Kellie and Brad Ch. 11

Meanwhile, in private, the women and their loved ones were free to tell and show each other what they thought of their appearance. Jennifer and Heather reveled in each other's athletic sexiness. Jamie showed his appreciation of Amber's body in many passionate ways. As for Brad, he couldn't help but marvel at how Kellie had transformed herself to look even better than she did before, which he would not have thought possible since he already considered her to be a perfect beauty.

He found himself admitting as much to Anita one day at work when, after discussing on-the-job issues, their conversation drifted towards the team's Olympic dreams.

"Kellie and the girls have done such an incredible job since they've started this process!" he exclaimed, beaming with obvious pride.

Anita had to agree, if the changes she saw in Amber over the last three years or so were any indication.

Amber and Anita had become friends in that time, despite the unlikely circumstances. They started meeting semi-regularly soon after Anita's awkward encounter with Heather. Anita wasn't sure what Amber was getting out of their friendship, but Anita was grateful to have someone else to talk to and share things she couldn't share with anyone else, not even her family.

In any case, if Anita thought Amber was fit before, now she was certain that Kellie's trusted and energetic lead player looked primed for serious battle on ice.

The sound of Brad's voice snapped Anita out of her brain's efforts to sidetrack her. "I have to tell you though, Anita, it's really difficult for me sometimes."

"Oh, really?" she smirked. "And just how do you figure that?"

Brad's eyes became half-lidded as he engaged in lusty reverie. "Well, with the amazing shape Kellie's in, I walk around with a constant hard-on whenever I'm around her! I mean, she doesn't have an ounce of fat on her but she's still all woman, you know? All tight and firm and curvy and delicious. And her ass! I'm telling you, you could bounce a quarter off her..."

He suddenly stopped and blushed, remembering his audience and realizing he had gone way, way too far. "Damn, Anita, I'm really sorry. That's way too much information, isn't it? I mean, I'm sure you really don't need to hear your boss talking about his wife in that much detail!"

Much to his surprise, Anita just smiled. "That's OK", she said. "I don't mind, to be honest. I hear so many guys complain about 'the old ball-and-chain', it's refreshing to hear a man still be so in love with his wife like you are with Kellie." She was about to say what else was on her mind, but she closed her mouth and stopped herself just in time.

If Brad noticed Anita's awkward pause, he didn't show it. "Thanks, that's nice of you to say, but I'll cut it out anyway so I don't embarrass myself any more than I already have."

They shared a quick laugh before another co-worker approached Brad with a question. He left to speak to the young man, leaving Anita to briefly continue watching Brad's movements. She sighed and returned to what she was doing before.

********

With all the progress and success the team was enjoying, there was only one thing they lacked.

Problem was, as far as holes in their otherwise long list of achievements, it was a really big one.

With less than a year remaining until the Olympic Trials, Team Galenchuk had not yet managed to claim qualification to that tournament.

It seemed impossible, given how well they were playing and all the wins they were stacking up in that time, but it was true.

Not like their competition felt sorry for them. After all, no one was just going to roll over and hand them a spot.

Several teams had the talent and the desire needed to qualify for the Olympic Trials. There were a few matches where Kellie and her team were in position; a win would have given them qualification. In most of them, they just happened to run into a team playing even better than they were on the day. It was no shame to lose those matches, but with what was at stake, it was frustrating nonetheless.

Even more frustrating was the onset of some plain, old-fashioned bad luck. The flu ravaged the team late in a qualifying tournament at the end of last season, one in which they were the clear favourites. Both Jennifer and Heather were so ill it was a minor miracle they finished the final match, and Amber and Kellie weren't all that much better. They were routed in that game. It was almost a relief to concede defeat so early.

They had to forget all of that recent negative history and concentrate on the present. The team had another chance to qualify, one week from today.

It was the last major tournament of the season, the Players' Championship, and the second-last opportunity for anyone to qualify. For the teams that had not already locked up a spot in the Olympic Trials, if they failed to win this bonspiel, the only remaining opportunity would be to run the gauntlet of a last-chance competition that would feature as many as ten teams trying to claim the last two spots up for grabs. The pressure would be immense, and no one wanted to subject themselves to that lottery if they could help it.

