Chapter 39

The dull ache in Caitlin Clark’s legs hadn’t gone away since her physical therapy session ended. In fact, every time she shifted in the leather seat of the SUV, she could feel the protest in her quads. Zora Martinez, the team’s physical therapist, had promised that the two-hour session would “help her heal faster,” but to Caitlin, it had felt like the longest, most excruciating two hours of her life.

Two hours of quad exercises. Two hours of balance drills. And then, the final insult-yoga.

Yoga. Caitlin Clark never did yoga. Never.

Now, as she sat in the back seat of her car on the way home, she silently vowed she’d never let Zora talk her into that again.

The city blurred past her window-streaks of gold, silver, and deep blue blending into the dusk. Rob, her driver and bodyguard, hummed quietly to the sound of Halsey’s “Colors” playing softly on the radio. The hum was low, almost comforting, as Caitlin leaned her head against the cool glass, her breath fogging slightly in rhythm with the music.

Her muscles throbbed, her body heavy with exhaustion, but her mind-her mind was restless.

Then, her phone buzzed on her lap. The sound was sharp, a quick vibration that broke through the quiet hum of the car. Caitlin’s tired eyes flicked down.

When she saw the name glowing on her screen, everything inside her softened.

Sienna.

Instantly, a smile crept across her lips-bright and unguarded. The kind of smile only Sienna Callaway could draw out of her. Caitlin quickly unlocked her phone, opening their text thread.

The message read:

Sunshine ☀️💞 : “I’ll be home around 8:30 with takeout. DON’T YOU DARE FALL ASLEEP, CLARK!”

Caitlin smirked, a low chuckle escaping her lips. Even when she texted, Sienna’s voice felt alive-warm, teasing, impossible not to hear in her head.

Her thumbs moved fast across the screen.

Clark ⛹️‍♀️ : “Is that a threat, baby? What if I do fall asleep-hypothetically. What are you gonna do about it?”

Not even a minute passed before her screen lit up again.

Sunshine ☀️💞 : “FINE! Then no takeout for you, and I’ll go back to my own apartment. Maybe invite Camden over to eat with me, since you’ll be hypothetically sleeping 😏.”

Caitlin let out a small laugh, shaking her head. “Oh, she’s really gonna play that game, huh,” she muttered under her breath, grinning.

She typed quickly, still smiling.

Clark ⛹️‍♀️ : “That’s not gonna happen, Sunshine. No eating with Camden-only me. You can eat with him some other time, just not tonight… see you at 8:30, baby.”

A few seconds later, the reply came.

Sunshine ☀️💞 : “Jealous much? See you at 8:30, Clark 😉.”

Caitlin chuckled again, her chest feeling lighter than it had all day. She locked her phone, letting it rest back on her lap, and leaned into the seat. The faint smile stayed on her lips as she stared out the window, the rhythm of the road calming her heartbeat-except it wasn’t the road she was thinking about. It was her.

Sienna.

Her Sunshine.

Caitlin’s mind wandered to how Sienna looked when she laughed-how her nose crinkled slightly, how her green eyes shimmered when she smiled at her. She could almost hear her voice now, soft and teasing, telling Caitlin not to be so stubborn.

And maybe that was what pushed Caitlin’s thoughts toward what she’d been holding back for weeks.

She had wanted to ask Sienna to be her girlfriend for a while now. A whole month of thinking about it, picturing it, feeling the words rise up in her throat every time they were together-but she’d never had the perfect moment. Between games, rehab, interviews, and Sienna’s work schedule, there was always something in the way.

But this time… this time it felt right.

The thought made Caitlin’s heart race, a nervous flutter rising in her chest. She smiled to herself, imagining Sienna’s reaction-the way her eyes might widen in surprise before softening with that tender look Caitlin had fallen in love with.

She wanted to do something special. Something that said everything she hadn’t yet said out loud.

Then, an idea sparked.

A ring.

Not an engagement ring-she wasn’t that far ahead yet-but a promise ring. A way to tell Sienna what she meant to her without needing the perfect words.

Caitlin straightened up in her seat and cleared her throat softly. “Hey, Rob,” she said.

“Yes, Miss Clark?” His tone was polite, warm.

“Could you stop by a jewelry store real quick? I, uh… I wanna buy something for Sienna.”

Through the rearview mirror, Caitlin caught the faint smile that tugged at the corners of Rob’s mouth. He didn’t say anything, just nodded and changed lanes smoothly.

“Windsor Jewelry,” he said a few minutes later, steering toward a familiar downtown street. “It’s one of the best in the city.”

Caitlin nodded, trying to calm her nerves. She wasn’t sure why she felt so jittery-it wasn’t like buying a ring was new to her. But this wasn’t just any ring. This was for Sienna.

