Chapter one

A'ja Wilson pov

"Move deuce," I said lightly pushing the fluffy dog over. Ace was the sweetest boy but deuce? Deuce was my problem child. I huffed as he continued pacing on my back. After realizing he wasn't going to stop I sat up fully and decided was up for the day.

"Come on, let's go potty," I said as I stood up and grabbed my robe to let the boys out in the backyard. After doing that I walked back into the room and rolled my eyes seeing Jordyn still knocked out in bed. They never wake her ass either, only me. I went to the bathroom and began my morning routine. It was 6:45 am so I figured I could get. Quick work out in here breakfast if I hurried. As I leaned down, cupping the warm water towards my face. I felt arms wrap around my waist lovingly. I smiled a bit as I melted into her embrace, rinsing the remainder of my face wash of.

"Hi baby," I said as I finally met her eyes through the mirror.

"Good morning beautiful. Your up early, no?" She said as he kissed the top of my head before moving over to the other sink to brush her teeth.

"The boys woke me up per usual. I'm gonna go run for like thirty and I'll be back. Wanna join me?" I asked as she shook her head.

"I can't , gotta hop on this zoom call in ten minutes with Nike," she said as I turned my head to the side.

"Why are you just now getting up?" I questioned, concerned.

"Cause I'm not turning my camera on," she said making me laugh.

"You're so unserious," I said as she shrugged flashing that gorgeous smile that made me melt every time.

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit," I said as I walked out the bathroom and into my closet, which used to be a guest room. I grabbed some Nike running shorts and a hoodie before going to let the boys back in and heading out on my run. It was dumb hot and so humid in Louisiana being that it's spring time so I made it a quick run before heading back to the house. When I walked in it seemed that Jordy was finishing up her meeting so I quickly showered before heading the fridge a grabbing a bowl of precut fruit. I sat on the sofa next to her as he ended the call.

"You're so damn gorgeous," I said out as I admired her face. She blushed before leaning in and kissing my lips. She pulled away and took a bite of the mango that was on my fork making me side eye her.

"Thank you pretty girl. What time do you have to head out of here?" She asked just as my phone rang.

"Yes ma'am?" I answered as if connected showing my agent, Jade's face.

"Hey A, your flight was moved back. It'll be later tonight, 9pm," she said as I laughed.

"You know what's funny? Jordy was just asking about my flight as you called," I said as she laughed.

"Hey Jordy. Don't be over there corrupting my client you hear me?" She teased as Jordyn gave an Oscar-winning smile showing her hands.

"Hi Jade," Jade shook her head, while laughing.

"Enjoy your time with your family A. See you tomorrow," she said as I nodded hanging up. As much as I was ready to get back to my team and get back to hooping, I was enjoying the small break I had before our season started. It was nice being able to see Jordyn without having to play against her on the court.

"Ugh yay. I get some extra time with you," I whispered as I sat my bowl down, climbing into her lap. Although I was very tall, standing at 6'4, it was nothing compared to Jordyn's 6'9. She leaned down kissing me making me smile.

"You wanna go to target with me?" She asked as I stood up nodding.

"You ain't even have to ask," everyone who knows me, knows that target is my favorite place.

"Can I wear your jacket baby?" I asked as I saw it was staring to drizzle.

"Mmhm her," she said holding one out. I looked at it before shaking my head.

"I'm not wearing that,"

"What's wrong with it?" She said teasingly.

"I'm not wearing no damn New Orleans Hurricane gear," I said as she laughed passing me a regular Nike hoodie. As of 2025, New Orleans joined the WNBA as an expansion team, and they were pretty damn good.

We made our way to Target, and I couldn't help but smile at how Jordyn had to duck slightly to get through the automatic doors. Even after all this time together, these little moments still made my heart flutter. The store was relatively empty, probably because of the weather and the early hour.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" I asked, already gravitating toward the home decor section. Jordyn followed behind me, pushing the cart with one hand while the other rested comfortably on my lower back.

