Chapter twenty four

A'ja Wilson-Love

"Okay bubby. Lish, pass me his burp cloth," I said as I gently rubbed the infants back. I couldn't get enough of his sweet little face. He stared at me and my ovaries quivered. "Maybe two or three kids won't hurt," I said as Allisha laughed at me."Girl bye! You go do be singing a different tune sooner or later," Dawn looked over to the side line shaking her head. "You always find someway to have somebody kid," she teased as I smiled. "It's not my fault him love his auntie A," I cooed at Allisha & Tim's son, Cayden. He was the sweetest little thing. Born prematurely so he was very tiny, weighing only 6 lbs at 3 months old. "He love you A. He don't let nobody hold him this long," Lish ais as I stuck my tongue out in a celebratory fashion. "I be telling yall I'm the baby whisperer. You love TeTe don't you bubs," my mom rolled her eyes at me.

"Child he sensing that baby in your stomach that's why he so calm," she said as I rolled my eyes. "Thanks for sucking the fun out the joke mama," I said as she mushed me playfully. "He is absolutely gorgeous Allisha. Gid I'm so happy for yall. I can't believe my babies are having babies.  my world," she said as Lish smiled hard. Though we only met in college, our bond was so strong you'd think we knew each other out whole lives. After soaking in the baby time he got fussy, wanting to eat so I passed him off to his mother and stood up to stretch and get better look at the girls practicing. I took special notice to Chloe. That girl has so much potential and shes only a senior. "Big Chlo!" I called out as she looked up and smiled."Hey A'ja," she said as I walked up to hug her. When I did she gasped and her hands immediately went to my belly.

"You too?!" She said excitedly as smiled."Yes ma'am. We're keeping it under wraps though, mmkay?" She nodded and hugged me again, rubbing my belly this time,  before pulling away.

"Let me see the middy you been working on," I said as she nodded grabbing the ball. ————-I groaned out in relief as I made it to my hotel. I was carrying small but this baby was taking up so much real estate in my body. My back was aching terribly and I could hardly breathe without sounding like I just ran a marathon.

The baby wasn't even here yet, and they already had me feeling like I was playing a full 40-minute game against my toughest rival. I kicked my shoes off and laid back, one hand on my stomach, trying to will the tension in my back to release.

"Alright, belly," I muttered to my bump. "You're gonna have to cut Mama some slack. We've still got a lot of ground to cover before you make your debut."

I reached for my phone on the nightstand, checking my messages. Jordyn had texted earlier asking how practice went. I considered responding but decided against it, opting to let the silence of the room soothe me for now. The day had been long enough without inviting any unnecessary emotional tug-of-war.

Instead, I scrolled through my camera roll, landing on the selfie I had taken earlier during practice. The girls' excitement still made me laugh. Their energy was infectious, especially my Chloe, and seeing her grind on the court reminded me so much of myself at her age. It was moments like that which made the aches and the sacrifices worth it.

My stomach growled loudly, breaking my thoughts. I groaned again, not wanting to move, but knowing I needed to eat. The hotel's room service menu was sitting on the nightstand, and I reached for it reluctantly.

"Alright, let's see what you got," I mumbled, flipping through the options. Nothing sounded appealing, but the baby didn't care about my pickiness. I finally settled on a turkey club and fries, dialing the number and placing my order.

Once the food was on its way, I leaned back and let my thoughts wander. It had been weeks since my private Instagram post, and while no one had spilled the beans, I still felt the weight of keeping this secret. I had always been an open book with my fans and my team, but this... this was different.

There was a knock at the door, pulling me from my thoughts. "Room service," a voice called.

I waddled to the door, opened it, and smiled at the hotel employee. "Thanks," I said, taking the tray and setting it on the small table near the window.

"Enjoy your meal," they said before walking away.

I sat down and dug in, the first bite of the sandwich reminding me just how hungry I was. Between practices, travel, and this pregnancy, I felt like I was constantly trying to play catch-up with my body.

As I ate, I thought about the day ahead. Tomorrow was packed: meetings with sponsors, media obligations, and then a dinner with Dawn and the rest of the coaching staff. Part of me wanted to skip it all, but I knew I couldn't. There were too many people counting on me, too many commitments I couldn't back out of.

I finished my meal and cleaned up, leaving the tray outside the door before collapsing back onto the bed. Sleep came quickly, my body finally giving in to the exhaustion.

The next morning came too soon. My alarm blared, and I groaned, smacking the snooze button. The baby wasn't having it, though, kicking just enough to let me know they were awake and ready to go.