Five minutes later, they pulled up in front of Windsor Jewelry-a sleek, elegant storefront framed in gold light.

Caitlin took a deep breath before stepping out of the car, slipping on her Yankees cap and sunglasses. Rob followed closely behind, as steady and solid as ever, a silent shadow.

The small bell above the door jingled as they stepped inside, and the soft scent of polished wood and perfume filled the air.

The woman behind the counter- looked like she was in her early thirties, brown hair in a bun-looked up and instantly smiled when she recognized Caitlin.

“Hi, welcome to Windsor Jewelry! How may I help you?”

Her voice was bright, kind.

Caitlin smiled back politely. “Hi,” she said, voice gentle, almost shy. “I’m, um… I’m looking for a ring. I wanna ask this girl to be my girlfriend.”

The word girlfriend came out soft, almost tender, and even saying it made Caitlin’s heart stutter.

The sales clerk-Rebecca, according to her name tag-grinned warmly. “Oh, so something like a promise ring? You’ve come to the right place, Miss Clark.”

Caitlin’s eyes widened slightly behind the glasses, but Rebecca only smiled, unfazed. “Don’t worry,” she said with a wink. “Your secret’s safe with me. Let’s see what we can find for this lucky lady.”

Rebecca pulled out a few small velvet boxes, laying them carefully on the counter. Inside, the light caught on gemstones-topaz, sapphire, emerald, aquamarine, and one ring with a deep purple stone that shimmered with streaks of blue.

Caitlin’s breath caught.

Her gaze locked on the purple gemstone ring. Something about it drew her in-the way it glowed softly under the light, the silver band lined with delicate diamonds.

Her hand moved almost unconsciously, fingertips brushing against the stone.

Rebecca smiled knowingly. “Ah, I see that one caught your eye. That’s Tanzanite-a rare gemstone. It has a beautiful blue-violet hue.”

Blue-violet.

Caitlin smiled faintly. Blue and purple-Sienna’s favorite colors.

It felt like fate.

“I’ll take it,” Caitlin said softly, eyes still on the ring.

Rebecca grinned. “Oh my, this girl must be special. The price is $2,265, honey.”

Caitlin didn’t even blink. She handed over her card, her chest tight but warm. She could afford it, sure-but that wasn’t the point. The point was what it meant.

A few minutes later, Rebecca her the small purple velvet box inside a Windsor Jewelry bag. “Here you go, Miss Clark,” she said with a gentle smile. “And thank you for shopping with us.”

Caitlin took the bag, but before she turned to leave, she hesitated.

“Um… Rebecca?”

“Yes, darling?”

Caitlin looked down at the box in her hands. “Does this gemstone have… like, a meaning? It feels like it should.”

Rebecca’s smile softened, her voice lowering with something close to affection. “Oh, it does. Tanzanite symbolizes unity and connection, love and commitment, trust and emotion-and transformation and new beginnings. It’s a beautiful meaning, really. The kind of ring that tells someone exactly how you feel without you needing to say the words.”

Caitlin’s throat tightened. For a second, she felt tears sting at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away and smiled faintly. “Thank you, Rebecca,” she said softly.

With that, she turned and walked out into the fading evening light, Rob quietly trailing behind her.

Once they were back in the car, Rob glanced at her through the mirror. “Anywhere else you’d like to go, Miss Clark?”

Caitlin shook her head, her voice quiet but firm. “No. Just… take me home, Rob.”

He nodded and started the engine, pulling smoothly into traffic.

Caitlin leaned back, her fingers brushing the small velvet box. She couldn’t resist opening it again, just to look. The gemstone gleamed faintly in the dim light of the car, and Caitlin’s heart swelled at the thought of it on Sienna’s finger.

It wasn’t about the price, or even the beauty of the ring-it was the meaning.

Unity. Connection. Love. New beginnings.

All of it was Sienna.

Caitlin smiled softly, closing the box and holding it against her chest.

In her mind, she could already picture the way Sienna’s eyes would light up, the sound of her laugh, the warmth in her smile when Caitlin finally asked the question that had been sitting on her heart forever.

Soon, she thought.

Soon, she was going to ask Sienna Callaway to be her girlfriend.

And for the first time that day, every ache in her body, every ounce of fatigue, melted away-leaving only the steady hum of love blooming in her chest.

Authors Note :

Heyyyy lovelies I’m backkkkkk, did y’all miss me cause I know I missed y’all….I hope y’all enjoyed this update I tried to make it make sense I’m sorry 😐….. anyways final exams are over so now I can go back to updating, anyways until the next time lovelies, stay safe.

XoXo V 💜💜💜

P.s. This is definitely how the ring looks like.