Page 11 of From the Courtroom to the Court
"Shall we go to the bar?" she suggests when they empty the tubes into the cart.
"Yes," Mia responds, fanning herself with her hand.
They arrive at the club's bar and sit on the terrace under one of the umbrellas.
"How was the class with the new girl?" Mia asks.
Leah can't help but have a smile cross her face.
"I've never seen anyone clumsier or more absent-minded than her, but she puts in effort, so for now, I'm going to focus on helping her return a ball without hurting herself. Later I'll see how to progress with her," she jokes, making Mia laugh.
"She seems like a fun person."
"She is," Leah responds. "She radiates an energy that I love, capable of lifting your spirits on a terrible day just by seeing her."
"Just the opposite of the girl who was with her as gorgeous as she is, she's just as idiotic" Mia says, twisting her expression.
Leah lets out a small laugh.
"I saw you had a little run-in. Her name is Emma, she's Emily's cousin."
"She could have inherited some of her friendliness."
Chapter 6
The week has been so long and exhausting that Leah sighs thinking she only has this Sunday to relax at home and prepare for the next day, when her routine returns with full force. She complains in vain—she thinks—because she loves what she does, running her own sports club, teaching all her students, and training to keep up her skills. She remembers those moments in the past when fear threatened to destroy her, when she made the decision to retire from competitions because, although she knew what her next steps would be, she couldn't help thinking about failure. Her mothers supported her more than ever, and thanks to that and dedicating all her time to the new project, Walker Elite Sport Club is now her entire life, and she enjoys every moment she spends there.
"That smells wonderful," Anne says to her wife, who checks the lasagna she put in the oven a few minutes ago through the glass door.
"Your favorite dish," Natalie stands up and gives Anne a gentle caress before kissing her on the lips.
Leah watches her mothers from the corner of her eye while finishing drying some lettuce for a salad. They've been together their whole lives and, despite those years, they still have the same connection they had at the beginning. They met in their twenties, loved each other madly, unleashing their passion in any corner they could find, in that charming apartment that was too small for both when they decided to move in together, and nights eating pizza or Chinese food sitting on the floor because they hadn't yet bought anywhere to sit, ending up making love on the carpet. Years passed, more prosperous times came, and then Leah, the love of their lives. The three of them, just the three of them, and so they were immensely happy. Not everything was always perfect: Leah's tennis career, the passing years, Anne's infidelity that almost ended everything, but as a family they overcame it all, they were strong, and now they enjoy everything they have, something that goes beyond money: love, well-being, and joy.
"This is ready," Anne announces, taking the dish out of the oven with mitts and placing it on a rack on the table.
The three women sit down, each occupying the chair that almost bears their name. Since Leah bought this house, she made sure to make the living room—to one side of the large open kitchen—a cozy place with a big table to welcome guests, but especially for those days when her mothers visit to eat together. Natalie always sits at the head of the table; Leah to her left, and Anne to her right. That's how it's been all their lives, and they keep it that way.
Leah hasn't finished pouring the wine when her phone starts vibrating on the polished table where the plates rest. She glances over her glass, and the name on the screen makes her feel a wave of emotions. Natalie—the nosier of the two—also leans in a bit and confirms that the person calling at this hour is Stella Moore, her daughter's conceited partner.
"We're about to eat, call her back later," Natalie says casually. Stella isn't her favorite person.
Leah adores her mothers, but there are many occasions when they forget that she, at thirty-eight, is an adult capable of making her own decisions. She knows they don't mean to hurt her, quite the opposite; however, the tennis player has to constantly remind them that she's the one who makes these kinds of decisions.
She raises her gaze and observes Natalie for a fraction of time.
"You know how she gets if I don't answer, she won't stop calling," Leah stands up and walks out to the backyard of her house.
She walks until she sits in a green hammock she has in a corner—a gift from Mia—and turns her neck to release tension before answering.
"Honey," Stella greets her as soon as she hears her voice, "I thought you wouldn't pick up."
Leah smiles; that sweet tone of voice was the first thing that caught her attention about Stella, although she soon realized that Stella Moore can be many things, but sweet isn't one of them. It doesn't bother her; in fact, it reminds her a bit of herself when she was younger.
"We're about to eat, I'm at home with my mothers," Leah tells her and lies back more in the hammock. "How are you?"
"Give them my regards."
Another thing Stella has in abundance: manners. She knows perfectly well that her in-laws don't hold her in high esteem; even so, she sends her greetings, makes sure to buy them gifts when she travels to Charleston, and, at least one night, dines with them at Tony's restaurant, a southern expert in seafood that's Anne's weakness.
