Chapter 41

It had been two weeks since Caitlin Clark had asked Sienna Callaway to be her girlfriend.

Two weeks since the purple velvet box.
Two weeks since trembling hands and whispered promises.

Two weeks since Sienna’s life had quietly, beautifully shifted into something softer and warmer than she ever imagined.

Now, sitting alone in her office at ESPN, Sienna found herself replaying that moment again-like a favorite song she never got tired of hearing.

Sunlight poured through the tall glass windows, casting golden streaks across her desk, her laptop, the framed photos of past assignments. But Sienna barely noticed any of it. Her attention stayed on her left hand.

On the ring.

The blue-and-purple gemstone shimmered gently against her skin, catching the light every time she moved her fingers. She tilted her hand slightly, watching the colors dance together-blue melting into violet, violet slipping into blue.
Caitlin’s choice.

Her lips curved into a quiet, lovesick smile.

Every time she looked at it, her chest felt too full, like her heart was carrying something precious and fragile at the same time.

She remembered the way Caitlin’s voice shook when she asked. The way her hazel eyes searched Sienna’s face like she already knew the answer but still needed to hear it.

Will you be mine?

Sienna let out a slow breath, warmth spreading through her ribs.

“Mine,” she whispered to herself, almost shyly.

Before she could sink deeper into her thoughts, her office telephone rang, sharp and sudden.

The sound startled her just enough that her hand dropped back onto the desk. She glanced at the caller ID and smiled faintly when she saw the name.

Camryn.

Sienna picked it up. “Hey, Camryn. What’s up?” she asked casually.

On the other end, Camryn’s voice sounded… nervous. “Hey, Si. So, um… you have visitors.”

Sienna straightened instantly in her chair. Her spine stiffened and she cleared her throat.

“Visitors?” she repeated slowly.

Camryn chuckled awkwardly. “Yeah… your parents. Mr. and Mrs. Callaway.”
Sienna’s eyes widened.

“My-what?”

“And, uh,” Camryn rushed on, “you might wanna come fast because some coworkers already recognized your dad and they’re asking for pictures and autographs.”

Camryn rushed through the sentence in one breath.

“Oh shit,” Sienna muttered under her breath, standing up so fast her chair rolled back slightly.

Her heart kicked into panic mode.

“Ryn-has the boss seen my dad yet?” Sienna asked, already pacing behind her desk.

The thought alone made her stomach twist. Jodi-her boss-loved headlines. Loved drama. Loved anything that could be turned into clicks and money. And the last thing Sienna wanted was Jodi sniffing around her personal life.

Especially now.

Especially with Caitlin.

Sienna swallowed. If news got out that Caitlin Clark was dating ESPN’s own reporter, the situation could turn messy fast.

Articles. Speculation. Questions. Pressure.

And Sienna refused to betray Caitlin’s trust.

Their life together was private. Sacred. Not something for headlines.

“Relax,”Camryn replied quickly. “Jodi went home early-family emergency. You’re safe.”
Relief flooded Sienna’s chest.

Camryn continued, “Do you want me to send your parents into your office instead so you don’t have to come out?”

Sienna exhaled slowly. “Yeah… yeah, please, Ryn. That would be nice.”

“On it,” Camryn said gently.

The call ended.

Sienna leaned against her desk and pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a long groan.

“Why didn’t Dad call me?” she muttered softly. “Just showing up like this…”

She smiled despite herself.
Unexpected. Surprising. Very Jake Callaway.
Then her thoughts drifted immediately to Caitlin.

I hope Caitlin’s ready to meet her in-laws soon, Sienna thought, her lips twitching. This is gonna be a long afternoon.

A few minutes later, her office door opened.
And suddenly, the world felt like home again.

Jake Callaway stepped inside first, his tall frame filling the doorway, a massive grin already stretching across his face. He was six-foot-four, broad-shouldered, still strong even in his mid-fifties. His salt-and-pepper hair was neatly styled, matching the stubble lining his jaw. Wrinkles creased around his eyes when he smiled-but they only made him look kinder, warmer.

Beside him was Tia Callaway.

Beautiful. Warm. Strong.

Tia wasn’t Sienna’s biological mother-her mom had passed when Sienna was ten-but she had raised her from thirteen onward with nothing but love.