Kellie decided she needed to back off from her teammates for the week leading up to the Players'. She could feel herself pressing too hard, wanting it so much she was succumbing to the pressure, and she sensed they shared the same feeling. So she told Amber, Heather and Jennifer that they would not practice or otherwise get together as a team for the whole week. She made the suggestion to Amber that she should keep her distance from the others as well, and she implored Jennifer and Heather to do everything they could to avoid talking about curling all week. They all agreed and thought this break would be for the best.

On the Wednesday of the week before the Players', Kellie woke up in the morning with nothing on her plate. Brad was at work, E.J. and Kaitlyn were at school, and it was one of Kellie's scheduled days off from work at the health club. After breakfast and her morning cup of coffee, she decided now was a good time to seek answers and inspiration for her cause.

She made the drive to the small town she called home from her high school years until before the birth of Kaitlyn. There were some additions around the outskirts, but for the most part her old hometown had not changed. She took comfort in its familiarity. She took a moment to pass by the small house she and Brad used to live in before making her way to the community's curling club.

The parking lot was empty, and Kellie braced herself for disappointment. She was delighted, however, to find the door to the building unlocked. She went inside to the lobby and stopped in front of the trophy cabinet and "wall of fame".

She couldn't help but smile at seeing the replica trophies and pictures that commemorated her and her team's back-to-back victories at the national championships from years ago. The sight of Sandra in the pictures reminded Kellie that she really ought to call her friend soon because it had been a while since they had been in touch.

There was also a slight tinge of unwanted bitterness that Kellie quickly shook away. Sandra had found success with her new team since taking over as skip, already achieving the Olympic trials berth she still sought. She knew she should be happy for Sandra, even though it wasn't easy to accept that her friend already had what she longed for so badly.

Otherwise, noting but pleasant memories filled her mind. No surprise at that, she knew, because other than marrying Brad and the births of E.J. and Kaitlyn, those victories were the best things that ever happened to her.

Kellie closed her eyes and cleared her mind. After taking some deep breaths, she focused her thoughts in an effort to recall as much as she could from those wins. How she felt, how she prepared, what she said to her teammates... she tried to remember as many of those details as possible, so she could use and channel them for the upcoming Players' Championship, when she would need it most.

Several minutes passed, how many exactly Kellie couldn't say. She didn't hear the footsteps behind her until they were fairly close; it was enough warning to ensure she was not startled by what she heard soon after.

"Kellie? Is that you?"

Kellie opened her eyes and smiled at the familiar voice. She turned to see Russ standing just outside the hallway, with his arm around Rachel. Both were smiling as they recognized her, and she smiled in return.

"Hi Russ! Hi Rachel!" she said, hugging them both. "It's so good to see you!"

"Russ and I were just on our way to lunch," Rachel said. "Would you like to join us?"

Kellie accepted the invitation, and the three stepped outside into the cool, clear day. Russ and Rachel led the way, and Kellie walked just behind them, allowing them to discuss something among themselves while she concentrated on her own thoughts.

When they reached their destination, Kellie wasn't surprised, since there weren't a ton of options in a town this small. Still, she laughed to herself all the same when she found herself entering the same country diner where she and Brad enjoyed their first date.

There were many familiar faces in the diner, and Kellie took the time to say hello to all of them, shaking plenty of hands along the way. In the back corner Kellie was thrilled to see Brad's parents and her Aunt Linda and Uncle Vic sharing a table. She hugged and kissed them enthusiastically, giggling at their looks of surprised happiness. It was easy to persuade Russ and Rachel to join them, and a spare table was used so the party of seven could comfortably sit together.

"So, Kellie, to what do we owe the pleasure of seeing you today?" Aunt Linda asked.

Kellie sighed in reply. "I needed to find some inspiration, because, as you might be aware, my team and I have been having a little trouble closing the deal on an Olympic Trials spot lately."

"I'm sure your teammates, Brad and the kids are doing what they can to help," Uncle Vic said.

