*Colorado Springs, Colorado*


I sat in front of the National Team Director for USA Swimming, Frank Busch. He sat up in his large chair, professional looking, yet kind at the same time. Waiting for him to begin, I sat back in the surprisingly comfortable chair I was currently sitting on.


"Miss Belinsky I would first like to start off by apologizing, for the accusations made by one of our own. I hope you understand that the employee in question has been suspended and we are looking into possible other options. Now, do you understand why you are here exactly?"


I nod, holding my straight face. I knew exactly why I was here.


"You want me back on the team." It was a statement, more so, than a question. I had been suspended months ago for alleged 'doping'. Which is exactly what it was, alleged. However, it still made national headlines and the team did what they had to do. As did I.


"You are correct Miss Belinsky, as I've previously stated we here are very so-"


"I understand that you're sorry," I begin, cutting him off," But what happened happened and in all honesty I really don't see myself returning to swimming in the near future. Call it what you want whether that be retirement or quitting, I really do not care."


"Alexis," He begins, face softening even more, his professional tone has vanished and been replaced by the man that I know, and grew up knowing," Are you absolutely sure that you want to do this?"


I take a deep breath before answering in all honesty," Yes Frank, I'm sure. Tell Patrice and the kids I said hello, yeah?" I finish before getting up to leave.


"Will do. Oh and Alexis," He says, stopping me at the door," Just know that you are always welcome back to the national team. You don't even have to announce it, there will just always be a spot for you. You can just show up here at practice and nobody will say anything."


Smiling lightly, I give Frank a small nod before turning around and exiting the small office and head towards the exit.


--^--
The plane ride back to Minnesota was a long one. Pulling up in front of my childhood home, I take a deep breath before exiting the car. Walking up the front steps, I take note of how much my mother's flowers have bloomed since I had last visited four months ago. The once green buds were now bright, vibrant flowers that were full in all of their glory. Their scent was almost overwhelming.


The large, mahogany door creaks with age as I open it. Making my way into the house, I carefully shut the door behind me, just in case someone might be sleeping.


"Hey ma," I say lightly as I find her in the kitchen, cooking dinner.


"Hey there baby girl. How was Colorado?" She responds, voice just as light. Taking the breaded chicken, she places it into the greased pan and puts the meal into the pre-heated oven.


I take in a deep breath and release it before speaking, "It was alright. I just dunno what I'm going to do now I guess."


"Well, if there is one thing I know about you," She begins, setting her oven mitt onto the granite countertop," It's that you always find a way for things to work out. And whether that be in the pool again, or somewhere else, you'll figure it out."


"So how have things been-"


I'm cut off by the light sound of bare feet tapping against the hardwood. "Auntie Alex?" I hear a groggy voice ask from the right of where I was sitting in the kitchen, looking, I find my very sleepy niece.


"Hey there Joey, how's it going?" I question. She had grown up so much since I had last seen her, which was probably around Christmas time of last year.


All of a sudden, it's like you can see the wires connecting in her head as she finally registers that I'm sitting at the kitchen table. Immediately her drowsiness of the evident nap is gone," Auntie Alex! Nona it's Auntie Alex!"


My mom just chuckles, her smile growing," Yes it is sweetheart, and while I'm sure that she would love to hear everything you've got to tell her, you've still got twenty minutes left of nap time."


"But Nona! I wanna talk to Auntie Alex!"


I decide to join in on the fun," Yeah Nona! And I wanna talk with my favorite niece!" I complain, nabbing Joey by the waist and pulling her close.


Joey giggles, an infectious sound that has me smiling wider than before," But I'm you're only niece Auntie Alex!"


I wave it off as if it were no big deal," That doesn't mean you're not my favorite. And besides, some day when your uncle decides that girls don't have cooties, there'll be more of you," I say upon noticing my brother enter the room.


"Okay, that was uncalled for," He scoffs, jokingly offended by my comment," And besides, I know that girls don't have cooties. Hockey is just my main focus as of right now."


I nod, disbelieving," Alright, whatever helps you to sleep at night. So when are you heading back to Chicago?"


My older brother shrugs," I dunno. Maybe soon, summer's almost over and training camp starts in like two weeks. I'll probably head back next week sometime."


"The sooner the better," My mother huffs from behind the counter," I can't handle having a four year old and a grown man that acts like a four year old, in my house at the same time anymore. I just can't."


I laugh out loud at that one. My brother had a habit of acting like a bit of a child around children, and especially with Joey ever since my sister had her four years ago.


"Speaking of which, where is my baby sister?" I question upon noticing that she hadn't entered the kitchen at all, even though we had been making quite a bit of noise.


"Anna is taking summer classes at the U, so I'm babysitting during the day," My mother explains," She wants to be able to graduate college when she was supposed to, which would be this coming spring, when she's twenty-two."


My sister had had Joey at the ripe age of eighteen. I guess that's what happens when nobody is there to teach you anything; not that my parents are awful parents, they just had more focus on my brother's hockey career and my swimming rather than Anna, who turned out to be the rebellious child.


Joey's father, as we soon realized, was the world's biggest asshat. After Anna told him that she was pregnant, he booked it the hell out of here and we haven't seen him since. My dear sister did what she had to, she grew up. The rebel child was soon replaced by a grown woman who was juggling being pregnant and finishing high school. Eventually she did, a year after she was supposed to, and she had been accepted to the University of Minnesota where she was currently in her undergrad studies to become a trauma surgeon. To say I was proud would be an understatement.


"Does she know where she'll be studying for grad school and her residency?" I turn towards my mother in interest. I hadn't really talked to my family in awhile, things had been pretty hectic in my life for the past couple of months.


"She was thinking that the University of Iowa might be a good place for all of that. It's a nice place, and there are some really good schools in areas that surround Iowa City, not to mention your aunt lives there, so someone would be able to watch Joey in the event of an emergency," My mother tells me. I hum in approval, Iowa City was a good place, and the hospital was one of the best in the country.


"What about you sis?" My brother pipes up from the right," What are you planning on doing?"


"Honestly? I have no idea. Swimming isn't in the picture anymore and I wouldn't know where to begin to look for a job around here that would fit my degree."


"Well, lucky for you I do have an idea, but you might not like it."


"Does it really matter Alek? Pretty soon I'm going to turn desperate, and you know what happens when I turn desperate," I muse, making my brother laugh. We were really close for being three years apart, and he basically knew everything about me, especially what happens when I turn desperate.


"What would you say to the idea of moving into my apartment in Chicago and working for the team? Coach told us that they were looking for someone to work stats for the upcoming season - turns out the last guy was a Pens fan - and I thought that you might like to do it since you used to do stuff like that in high school."


I stare at him in shock," You want me to move to Chicago with you?" He just shrugs and offers up a nod.


"Eh, why not?"

Notes

First chapter, something I figured I would try out. Let me know what you think!