Tia was beautiful in a way that felt comforting rather than loud-rich brown skin, soft afro curls framing her face, warm brown eyes that always carried love in them. She looked at Sienna like she always had, as if no amount of distance could weaken that bond.

They were home.

Sienna’s throat tightened instantly.

“MOM! Dad!” Sienna gasped, standing up fully. “What are you guys doing here? Why didn’t you tell me you were at the airport? I would’ve picked you up!”

Jake chuckled before pulling her into a crushing hug. His arms wrapped around her like they always had-safe, familiar, grounding.

“Nice to see you, kiddo,” he said warmly. “We wanted to surprise you. Looks like it worked.”
Sienna laughed softly, her face buried against his shoulder. “You scared me half to death.”

“But you missed us,” he teased.
She sighed. “Always.”
Then Tia cleared her throat dramatically. “Okay, okay. My turn. Don’t hog my daughter, Jake.”
Sienna giggled and pulled away, immediately stepping into Tia’s arms.

“Hey, Mama,” Sienna whispered, hugging her tightly. “I missed you so much.”
Tia’s voice broke slightly. “Oh, my sweet baby… I missed you too.”

She pulled back just enough to look at Sienna’s face, her hands resting on her cheeks. “Look at you. All grown up. I feel like I missed so much this past year.”

Sienna’s eyes shimmered. “I’m still the same, Mama. Things have just… changed.”

Jake frowned slightly. “Changed how, kiddo? Everything okay?”

Sienna smiled softly. “Yeah, Dad. Everything’s good. I just have a lot to tell you.”

She paused, then brightened. “Why don’t we go to my place? We’ll cook, have dinner together. I miss family dinners.”

Tia smiled immediately and kissed Sienna’s forehead. “That sounds perfect.”
Sienna’s heart swelled.

She told them to wait outside while she packed up.
Once alone, Sienna grabbed her bag, slipping her laptop inside, then reached for her phone. Her thumb hovered for only a second before opening Caitlin’s text thread.

She smiled before typing.

Sunshine ☀️💞: Hey baby, just a heads up-change of plans. My parents unexpectedly flew in from New York to surprise me. They’re here right now and we’re going back to my place to cook dinner. I was wondering if you wanna join us for dinner? I’d love for you to meet my dad. Only if you want to, baby-no pressure. See you soon, Clark. I love you 😘🤍.

She hit send.
Almost instantly, her phone buzzed.
Sienna laughed softly as she read Caitlin’s reply.

Clark ⛹️‍♀️: WAIT-YOUR PARENTS ARE HERE?? HERE HERE?? LIKE IN
INDIANA?! OH SHIT 😳 BUT YES BABY, I’D LOVE TO MEET THEM. I’M NERVOUS BUT EXCITED. I’LL SEE YOU SOON, MY LOVE. I LOVE YOU 🫠💜.

Sienna’s heart melted.

She imagined Caitlin pacing her apartment, probably changing shirts three times, rehearsing what to say, pretending she wasn’t freaking out.

“She’s adorable,” Sienna whispered with a smile.

She slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped back into the hallway.
Her parents stood waiting, Jake scrolling through his phone while Tia admired framed photos along the walls.

“Ready to go, kiddo?” Jake asked.

“I’m ready,” Sienna smiled. “Bye, Camryn.”

“Bye, Sienna,” Camryn waved.

As Sienna walked beside her parents toward the elevator, her fingers brushed the ring again.

Two weeks.
A girlfriend.
Parents in town.
And Caitlin about to meet them.

Her heart felt full in the quietest, most beautiful way.
Whatever tonight held, she knew one thing for sure-
Love had officially walked into her life.

Authors Note :

Heyyyy lovelies I know it’s been a long time and my updates haven’t been consistent lately…my bad, I’m sorry :(. I hope y’all are well and haven’t given up yet :)… It’s also been one year since I started Sienna and Caitlin’s story 🥹. I may finish this book around February if I have time 😅. I can’t believe our babyyy is 24 years old already!!! I’ve loved her since 2024 🤧… anyways sorry for my rambling lovelies until next time my Angels <3. Also shoutout to justsomeonehere13 thank you for reading, commenting and supporting my book even though I always update late. Thank you for your patience 🥹🤍.

XoXo V 💜💜💜