Page 121 of Hail Marry
“Maybe not, but he should’ve been upfront about how serious it was once he knew. Have you talked to him about the interview?”
“Yesterday. He didn’t say so, but I think he feels bad.”
I cock a brow. “Because he’ll never see his percentage of your contract money?”
“No. I mean, yeah. That too, I’m sure. But I don’t think he’d really thought through what would happen to us if we got caught. He’s a glass half-full guy.”
I sigh. “Well, he can pay for our bungalow in Belize as reparation.”
Luca smiles and leans in to kiss me. These are the moments I live for. When he holds me, it feels like, just maybe, everything can work out. They wouldn’t really separate two people who are genuinely in love, right?
According to Preston, they would.
While Luca’s gone to practice each day, my saving grace is Summit Reach, where I’ve become an almost-daily fixture. You’d think learning more about the tough situations most of the kids come from would just add to the despair trying to take over at times, but strangely, it doesn’t. Connecting and making friends with them somehow helps me feel less overwhelmed by my own problems.
I’ve made so much progress with Dallin that he actually gives me an acknowledging chin lift from his place in the corner when I come in for a couple hours on Friday morning. It’s a moment of deeply felt victory that I pretend to barely notice because, when in Rome.…
At this point, I’m on a first-name basis with all the regulars, and Dallin is among those. Despite the fact that he loves to give me the shortest possible responses to my questions, I’ve managed to piece together bits about his life and the fact that his home functions more as a revolving door for delinquent older cousins than anything.
“Tori.”
I look over to find the program director, Angela, poking her head out of her office. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Of course,” I say, but my heart starts beating more quickly. Did I break a rule? Maybe she found out that I’m under investigation for immigration fraud.
She closes the door behind me and gestures for me to have a seat. Her office is small but neat, with a computer on the desk as well as a few fidget toys for the kids. “I knew Tori Callahan was here when I heard laughing through my closed door.”
I clench my teeth. “Sorry about that.”
She smiles. “Please don’t apologize for making this a happier place. Rarely have I seen someone connect so easily with the kids.”
“Amazing what enormous bags of candy can do, isn’t it?”
She laughs lightly. “You’d manage the same thing without that. That’s why I wanted to talk to you.”
I brace myself—I’ve been waiting for someone to tell me I’m not allowed to bribe the kids with sugar anymore.
She leans forward on her desk and clasps her hands, staring directly at me. “I don’t know much about your situation, Tori, but I have to ask: is there any chance you’d be interested in accepting a position working here?”
I stare at her, my mouth open. “What?”
“I think you’ve met Brian who works here, right? He’s moving to Riverside, so we have a position to fill, and I really think you’d be the perfect replacement.”
I blink a few times. “Sorry, I’m just a little confused. It’s a volunteer thing, right?”
“No,” she says. “It’s a part-time position. It’s not Fortune 500 pay by any means, but it’s better than you might think. I can give you more details, of course,ifyou have any interest in the position.”
I let out an incredulous laugh. “Are you kidding me? That sounds like a dream!”
She grins. “I’m so glad to hear you say that.” She opens a binder next to her computer and lays it out in between us, turning it so it’s facing me. “Shall we talk details?”
I get home justin time to see Luca before he has to catch his flight. They had two home games in a row, but this week’s is in Florida. I’ve been dreading his leaving. He’ll only be gone a couple days, but when you have no idea how long it’ll be before you’re separated, every minute counts.
But today, I have a surprise for him.
“I thought you wouldn’t make it,” he says, wrapping me in a bear hug.
I shut my eyes and revel in how it feels to be held by him and the way he nuzzles his face into my neck. Dallin wasn’t wrong when he said I’m lucky.
