Page 94 of Catch and Cradle

Hope turns around to face Jane, who’s crept up behind us. I watch as Jane pulls a piece of paper out of her sweater’s front pocket and makes a big show of clearing her throat.

“We have some letters for you too, Hopey. When Becca told us all she was nominating you for captain, we wanted to make sure you knew you’re everyone’s top pick.”

She heads back to the team, who are all lining themselves up in front of us and pulling out papers of their own. Hope glances at me, her eyes getting rounder by the second.

“Did you know about this part?”

I shake my head, just as shocked and overjoyed as she is. “I had no idea.”

“Hear ye, hear ye!” Jane is first in line. She holds up her slip of paper and starts to read. “I accept this nomination with my whole heart. Hope, you are one in a million, and I know you’ll be my best friend for all of this life and probably the next. You can handle anything. I’ve seen you do it again and again. You’re going to be a right fine captain, and I can’t wait to see where you take our team. I love you.”

She lowers the paper and beams at us before trudging to the back of the line. Paulina steps up next.

“I accept this nomination too. Hope, you are so inspiring. I’ve never met anyone who can light up a party like you and still be one of the most responsible and hardworking people I know. We can always count on you, and you can count on us to follow you wherever you lead us, Cap!”

Iz takes their turn next. “I accept this nomination hands down! You’re a badass motherfucker, Hope, and I’m lucky to call you one of my best friends. I’ll be lucky to call you my captain too. Claws out, chica! We love you.”

The praise goes on and on. Even Coach Jamal has prepared a little something. Hope stays next to me the whole time, tears streaking her face. She doesn’t bother to hide them or wipe them away. She smiles through all the crying, and when the last speech has been made, she turns to me and nods before facing the group.

“I-I-I...” She stutters for a moment and takes a deep breath. “I really don’t know what to say, guys, other than...I accept.”

Another ear-splitting round of cheering takes over, and as we stand laughing at all the commotion going on in front of us, the side of Hope’s arm presses into mine, and then her pinky curls around mine too. My breath catches in my throat. All the cheering dims. I can hear my heartbeat. I know it’s impossible, but I feel like I can hear her heartbeat too, pulsing in the veins of her little finger that’s wrapped around mine like a promise.

“You meant all of it?”

I nod.

“You said...you said you didn’t think you could ask for a second chance,” she says.

I nod again. I’ve stopped breathing. She’s so close now. I’ve been craving to have her this close for weeks, and I don’t care who might be watching.

I don’t care about any of that anymore.

“I think you should ask for one.”

The corners of my eyes start to sting, but I can’t cry. Not now. Not yet.

“Hope...I want to be with you. I want to be with you for real. You mean so much to me, and I want to do this. The right way. I promise to give you my best. I’m not hiding anymore. Can we...can we give this another shot?”

She cups one of my cheeks in her hand as her whole face stretches into one huge, beaming smile brighter than any sun I’ve ever seen

And then she kisses me. She kisses me, and I kiss her back, and maybe it’s only our lacrosse team going crazy, but it feels like the whole world cheers just for us.

22

Hope

I don’t think I’ve ever been this sweaty in my life. We’re playing an outdoor game in November, but my jersey is damper than it’s ever been during a humid summer practice. Even my lacrosse socks are soaked.

It’s a super sexy look.

Despite the cold, the sweat makes sense. In all my years of lacrosse, I don’t think I’ve ever played this hard. Lacrosse’s nickname of ‘the fastest game on two feet’ feels like an understatement for our game today. The ball has to have travelled up and down the field a record-breaking number of times.

We’re down to the last ten minutes of the game—the game that will determine who takes home the title this year. We’ve been tied two to two with the University of Toronto for almost half an hour. I can feel the tension radiating off the crowd as they wait for the next goal like sharks hungry for blood.

We’re all hungry. We’re all starving for victory. Toronto might have the home field advantage, but they haven’t worked like UNS has just to be in this league in the first place. We’re here to prove ourselves, and we’re fighting for it like gladiators to the death.

Or something equally dramatic and violent.