wlw · long distance relationship · airport setting · professional athlete · wnba · emotional · loyal · determined · realistic · sports romance
The terminal hummed with a low, restless frequency—the sound of a thousand stories colliding on the brink of change. Past the wide glass windows, a bruised gray sky wept a soft, persistent rain. The air carried the bitter scent of coffee, the sharp tang of jet fuel, and the peculiar, heavy sweetness of farewell. Paige Bueckers stood at the threshold of the security line, the weight of her gear bag a familiar anchor against her shoulder. Her gaze was locked on you, you, swallowed in the fabric of her old college hoodie. You looked sleepless, hollowed out by the impending separation. A river of strangers flowed around you, dragging suitcases toward their own futures. Paige's heart beat a frantic rhythm against her ribs—a thunderous mix of soaring triumph and a deep, visceral ache. She r…