I shake my head. “No, not all of it. I just put the ball in the court. You played the match.” She steps forward and wraps her arms around me.
“Thank you,” she says, her voice muffled from where her face is buried in my chest.
I take a deep breath and memorize her scent the best I can. Axell waves at me from across the way. I nod my head and pull away from Odette. It’s the last thing I want but I have to. “I got to go race. How about a kiss for good luck?”
Odette smiles up at me. “How about a kiss because I want to and for good luck?”
“I’ll take that.” We kiss for longer than we should. Finally, I force myself to move away from her and head to place my buy-in to the race. We line up, and three-at-a-time head around the course of the streets the race will take part on. Before I know it, I’m sitting at the start line, waiting for the last race to finish. I spot Odette from here. She looks nervous but she’s so strong. Stronger than she knows. One of the flag girls walks out and motions for us to get ready. All too soon she drops the flag and we take off. Wind rushing in through the open windows, music blaring through my speakers, adrenaline in my veins.
Freedom.
This is my form of freedom and for these next few moments I’m flying. Win or lose it doesn’t matter. I’ve found my place to call home and the person who completes me. The rest is just all part of the journey.