Page 58 of Chasing The Goal
I wasn’t grieving.
Not exactly.
And I wasn’t celebrating either.
It felt more like... standing at a threshold. One door had just closed with a quiet, gentle click. No slamming. No fury. Just a man, walking away with soft eyes and the decency to leave it clean.
And maybe... just maybe... another door was about to squeak open. Not wide yet. Not enough to walk through. But enough to glimpse something bright beyond it. Something better.
I didn’t know what came next. Not entirely.
But I wasn’t alone.
Not in my body. Not in my story. Not anymore.
Andas I sat there, the weight of the moment sinking in, I felt something shift in me—steady, small, and full of a kind of courage I hadn’t known I had.
A beginning. Quiet, yes. But mine.
Mallory
By the time Ipushed through the arena’s side entrance, the city’s chill still clung to the inside of my coat. The lobby buzzed with the usual morning movement—boots squeaking on tile, the faint hum of conversation, someone shouting down the hall for a forgotten water bottle.
My ID badge clipped against my chest as I walked past the front desk, head down, keeping my breathing even. I didn’t feel heavy, exactly. Just... like every part of me was moving in slow motion.
Security nodded. “Morning, Mal.”
“Morning, Mike,” I offered, forcing a small smile.
Theelevator ride up to the staff offices gave me sixty seconds to breathe. I exhaled slowly, watching the floor numbers blink one by one. When the doors opened, I stepped into the hallway and headed to my desk without a word. Familiar clatter and the soft whir of printers filled the space.
I sat down, slipped my bag under the desk, and pulled out my phone like muscle memory.
I opened the group chat.
Mallory
Jackson and I met this morning. It’s done. Well I should say he's done
He also zelle'ed me 9 grand as an apology?
The typing bubbles came in hot.
Dakota
Okay, wow. Immediate reaction: are you okay?
Ava
Seriously. Do we need to throw you a soft blanket and an emotional support playlist?
I smiled—my first real one since leaving the café.
’Im okay. Like, weirdly okay. Quietly okay. It’s the right thing. Just… a lot.
Dakota
You did something really brave.
