Page 74 of The Champion

Mike held his hands up. “I just came to show my respectfor Charlie and tell Sway I’m sorry.”

“Well...” Van’svoice faded stepping closer to Mike, cornering him next to the beer garden andmy truck. “Don’t. Ever. Come. Back. Again...andI’llthinkabout not telling Jameson.”

“I’m sorry.” Mike trembled. “I don’t mean any harm.”

“I do though.” Van ran his hand along his jaw. “You don’teven want to know how much harm I can cause. And frankly...I’m not the one you should be scared of. It’s Jameson. If hefinds out you’re here...”

Mike didn’t waste another moment talking before he wasrunning away,literallysprinting away.

Van laughed and slung his arm around my shoulders.

“I can’t let you out of my sight for a moment, can I?”

“Apparently not. Did you install some sort of GPS on me?”I teased and loaded the last box.

“No, I just know you by now.” I closed the back of theExpedition and Van smiled. “Now come on...yourhusband is looking for you.”

Before we reached the pit gates, I stopped him. “Van...don’t tell Jameson...please.”

“I won’t Ms. Sway.” He assured me and motioned to thecrowd where Jameson was. “Now get over there. He misses you.”

Jameson still wasn’t over the whole ordeal with Darrinand Mike for good reason. Hell, I still wasn’t over it and seeing Mike justthen sent me into panic overload but I couldn’t let that break me.

Mama Wizard couldn’t be broken damn it.

Watching my husband amongst a crowd of screaming fans,all suppliantly idolizing him, I realized how lucky we were. Against all odds,we had made it. And despite the world trying to tear us apart, we gluedourselves back together with Dirty Heathen and Mama Wizard super glue. Theedges may have been blurred and distorted, but they were solid.

While I was standing there, Ami approached me holdingLily in her arms. I smiled at her. “I can’t believe how big she’s getting.”

“I know,” Ami laughed. “It feels like I just had heryesterday.”

“Well it wasn’t that long ago.” I reminded her. Lily wasonly a month old. “Oh, are you and Justin coming over for the barbequetomorrow?”

“I think so, then we leave for Knoxville Nationals.”

“Right. It’s that time of year already, huh?”

Ami and I looked over at Justin and Jameson signingautographs for the fans.

“It never changes, does it?” Ami asked softly kissingLily’s tiny hands.

I looked down at Axel for a minute and then smiled. “No,it doesn’t. But that’s the life we live. We’re racers wives.”

Roll Cage – Jameson

It was around two in the morning before we finally madeit back to the house on Summit Lake. Even though we’d officially moved back toMooresville, we kept the house on the lake for times like this when we didn’twant to fly home right away. We had to leave tomorrow for an appearance inJacksonville but it was nice to sleep in my own bed for a night.

As I carried my sleeping son into his bedroom, Iunderstood a lot about my life looking at his innocent face.

I still believed it was better to dream than to not beable to dream at all because who would you be without it?

I knew, for me, that there was no such thing as “saywhen” because I was always going to want more and most of all, the dreams Ithought would never be, were now my reality.

I couldn’t say when. I couldn’t for the simple fact that Iwanted more. Who wouldn’t?

After my first National Quarter Midget Championship, Iwanted more. After my first Night Before the 500, I wanted more. After the HutHundred, the USAC Triple Crown, Turkey Night, the Chili Bowl...I wanted more. Say when wasn’t an optionfor me and never would be.

I began to understand that my life was measured inmoments. There were moments that tested you, challenged you, and moments thatcould make you fall to your knees, begging for one more moment but you see,those moments defined you as a person. You need to take them as they comebecause before you know it, you’re out of moments.

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