaned. Five thirty, already? Like a zombie, she climbed out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom where she splashed cold water on her face. Not yet awake, she made her way to the kitchen where she fixed a steaming travel mug of coffee with lots of milk and sugar.
Kate blew away the steam and took a small sip … and then a second sip, finally understanding why people drank the stuff. It barely tasted okay, but its warmth comforted her tired and cold body and even the smell perked her up.
Later, in the locker room, Kate struggled into her cold suit which still dripped from theevening before, rubbed some conditioner into her dampened hair, and pulled on her swim cap. She took a final swig from her brew and felt ready to face the day.
“Wake up, silly! Can’t you stay awake long enough to talk to your long-lost sister?” Julia’s voice, a cavernous echo.
“Hmm?” Kate lurched upright. She’d crashed on the couch after practice got canceled, confused for just a minute. “Oh. Hey, Jules!” She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m taking you and Mom to dinner. Surprise!”
“Cool! Does Mom know?”
“Nope, not yet. But we’re leaving as soon as she gets home, so hurry up and get ready. Wear something nice,” Julia added as Kate took the stairs two at a time.
Kate stood at her closet door and considered her wardrobe, hoping to find something more interesting than her beloved Oregon State University sweatshirt or one of her many track suits. She settled on a pair of new dark-wash jeans and an emerald green sweater. She even styled her hair with a blow dryer to smooth her frizz into silky waves.
“This is such a nice treat—having my two girls all to myself like this,” Kate’s mom said as she dipped a chip into the salsa at their favorite authentic Mexican restaurant. “And we don’t even need an occasion.”
“Well, actually, I do have some news.” Julia sat back in her chair and grinned.
Kate and her mom both put their napkins down and swallowed simultaneously. Kate took a swig of water before she asked, “You’re not moving away, are you?”
“Nope. It’s nothing bad.” Julia clearly enjoyed keeping them in suspense.
“You’re killing us. What’s going on, Jules?” her mom demanded.
“Well …” She paused, letting their anticipation build. “I’m going to have a baby.” She sat back and watched their reactions. In shock, no one spoke. “You’re going to be a grandma.” Julia looked at Mom, whose eyes were wide open as the news registered. “And you”—she pointed to Kate—”are going to be an aunt.”
“Seriously?” Kate squealed in excitement.
“Oh, honey! That’s wonderful!” Mom found her voice. She got up and ran around the table to hug her daughter. “I’m so excited!”
“Me, too, Mom. So is Kyle. It’s a big surprise—we were going to wait a couple of years—but there’s no better surprise than this.” Julia twisted her napkin and then continued, her voice lowered almost to a whisper, “Boy or girl, I want to name the baby Casey … after Dad.”
Mom gasped, overcome by emotion. “I th–think that’s a beautiful idea.”
Kate watched as Mom went through the stages of emotion that had been evident in her eyes many times since Dad died. Joy. Loneliness. Sadness. And then back to joy. When Mom could finally speak again, she said, “C–Casey. It’s as it should be.”