The medic sprayed a deadening agent on Parker's side so he could stitch the cut that was still bleeding. Parker looked at her coach and his partner with a look that could only be described as sorrowful. "It was him, guys, my father was the person that sent all those letters." She remembered then why the handwriting looked so familiar. Every Christmas Parker would watch him pull out that special pen and methodically dip it into the inkwell on his desk and address the card envelopes.
"Parker, you have to believe that he's sick and didn't know what he was doing," said Nick.
"He used that same scrolling fancy writing to fill out cards at the holidays. It was the only time he took the time to make sure every letter in every name was perfect. I guess it was useful to send death notices as well."
"Try and not think about it now, Park. We can just walk out of here and try to put this behind us, grateful for the fact we know he can't hurt you anymore." Gary kneeled next to her and wanted nothing more than to get her on a plane back home. The one place he knew she would heal.
"I've got a match to play, coach, and I have every intention of playing. That righteous bigot will not take this away too. He put that damn snake in Emily's bed yesterday and I will not forgive him for what could've happened to her. He and mother can rot for all I care, there's no going back from this."
"Parker, are you ok?" Emily stood back not sure if Parker was ready to see anyone including a new girlfriend. She didn't hesitate to take the hand Parker held up in invitation.
"I'm just fine, baby. Want to sit with me while I get patched up?"
"Is your life always this action packed?" It was Emily's turn to try and lighten Parker's mood.
"Only in big cities. At home Abby and I usually just sit and howl at the moon for entertainment."
"That sounds oddly blissful. You ready to go home?"
"I promised you joint custody of this trophy and I try never to renege on my promises. Look over there and tell me if the Texas Tarantula's looking confident of victory."
Emily looked over Parker's shoulder and saw the blonde sitting with her eyes closed with a smile on her face. "She looks like you don't even have to play since she has it all sewn up."
"All done, Miss King." The medic tied off five neat stitches and put a pressure bandage to keep them from popping if she chose to play.
"Are you sure about this? I don't want you getting hurt anymore than you already are," said Emily looking at Parker's side.
"Em, those people out there paid to see good tennis, not the acting out of my family problems, so that's what I plan to give them. Or at least I'll deliver a full match. It might not be my usual finesse game."
"Finesse game?" asked Emily almost laughing out loud. "Not that you don't possess finesse in other aspects of your life, honey, but playing tennis wouldn't fall into that arena."
"All right I'm the WWF smash mouth player of women's tennis, sue me."
"I'd much rather," Emily finished the rest of her statement in a whisper into Parker's ear. The dark tan couldn't hide the blush that ran up her face and she shot a glare toward Lee.
"Come on, Darnell, it's time to kick some ass."
"I'm glad you're willing to go along so graciously, sugar, cause that's exactly what I'm planning on doing to ya." When Lee was finished talking it took Kimmie, Gray and Natasha to carry Emily out of the locker room.
************************************************************************
"Well, sports fans, barring any other crazies running out of the stands wielding sharp implements I think we're ready to play tennis," said the announcer as the camera panned to Parker sitting on the sideline sipping from a bottle of water. What the camera didn't show was the turmoil happening inside her head.
Gray King stood up and glared into the booth cutting off any other smart comments the guy had in mind. She turned to Emily next and offered her some peanuts. "Try these, they taste a lot better than nails."
"I can't help it, I'm nervous for her."
"Trust me on this one, kiddo, she's nervous enough for the both of you. This is Park's year, Em, I can just feel it."
"Service, Miss King." Parker walked to the base line and waited for the balls to be thrown to her. She took a deep breath and let it out with a slump in her shoulders in an effort to relax.
Gary and Nick held their breath as she threw it into the air in preparation in sending it over the net. This serve would be an indication of the power Parker still had left considering she now had two healing cuts on her torso. She must have used every meditative tool she had learned in her short life because both men swore they saw pieces of fuzz come off the ball when it made contact with her racket.
"Fifteen, love." The chair pointed toward Parker's side of the net and waited for the next serve to come over the net. The players had to wait for a couple of minutes until the crowd calmed down. As much as they appreciated Lee for her struggle to get to the final, now that the match was being played their loyalties were firmly ensconced on Parker's side of the net.
The third game of the first set was being battled out when Logan returned to his seat. He had removed his jacket and looked like every other fan there to enjoy the tennis. After loading Mr. King up into a police cruiser, he had placed uniformed officers around the stands to keep on eye on any other problem fan.
"How's she doing?" he asked.
"She won the fist game and came close to breaking in the second, but Lee hung on." Emily stopped talking as soon as Parker put the ball back in play. She stood on the baseline and sent Lee for quick sprints around the court with her ball placement.
"Forty, love." Again the chair pointed toward Parker's side of the net. That service was followed by an ace winning the game. The first set was finished in less than fifty minutes and Parker looked good to the people watching that loved her. Gary studied her face for any signs of weakness or pain but had been surprised to just see Parker's usual game face.
It happened in the third game of the second set. Parker had won the first two and Lee was starting to get fatigued from the running and from the heat. In a desperate chase to get a ball Parker had sent in a direction she wasn't expecting, Lee hit back a high lob. When Parker reached up to smash it over the net she almost could hear the stitches popping and the pain was instant. The ball fell inside the baseline as a point for Lee followed by Parker's racket.