"Nothing specific. Just wanted to get out of the house with you before you head back to Vegas," she said softly. The tenderness in her voice made me pause and turn to face her.

"You know I wish you could come with me," I said, reaching up to cup her face. The height difference between us always made these moments feel like something out of a romance movie.

"I know baby, but duty calls. The Hurricanes need their star player," I teased, though we both knew there was truth to it. The expansion team had been smart to build around Jordyn, and she'd been killing it this season.

We wandered through the aisles, picking up random things we probably didn't need. I grabbed some candles – because you can never have too many – and Jordyn found some treats for the boys. As we passed the electronics section, I noticed a group of teenage girls trying to secretly take pictures of us.

"Your fans are getting bold," I whispered to Jordyn, who just smiled and waved at them. The girls giggled and waved back, one of them finally gathering the courage to approach us.

"Um, excuse me... could we maybe get a picture?" she asked nervously, looking between us with wide eyes.

"Of course!" Jordyn said warmly, and I nodded in agreement. As we posed for photos and chatted with the girls, I couldn't help but think about how far women's basketball had come. When I first started in the league, these kinds of encounters were rare. Now, we could barely go anywhere without being recognized.

After saying goodbye to the fans, we continued our Target adventure. As we passed the clothing section, Jordyn suddenly stopped.

"Hold up," she said, reaching for something on a rack. She pulled out a Las Vegas Aces t-shirt with my number on it. "Look what they got here."

"In a New Orleans Target?" I laughed, shaking my head. "That's kind of sus, babe. You trying to tell me something?"

"Maybe I just like repping my girl," she said with a wink, adding the shirt to our cart despite my playful eye roll.

As we walked through the store, my phone buzzed with a text from Chelsea Gray. "The squad's asking if you're gonna make it to practice tomorrow," I read aloud.

"Tell them their MVP will be there bright and early," Jordyn said, making me smile. She always had more confidence in me than I did in myself sometimes.

We were about to head to checkout when my stomach growled loudly. Jordyn looked at me with raised eyebrows. "Did you eat anything besides that fruit this morning?"

"I was gonna grab something later," I defended weakly.

"Nuh-uh, we're getting food first. Can't have my girl running on empty," she said, steering us toward the exit. "Breakfast date?"

"You spoil me," I said, leaning into her side as we walked to the car.

"That's the plan," she replied, opening my door for me. As I climbed in, I caught her staring. "What?"

"Nothing," she said, smiling that smile again. "Just thinking about how lucky I am."

I felt my cheeks heat up. Even after all this time, she still had that effect on me. As we drove to our favorite breakfast spot, I thought about how different my life had become. The championships, the MVP awards, the accolades – they were all amazing, but moments like these, just being with Jordyn, doing normal couple things, these were what I treasured most.

The rain had picked up by the time we pulled into the parking lot of Maple Street Café, one of the few places in town where we could get a quiet booth without too much fuss. As we sat across from each other, sharing bites of beignets and sipping coffee, I tried not to think about having to leave later that night.

"You're doing it again," Jordyn said, reaching across the table to take my hand.

"Doing what?"

"That thing where you get all in your head about leaving," she said, squeezing my hand. "We've got this, A'ja. We always do."

I nodded, knowing she was right. Our relationship had survived trades, injuries, championships (sometimes against each other), and everything in between. Distance was just another part of our story.

"I know," I said, squeezing back. "I just miss you when I'm gone."

"Well then," she said, that mischievous glint back in her eye, "I guess we'll just have to make the most of these next few hours, won't we?"

The way she said it made me blush again, and I was suddenly very aware of the time we had left before my flight. As if reading my mind, Jordyn flagged down our server for the check.

"Now who's being unserious?" I teased as we hurried back to the car.

"Oh, I'm very serious," she said, and the look she gave me made my heart race. Yeah, these were definitely the moments worth cherishing.

Excuse all errors