33: Pushing Limits

The sun casts a warm glow over the city as Aiden drives me to work. Despite the cheery atmosphere, a slight sadness lingers in the car. Today is the start of Aiden’s more rigorous practice schedule — which means our time together will be brief. "I'm sorry I won't see you more today," Aiden confesses, vocalizing the disappointment we both feel. I rub his shoulder. “Don’t feel bad! I know you have a big match coming up soon," I reply, trying to keep my mood up. "There’s four big matches in total, right? That isn’t too long.” I say. Despite my words, it feels like a very long time. This is what it means to date a professional athlete, I remind myself. No need to get bummed all of a sudden. You knew this was coming. Aiden sighs. His eyes remain fixed on the road, but I can tell that he’s feeling down. I think for a moment before a smile creeps across my lips. “Hey, I don’t have any late meetings today… Maybe I could come to watch practice tonight?" Aiden's face lights up with exciteme