Page 42 of Rivals and Liars

"To answer the question—yes, it's very hard to be sitting here saying goodbye to a sport I've loved for as long as I can remember. It's terrifying to let go of the only thing you know how to do, even when you know it's time."

"What are you going to miss most, Brogan?"

"Not this, that's for sure." She gestures at the cameras and the microphones, drawing another round of laughter. "In all seriousness. I think what I'll miss most is the moment before. The hallway before you walk out onto the court, when you can hear the crowd on the other side and you haven't done anything yet to deserve the applause. It's a moment where everything is still possible. I'll miss that, and I'll miss every person who's been part of this journey with me. But above all, I'll miss this woman—who hasn't just been my coach, but a true friend and the greatest support anyone in my position could ever ask for."

She turns suddenly to Diane and plants a loud kiss on her cheek.

"Diane—a few words?" someone calls out.

Diane, still moved by Kate's show of love, puts an arm around her waist and leans into the microphone.

"I wasn't supposed to be the one talking," she says, deadpan. "Or crying," she adds, wiping her eyes, and then sits back.

The room responds immediately with warmth, and the two of them look at each other and smile.

The next questions are about the diagnosis and how she's feeling right now. After that they get lighter—her best memory, the match she's most proud of, what she plans to do when it's all over.

"Honestly, I have no idea. I haven't had time to figure anything out yet. Maybe I'll learn to cook something that isn't just pasta," she jokes, getting more laughs. "Or I'll try this thing called actual rest and see how that goes."

Kate starts to relax, thinking there are no more curveballs left to take—but she's got one more coming.

"Brogan, if you make the final here, who would you want to play your last match against?"

"Honestly, I don't mind," she says, leaning back in her chair. "At this point I'm just focused on getting there. If I do with this back of mine, I'll have won no matter who's on the other side of the net."

"But wouldn't you want it to be against Leire Cobos? You've been rivals for a long time because you've always been so evenly matched. It would be the perfect ending."

Kate goes quiet. Not because she's weighing the answer—but because hearing Leire's name in a moment as raw as this one has knocked the air right out of her. She feels Diane's hand on her thigh, finding hers somewhere no one can see.

Kate breathes, several slow breaths, while the journalists use the silence as an excuse to take more photos.

"Leire Cobos," she says when she lifts her head, and then gives a half smile. "If you really want to see me retire happy, what you should be rooting for is someone I can actually beat—and Cobos, with that backhand of hers, is not on my list right now."

The room laughs again, and Kate uses the moment to lean back into the microphone and bring this to a close.

"And on that note, we're done. Thank you all for coming."

She stands before anyone can raise a hand. Diane rises with her, places a hand on the small of her back—right where it hurts—and guides her toward the door while the flashes follow them until they're out of sight.

When she gets back to her room to shower and get ready for her match, she gets a message from Leire.

"I watched it. You did really well and you were incredibly brave. I'm sorry I can't be there with you right now—or that I never was when you needed me. But I want you to know I'm so proud of you. You're the strongest woman I know. I love you."

Kate's eyes fill with tears all over again.

Chapter 21

"Would it be okay if we grabbed breakfast and talked?" Isaac asks when Leire comes down to the hotel lobby to meet him. "Sorry I couldn't make it sooner, but after lunch they dragged me off to the golf course, and yesterday was impossible."

Leire shrugs and finishes replying to a text from her friend Marta, who called twice yesterday after Kate's retirement announcement and got no answer either time, because the grief is still lodged in her throat and she doesn't trust herself to speak without falling apart.

Everything's fine, I'll call you another time, things are crazy busy right now. Love you.

She pockets her phone and looks up, finding Isaac's eyes already on her.

"Sure, but anywhere except the hotel café—the food there is pretty bland," she says, her face flat.

Isaac smiles.