"Definitely! They've all been tremendously supportive. But they're a little too close to the situation, you know what I mean? So I was hoping to get a bit of distance and perspective, and maybe channel the positive vibes from our winning past and use them to help us next week."

Russ nodded in sympathy. "I don't mean to be critical, but it's been difficult not to notice your struggles," he said. "I clearly saw it when I watched you on TV recently. You poor girls must be under so much pressure! It looked like you were going to squeeze your broom handles into dust."

"That about sums it up," Kellie agreed.

Rachel spoke up. "For what it's worth, Kellie, we all believe in you." She waited for everyone to voice their agreement before adding, "You're due for a big win, and I'm sure next week you'll get it."

"Thanks, Rachel, it does mean a lot."

"Everyone else in town believes in you, too," Russ said. "You and your teammates have been a frequent topic of discussion around here, you know."

"How so?"

"They're excited. We may be a modest little town with a modest little curling club, but we already have one product skipping a team in the Olympic trials in Sandra, and you still have a great chance to make it two. You've run into some amazingly good performances and some unbelievably bad luck at the worst possible times. It doesn't matter to us; we're all confident in you and the girls. I've not heard anyone say anything negative about you. We all believe you will find a way to get it done."

Kellie was touched by everyone's encouraging words. And, right on cue, many of the townsfolk who had finished their lunch came over and offered well wishes and good luck to Kellie and her team.

The party of seven ate a hearty lunch and made enjoyable small talk. When it was time to go, Kellie hugged everyone tightly.

"Thank you so much for your help!" she exclaimed.

"I hope we didn't add to the pressure by what we said earlier," Brad's father said.

"No," Kellie answered, "don't any of you worry about that. This was just what I needed!"

Kellie bid everyone goodbye. She drove back home, but in truth her spirits were lifted so high she felt she could have floated all the way.

********

They noticed that their skip's mood had changed for the better.

And like they had done so many times in the past, Jennifer, Heather and Amber took their cue from Kellie. They listened to their skip tell them she believed in them, and that she knew in her heart this would be their time to shine. And they believed her.

It was a calm, cool and collected team that travelled to a resort town in British Columbia, the site of this year's Players' Championship. Anyone who saw them at the airport or on the plane, even if they didn't know who they were or what they did, could see that they were a confident bunch.

They weren't the only ones who saw Kellie's quiet confidence. Brad noticed it at home that night, after she returned from her impromptu visit to their old hometown. After she filled him in on the details, she had a request for Brad.

"This is the week for us, Brad. I can feel it. I also know our finances are OK, so we can afford the expense. So will you bring the kids and fly out to B.C. to watch us win?"

"Of course, babe," Brad replied. "For you, anything! And I think the kids will enjoy the trip!"

Everything went as Kellie expected. She and her team ran through the field at the Players' like a team possessed. On the evening of Thursday of that week, Kellie called Brad to tell him it was OK to break the news to the kids. Over dinner that night, Brad did just that, letting them know that on Saturday they were going to board a plane for the first time in their lives, to see what they hoped would be a great victory for their mother and her teammates.

"Cool!" the nine-year old, fourth-grade boy exclaimed. "I can't wait to tell my friends!" E.J. saw this as a big adventure. He knew about his mother's athletic exploits. He watched curling with his dad whenever he had it on TV, which was often, and he also watched with his mom when she wasn't competing. He also tried the sport a few times when his parents introduced it to him and Kaity. He was more than pleased to let his teacher and classmates know his family's involvement in curling when it was introduced as part of physical education class at school. He decided playing the sport competitively wasn't really for him, it was too slow-moving for his tastes, but he did enjoy watching it, and he was very proud of his mom for competing in a popular sport at such a high level.

"Wow!" said the seven-year old, second grade girl. "That's great! Watching Mom will be fun!" Kaitlyn had shown more of an interest in curling than her brother. She had yet to throw any rocks during the times her parents introduced the sport to her and E.J., but she did have fun trying her hand at sweeping, and she enjoyed watching her parents and E.J. play. She also talked about the game with her parents frequently, and she learned the language of the game rather quickly for such a young girl. She knew her mom often travelled during the winter because of curling. She missed her when she was gone, but she also knew her mom loved what she did and that it was very important to her. Kaitlyn looked forward to the opportunity to see her mom compete up close.