"Alright, alright," I muttered, rubbing my belly. "We're up."

I got ready slowly, taking my time with each step. By the time I made it downstairs, Dawn was already waiting in the lobby, her sharp eyes catching every detail as she looked me over.

"You good?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

"I'm fine, Coach," I said, plastering on a smile.

"Don't give me that. I know that look," she said, crossing her arms. "You're pushing yourself too hard."

I sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing. "I'm managing," I said simply.

"Hmm." She didn't look convinced but let it go for now.

The day moved in a blur. Meetings, interviews, and photoshoots had me on my feet for hours. By the time dinner rolled around, I was ready to collapse again, but Dawn wasn't having it.

"You're coming to dinner," she said firmly. "No excuses."

"Yes, ma'am," I said, knowing better than to argue.

Dinner was lively, the table filled with laughter and stories from old times. I found myself relaxing for the first time all day, enjoying the company and the food. Chloe was there too, soaking up every bit of advice from the coaching staff.

As the night wound down, Dawn pulled me aside.

"You've got a lot on your plate," she said softly. "But don't forget to take care of yourself, A'ja. You're no good to anyone if you burn out."

I nodded, her words hitting harder than I expected.

"I'm trying," I said honestly.

"That's all you can do," she said, patting my shoulder.

After dinner, I rode back to the hotel with Dawn. She had insisted on taking the same car, probably to get a better read on how I was really holding up. She always had a way of seeing through me, even when I thought I had my emotions in check.

"You're carrying well," she said, breaking the silence as the car cruised through the city streets.

I let out a small laugh, resting a hand on my belly. "I don't know about that. Feels like this baby is trying to rearrange my organs."

"You've been keeping up with your appointments?" she asked, her tone firm but not overbearing.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm trying to do everything by the book."

"Good," she said with a nod. "I know you've got a lot on your plate, but you don't have to do this alone, A'ja."

"I know," I said softly.

The car pulled up to the hotel, and we stepped out. Dawn gave me a look, one that told me she wasn't done with this conversation, but she let it go for now.

The next morning, I woke up feeling slightly more rested than usual. The baby had been merciful, letting me sleep through the night without too much tossing and turning. I had a meeting with Chloe later in the day, but until then, I planned to take it slow.

After a quick breakfast, I found myself scrolling through my phone, checking messages. One from Jordyn caught my eye.

"Let me know if you need anything."

I stared at the screen for a moment before typing back a simple, "Thanks."

Jordyn had been trying. I'd give her that much. But there was still too much unsaid between us, too much history for me to let my guard down completely.

Later that day, I met up with Chloe at the practice facility. She was working on her footwork, and I couldn't help but smile as I watched her move.

"Looking good, girly!" I called out, making her beam.

She jogged over, grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat off her face.

"You feeling okay, A'ja?" she asked, her eyes flicking to my stomach.

"Yeah, just taking it one day at a time," I said, patting my bump lightly.

She grinned. "You're gonna be such a cool mom. That kid's gonna be lucky."

"Appreciate it," I said, feeling a warmth in my chest.

By the time I got back to the hotel, I was exhausted again. I kicked off my shoes and collapsed onto the bed, my hands instinctively finding their way to my stomach.

"You're giving me a run for my money," I said with a tired laugh.

The baby responded with a soft kick, making me smile despite my fatigue. Moments like this reminded me why I was doing all of this, why I was pushing through the exhaustion and the stress.

That evening, I got a text from Dawn.

"You good?"

I rolled my eyes, smiling. She was relentless, but I knew it came from a place of love.

"I'm fine. Just tired. Thanks, Coach."

"Take it easy. Let me know if you need anything."

Her concern warmed me, but it also made me feel a little guilty. I wasn't used to leaning on people, even those closest to me. But with this baby on the way, I knew I'd have to start letting people in more.

The next day, I had a free morning and decided to head out to the gym for some light work. Nothing too strenuous—just enough to keep my body moving. As I worked through a few drills, I caught sight of myself in the mirror, my small bump just barely noticeable under my loose shirt. At 7 and a half months pregnant, I was stilly so tiny. But it was expected with me being so tall and active. I was also told I have a tilted uterus so that also has an effect on it.

I paused, placing a hand on my stomach. It was surreal, seeing my body change like this, knowing there was a whole new life growing inside me.

"You're gonna be alright," I whispered, more to myself than to the baby.

Excuse all errorsAjah 🤍