Page 85 of Game Plan

“Ready?”

He nodded. “Sure.”

“Let’s stretch first, okay?”

He nodded again. “Lead the way, Shepard. As you once said, this is your pool and your sport.”

We dedicated twenty-five minutes to exercises, like swing pendulums, kickboard press-downs, and wall slides, that should help him loosen his shoulder joint and improve his range of motion and strengthen his right rotator cuff without adding weights, while increasing his mobility. The physical therapist I had consulted told me to start with short fifteen-minute sessions at first and build up from there. Knowing Mason, he wanted to do more, so we agreed on ten extra minutes.

“Wanna get out?” I asked when we were done.

Mason reached out to grab the pool noodles we used for his therapy and handed me one. “Let’s just stay here for a little longer, okay? Unless you have places to be.”

“Nah. I’m all yours. I have a training later today, and my first class is at eight thirty.”

“Thanks. I have practice in an hour, but I like it here. It calms me down. It’s quiet. I understand why you like the pool so much.”

“Yeah, it’s my happy place.”

Mason’s contagious smile hadn’t fully returned, but he appeared less distant than when he’d arrived. “Shepard, tell me three things about you that you’ve never told anyone else.”

“Like what?”

He shrugged with his good shoulder. “Anything.”

“Let me think about it for a sec.” I scrambled through my thoughts, trying to figure out what to say. “Someday, I’d like to live close to the beach. Not necessarily by the beach, but close enough that I can go there whenever I feel like it. I want warm weather and blue skies all year long.”

“Noted. If I… No, not if, but when. When I go pro, I’ll remember that. Any state you’d prefer?”

I splashed water at him. “Shut up. Don’t say things like that, Mase. Don’t plan our future.”

“Why not? I’m thinking long-term here.”

“You’ve come a long way since your commitment phobia days.”

“I would never go back.”

“Glad to hear you admit it.”

“And it wasn’t that I didn’t want a serious relationship…it was that I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. Big difference. I was just stupid and acting out, and I hated myself back then for not being able to say out loud what I wished inside. I’m glad I’m not that guy anymore. What’s the second one?”

“Huh. When I was like five, I wanted to be a boy for a little while. I thought peeing while standing was the coolest thing ever. I tried to do the same, but I stopped trying soon after. My mom was tired of cleaning up the mess and sat me down for a chat. I think it was my first talk about boys’ and girls’ anatomy.”

“Oh no. I guess our peeing abilities could be considered a superpower. I understand why you’d be envious. For the record, I much prefer you as a girl. Want to hear something funny?”

“Always.”

“When you first moved in, I expected you to be a boy. Mom had told me a kid my age was moving next door, and since Lee, my best friend, who used to live at your place, was a boy, I kinda expected his replacement to be one too. At first, I wasn’t happy you were a girl. But then we spent the afternoon together, and I never wanted you to be a boy ever again afterward. I really really liked you as a girl. I still do.”

“You wanted me to have balls?”

“Sorry.” He lifted his hands in front of him. “In my defense, it didn’t last. I thought you were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, and it helped you could play basketball. A ton of bonus points for you. I still think you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid my eyes on.”

I felt my face warming up. “I thought you were so cute, and it intimidated me. You seemed so confident back then. It seemed like nothing could stop you and you were destined to accomplish great things.”

“I wasn’t confident at all. It was just a front. I was scared you wouldn’t ever like me back. My mom told my dad we shared chemistry that night, and it took me years to understand what she meant.”

“I’ve always liked your mom.”