*

JOHN F. KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. QUEENS, NEW YORK. EARLY AFTERNOON.

The SPORTSCENTER THEME by John Colby plays as MARY CARILLO, age sixty-seven, sits behind a broadcasting desk beside CHRIS EVERT, age sixty-eight. Chris clears her throat, cautious, "Today, Audra D'Oro has announced her long-awaited return to the tennis circuit after a year-long hiatus due to a devastating tear in her rotator cuff sustained last year at Wimbledon."

The broadcast shows a clip of Audra's winning serve from 2023.

In it, the ball sails past Sloane Diaz. Soars. It's clean. She's done it. She's won. The crowd roars, erupting in applause. However, as spectators scream, clasping each other, clapping, and crying, Audra collapses on Centre Court. She's out cold.

Paramedics crowd around her, attempting to revive Audra, but she isn't moving. Her heart has stopped. Sloane rushes forward, panicked; however, an older gentleman, GIOVANNI D'ORO, age fifty-one, holds her back. Audra is carried away on a white stretcher, her slender body limp and pale. Silence envelops the stands. As as they can tell, Audra D'Oro is dead. The clip ends.

Chris continues, "Joining me now to discuss D'Oro's controversial return is NBC analyst Mary Carillo. Thank you for being here, Mary."

Mary nods. "Happy to be here, Chris."

"Now tell me, what do you think? Can Audra reclaim her throne, or should she be considering retirement?"

Inhaling, Mary weighs her response. "It's hard to say, Chris. Rotator cuff injuries can be challenging to fully recover from, especially for a player like Audra, who relies heavily on powerful serves and overhead shots. The recovery process involves extensive rehabilitation to regain strength and range of motion in the shoulder. While Audra might have undergone surgery, returning to the high-intensity demands of professional tennis could still pose potential risks. The question is whether she's had enough time to fully recover and rebuild her shoulder's stability and strength."

"Still, D'Oro's decision to take a year off shows her dedication to recovery and determination to get back on the court." Chris argues, "We have to consider the significant progress she must have made during her time off to make her feel as though she is ready to return. With a carefully managed training regimen and the right amount of rest between matches, she might have a chance to make a successful comeback."

"You're absolutely right, Chris." Mary agrees. "It's all about balance, and with Wimbledon 2024 just around the corner, she'll have to be careful to avoid re-injury if she wants to compete."

"Oh, I'm sure she does. Just look at her," Chris laughs as another clip plays. It shows Audra training at her family's home in Italy. Chris then folds her hands atop the broadcasting desk and turns toward the camera. "Joining us now from her home in Malibu is Maddison Reynolds, winner of the U.S. Open. Maddison, what are your thoughts on Audra's return? Do you think she's ready?"

"No, I don't." MADDISON REYNOLDS, age twenty-two, smirks.

"Really? And why is that?"

"Because her shoulder is shot. Mary said it herself: Audra is a player who relies on ace serves and overhead shots. She can't play the way she used to." Madison frowns, folding her arms. Her dark hair is pulled back into a tight bun. "She should absolutely be considering retirement. Because if she thinks for one second she'll survive against me at Wimbledon after what happened last year, she's sorely mistaken. I mean—"

Peter stands, swiping up on his phone, closing the ESPN app, and clicking the device off before slipping it into his pocket.

Uncrinkling his boarding pass, he shuffles forward with the rest of first class. On the wall behind them is a poster of Audra mid-air, posed for Adidas' new ad campaign promoting Wimbledon.

Peter remembers what happened last year, when Audra got hurt, the toll it'd taken on her body. He remembers what happened at James' wedding, how he let her down. Peter knows Audra doesn't want to see him, but...

He hands the flight attendant his boarding pass and enters the plane without looking back.