Coach's Daughter

3

After my last class of the day, I went down to the gym where the physical therapy offices are located down the hall passed the locker rooms and my dad's office. Steve and Laura teach me all the ins and outs of their jobs. From paperwork, to working with different players and how to deal with them physically and emotionally.

Right now we were sitting in the main physical therapy room where there was lots of space and hand rails and equipment. I was squirming in my seat, wondering if I would get to see Paige today. They have practice this afternoon so maybe she might swing by? It had been about 7 months since she had her surgery, but surely she still does physical therapy.

My question is answered when in the middle of Steve explaining how to adjust the hand rails, the door opens. I turn around to see Paige in all her glory, walking through the door. I immediately get nervous as all my blood rushes to my face.

"Hey, Paige!" Laura greets her before turning to me, "We forgot to tell you we work with Paige every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday before practice! Unless there's a game of course. Just check ups, really. She's pretty much almost healed."

Paige is wearing her practice clothes, a white UCONN t shirt and navy Nike basketball shorts. Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail as usual.

"Hey," she says to me with a friendly smile, coming to sit on a yoga ball beside Steve, across from me. Probably because this is the first time she's ever spoke to me, I feel my face blush and I suddenly forget basic human social skills. I eventually smile back and mutter a shaky, "Hey," back. Embarrassing.

"Paige," Steve says, "This is Y/n, she will be interning with us for a while. She's basically helping us help you. And the other players, of course."

Helping them help her? No, I want to help her. Directly.

"Cool." She says nodding her head. "Hey, you're Geno's daughter, aren't you?" Holy shit. She is really talking to me right now. And she knows who I am!

"Yeah." I say, trying to sound a little less terrified this time. She had to know I was "Geno's daughter". I mean, she followed me on Instagram last night, and my last name, that I share with my dad, is right there. Actually, she definitely had to type my full first and last name out to find me. Eh, she probably just didn't know what else to say. Or maybe she's messing with me.

"Okay!" Laura claps her hands together, standing up and walking over to a desk and grabbing some files.

"You know the drill," she says and Paige stands as well, going over to the parallel bars.

Laura asked Paige a few questions while looking at the files and Paige answering with simple yes's and no's before Laura walked over to her. "Give me a left lunge," she tells her and Paige does as she's told. "front lunge. Now the other leg. Feeling any pain?"

"Nope." Paige answers simply before Laura continues. "Give me a few jumps. Now squat."

Paige's face drops a little at the mention to do a squat, however she doesn't hesitate before doing one with a straight face.

"Now feet a little closer together." Paige winces a little and I feel my heart twist at the brief look of pain on her face.

"Does it hurt?" Laura asks bluntly. "Nah, not really." Paige brushes it off. She probably just wants her files to look as good as possible so she can play again. She's out for the rest of this season though, so I don't see the point in pretending it doesn't hurt.

Laura sighs before continuing, "Jump squat."

Paige does the rest of her exercises seamlessly. This is the first time I've really gotten to see the scars on her knee from surgery. Two small purplish marks on both the inner and outer sides of her left knee.