Chapter 14

One Year Later

Being away from home had officially become Paige’s least favorite part of basketball.

Before Maya, traveling had been easy.

Normal.

Fun, even.

Now?

Now every road trip felt too long.

Every hotel room felt too quiet.

Every FaceTime call made her miss home worse.

Especially this trip.

Because the flight to Los Angeles for the UCLA game felt endless.

And somehow being a senior made everything feel even heavier.

Every game mattered more now.

Every trip felt more emotional.

This was her final season at UConn.

Her final year wearing the jersey she’d dreamed about since she was a kid.

People talked constantly about her future now.

The WNBA.

The draft.

Records.

Legacy.

But sitting on a team flight somewhere over the middle of the country, Paige honestly couldn’t think about any of that.

Because all she could think about was home.

Paige sat slumped in her seat wearing UConn sweats and noise-canceling headphones while the rest of the team slowly settled around her.

KK Arnold sat nearby scrolling through TikTok.

Ashlynn Shade was arguing with Ice Brady about snacks.

Sarah Strong sat a few rows ahead listening to music.

Azzi sat beside Paige looking half asleep already.

Paige barely paid attention.

Because she was busy staring at the lockscreen on her phone.

You and Maya.

Her favorite picture.

Maya had your smile.

Paige’s eyes.

And enough personality for five children combined.

The last year had somehow flown by impossibly fast.

One minute she was holding a newborn in a hospital room.

The next, Maya was running around the apartment with tiny unsteady steps while yelling at the family dog-sized stuffed bear Paige had won her at a carnival.

And recently?

Maya had started trying to talk.

Not full sentences.

Mostly tiny sounds and random attempts at words.

But Paige had become obsessed with every single one.

“Say mama.”

Every single day.

Constantly.

You had started laughing every time Paige did it.

Because she’d become weirdly competitive about it.

“You do realize babies don’t learn words on command, right?”

Paige had pointed dramatically at Maya sitting in her high chair.

“She understands me.”

Maya had immediately thrown blueberries onto the floor.

Paige gasped dramatically.

“Betrayal.”

Now, somewhere above the clouds, Paige’s phone buzzed repeatedly.

Her entire face lit up instantly.

Videos from you.

“There she goes,” KK said immediately from across the aisle.

Azzi cracked one eye open.

“Maya videos?”

“Obviously.”

Paige was already opening the first one.

The video showed Maya sitting on the living room floor surrounded by toys.

Her tiny curls were messy.

One sock was missing.

And she was passionately babbling at absolutely nothing.

Paige smiled so hard her cheeks hurt.

“Hi, baby.”

Another video.

Maya trying to stack blocks before knocking them over herself and clapping proudly afterward.

Another.

Maya waddling toward the camera with the unsteady confidence only toddlers possessed.

Paige felt her chest ache instantly.

She missed them.

So much.

Then the final video loaded.

The camera pointed toward Maya sitting in her high chair.

Your laughter could be heard softly behind the phone.

“Can you say mama?”

Paige grinned immediately.

“That’s my girl.”

Onscreen, Maya blinked slowly.

Then very seriously said:

“Mama.”

Paige froze.

Completely froze.

KK immediately looked over.

“What?”

But Paige wasn’t listening anymore.

Because Maya kept talking.

Tiny voice.

Tiny words.

“Mama love mama.”

Silence.

Paige stared at the screen like the world had just stopped turning.

Then-

“Oh my God.”

Her hand flew over her mouth instantly.

Azzi sat upright immediately.

“What happened?”

Paige looked genuinely emotional.

“She said mama.”

The entire section of the plane went quiet.

“What?”

Paige replayed the video immediately.

Everyone nearby leaned closer.

And again-

“Mama love mama.”

KK gasped loudly.

“NO WAY.”

Paige looked seconds away from crying.

“That’s my baby.”

Azzi smiled immediately.

“Okay, that’s adorable.”

Paige replayed the video again.

And again.

And again.

By the fourth replay, even the coaches nearby were listening.

Geno finally looked over from across the aisle.

“What are we all yelling about?”

Paige immediately stood up holding out the phone.

“My daughter said her first word.”

Geno blinked.

“Seriously?”

Paige hit play before he could say anything else.

“Mama love mama.”

A smile spread across his face immediately.

“Well.”

He handed the phone back.

“Looks like you’ve officially become unbearable.”

“I already was.”

Paige didn’t even try denying it.

She looked impossibly proud.

Completely emotional.

And fully prepared to brag about this for the rest of her life.

“She’s a mama’s girl.”

KK snorted loudly.

“Relax.”

“No, seriously.”

Paige sat back down.

“She’s literally obsessed with me.”

Azzi raised an eyebrow.

“Or she just learned one word.”

Paige pointed dramatically.

“That word was mama.”

From across the aisle, Ice Brady laughed.

“We’re never hearing the end of this.”

“Absolutely not,” KK agreed.

Paige replayed the video again anyway.

Completely shameless.

“She’s literally a mini me.”

Azzi laughed.

“That’s terrifying.”

“Very terrifying,” KK added.

Paige ignored them.

Because she was too busy staring at the screen again.

At Maya.

Her daughter.

Her baby girl.

The little person who somehow managed to completely own her heart after only one year of life.

Then another text from you appeared.

You: She keeps saying it now. I think you’ve created a monster.

Paige grinned immediately.

Then typed back:

Paige: Wrong. I created perfection.

KK leaned over dramatically after reading the text.

“Oh my God.”

Paige smiled without shame.

Because right now she didn’t care about the game waiting for them in Los Angeles.

Or the pressure of her senior season.

Or the millions of people talking about her future.

Right now she was just a mom sitting on a plane replaying her daughter’s first words over and over again.

And every single time Maya’s tiny voice said “Mama love mama,” Paige fell in love all over again.