Chapter 190 The Decision
Chapter 190 The Decision
Simone POV
The rehabilitation program was officially underway. Simone stood at the entrance of the new wing, watching patients filter in for their first sessions. The space had been empty two weeks ago.
Now it was filled with equipment, charts, and the quiet hum of activity. Rachel was already helping a patient with their exercises. The younger therapist moved with confidence now, her earlier uncertainty replaced by purpose.
Simone watched her for a moment. She had been like that once. Unsure. Searching. Now she was the one people looked to.
A patient stopped her in the hallway.
“Dr. Carter.”
Simone turned. An older man stood with his leg still in a brace, his face lined with exhaustion.“I wanted to thank you.”
“For what?”
“For giving me a reason to keep working.”
The words caught her off guard. Simone didn't know what to say, so she gave him a small smile. The man nodded and walked away. She watched him go.
This was why she had taken the position. Not for the title or the recognition. For moments like this. Her phone rang during lunch. Marcus.
“How's the program?”
“It's going. The first day is always the hardest.”
“Are you managing?”
“I'm managing.”
He laughed.“That isn't an answer.”
“It's the only one I have right now.”
Marcus told her his schedule had changed. Philadelphia had several important games coming up, which meant more travel, more practices, and more responsibility.
Simone listened without complaining. She understood. Her own responsibilities had changed too. They were both building something.
Before they hung up, Marcus asked, “Dinner tonight?”
A smile touched her face.
“You promised.”
“I remember.”
They met at a quiet restaurant instead of eating at home. Marcus arrived after practice, still wearing a team jacket. He looked comfortable now in Philadelphia. A few fans recognized him outside the restaurant and asked for pictures. He stopped to take them before walking over to the table Simone was in.
“Sorry about that.”
“It's fine.”
“It's not going to stop, is it?”
“Probably not.”
He shook his head.“I'll get used to it.”
Simone watched him for a moment. He had changed. Not just physically. The way he carried himself had changed. The way he moved through the world had changed.
The man who had arrived in Hartford broken and uncertain felt far away now.
This Marcus knew where he was going.
They ate and talked about their careers.
Marcus told her about the upcoming games while Simone talked about the patients she had seen that day.Then she brought up the apartment.
“I've been thinking about our place.”
Marcus looked at her.“What about it?”
“I want something different.”
“Bigger?”
“Not bigger. Just ours.”
He waited.
“A place we don't have to leave if your career changes. Something we choose together.”
Marcus reached across the table.“I want that too.”
Simone smiled.“A simple place. Enough space for both of us. A kitchen that doesn't make me want to cry.”
He laughed.“That's a low bar.”
“It's a realistic bar.”
She told him about the leadership position and the responsibility that came with it. She explained how much the program meant to her and why she had accepted it.
“I didn't want to just be the woman who followed you here,” she admitted. “I wanted to build something of my own.”
Marcus didn't interrupt.“You are.”
She looked at him.
“I'm proud of you.”
The words settled warmly between them.
After dinner, they walked through Philadelphia.The city was alive around them. Cars moved along the streets. People filled the sidewalks. Storefronts glowed against the evening.
Marcus took her hand as they crossed the street.“I've been thinking about the future.”
Simone looked at him.“What about it?”
“What we want. What we're building. Where we're going.”
She nodded.“I've been thinking about it too.”
Marcus stopped walking. He turned toward her.“For a long time, I thought getting my career back was the biggest thing I needed to do.”
Simone waited.
“Now I realize having someone to share it with matters just as much.”
She held his gaze.“What do you see when you think about the next few years?”
Marcus looked at her.“Basketball. But also you. A home. Family. A life that doesn't depend on whether I score twenty points or get hurt again.”
Her fingers tightened around his.
“I see us,” he continued. “Building something together. Not just surviving. Actually living.”
Simone's eyes burned, but she smiled.
Marcus took her hand.“Can you see yourself building that life with me?”
“Yes.”
The answer came without hesitation. They kept walking. No proposal followed. No promises about dates or venues. They didn't need to force the next step before they were ready.
Instead, they talked about the kind of house they wanted. A proper kitchen. A backyard. Maybe a dog. Simone laughed when Marcus admitted the dog would probably end up sleeping on their bed.
“You'd let it.”
“I wouldn't.”
“You absolutely would.”
He smiled.“Maybe.”
The conversation moved easily from one thing to another. Hartford came up. They talked about how Darius was now able to walk with a cane now. His former team at Hartford. Iris. The restaurants. They used to eat. The mornings Marcus had spent rebuilding himself when nobody was watching.
They talked about how different their lives looked now. Philadelphia had become more than a new city. It had become a place where both of them were building lives of their own.
Marcus looked at Simone as they walked.
For the first time, the future didn't feel like something he had to chase. It felt like something they were choosing together.
Simone squeezed his hand. He squeezed hers back. Neither of them needed to say anything else.