Kaitlyn was a little nervous about boarding a plane and flying in the air, but Brad reassured her it was very safe. E.J. was excited, and he spent much of the time at the airport looking out the window and marvelling at the size of the planes taxiing down the runway. Brad knew he had his hands full, trying to comfort one child and calm the other down, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

E.J. found the flight fascinating, and it was also problem-free, to Kaity's relief. Upon landing Brad rented a car and took them to the hotel where Kellie, Jennifer, Heather and Amber were staying. They all met together in the lobby, as well as Jamie, who had travelled separately to see Amber.

"What's the schedule?" Brad asked.

"We're already in the finals," Kellie said. "The semi-final is today, so we'll find out our opponent there. We play tomorrow afternoon."

Kellie spent the day with her family, enjoying the sights of the town and the rare opportunity to be with Brad, E.J. and Kaity during a tournament. She thanked them sincerely for embarking on the whirlwind trip. They told her they were only too happy to do so and were looking forward to seeing her and the team go for the win.

Meanwhile Kellie had charged Jennifer, Heather and Amber (and Jamie) with scouting duty. After dinner she met with her teammates to find out who they were playing and whether that team had done anything differently in their game they needed to prepare for.

All in all they were secure in their status without being cocky. The other team was very good, yet if they played their best they liked their chances of winning.

After breakfast Kellie went to the arena to prepare, giving a kiss to Brad, E.J. and Kaity before she left. Brad and the kids waited for a while before making their own way to the arena. They climbed the flights of stairs to get to their assigned seats. Jamie showed up soon after and shook Brad's hand. He asked the kids if they were looking forward to watching their mom and the others play, and they both excitedly said yes.

Kaity watched wide-eyed as the arena filled with spectators. She had never been in a building so large and capable of holding so many people. Her interest in the scene surrounding her was piqued. She asked her father many questions. Brad patiently answered them all and enjoyed her growing sense of excitement. Kaity was amazed at how many people were in attendance, and all the television cameras that would show the game to many, many more people in their homes.

"How does Mommy do it, Daddy?" she asked. "How can she curl with so many people here?"

"She's done this a long time, Kaity," Brad replied. "She's used to it."

Kaity recalled being nervous standing up in front of her class to read a short poem. She marveled at the fact her mom could play a difficult sport in front of so many people. In her young life she was never more proud of her mom until that moment.

The teams were announced to the crowd to loud cheers. Brad, Jamie, E.J. and Kaitlyn cheered especially loud when Kellie, Amber, Jennifer and Heather's names were called by the P.A. announcer. The national anthem followed, and E.J. and Kaity sang O Canada loud and proud, if slightly off-key.

As the game progressed, Kaity became more and more engrossed by the action. She peppered her dad with even more questions, almost but not quite leading Brad to the point of exasperation. She cheered loudly for each good shot her mom's team made, especially for those her mom made herself.

Fortunately, Kaity had a lot to cheer. Kellie and her team were in control the whole match, even though the score was relatively close. As the tenth and final end started, they had a two-point lead over their opponent, a solid if unspectacular team based out of Ontario.

Kaity felt the tension in the crowd as the game came down to the end. She became quiet and nervous. Brad, Jamie and E.J. were also nervous but they managed to hide it better, and they shared a quiet smile at Kaity's obvious agitated state.

Kellie called a smart end, and Amber, Heather and Jennifer played good defensive shots with their rocks. But the Ontario team also played well and piled on the pressure. They had one point in the rings, and a miss would send the game to an extra end, where anything could happen to Kellie and her team, even another unthinkable defeat.

But Kellie had a shot to eliminate that rock, and she was determined to take it.

As she was going through her pre-shot routine, poor Kaity was on edge, almost shaking with nerves. She wanted her mom to win so bad it was getting to her. She looked to her dad and slowly held out her arm. Brad took Kaity's hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.