The Virgin’s Bucket List – Episode 28
Lindsay kept the journalism invitation secret through the final championship practices. She told herself Wayne needed focus, but the excuse sounded too much like every adult who had hidden difficult truths in the name of protection. Each delayed conversation made the secret heavier.
Phoebe found the printed email inside Lindsay’s notebook. She congratulated her, then noticed the fear beneath her smile. Lindsay admitted that three months away could weaken a relationship that had barely begun.
Phoebe reminded her that turning down the opportunity would create a different weakness. Lindsay might eventually resent Wayne for a sacrifice he had never requested. Love built on silence would repeat the mistakes surrounding both families.
Before Lindsay could speak with him, Wayne arrived holding his own letter. Mr. Russell’s university had offered an early verbal commitment contingent on final grades and medical review. The campus was also on the opposite coast—and only an hour from Lindsay’s summer program.
Lindsay almost revealed the coincidence. Then Wayne said he was uncertain about accepting. The regional championship had attracted interest from a university closer to Maple Hill, which would allow him to help Evelyn and Jamie rebuild their family.
His sense of responsibility made Lindsay hide the email again. If Wayne knew her program was near Mr. Russell’s school, it might influence a decision that should belong to him. Yet withholding the information also influenced it.
At the championship banquet, Jean publicly admitted helping Alyssa and apologized to Lindsay, Wayne, and Jamie. The principal announced disciplinary action but praised Jean for cooperating before further harm occurred. Lindsay accepted the apology without pretending trust had been restored.
Alyssa faced suspension and removal from the cheer squad. She watched the banquet from outside the gym doors, excluded from the community she once controlled. For a moment Lindsay saw loneliness instead of power.
Wayne noticed her sympathy and warned that understanding Alyssa did not require inviting her back into their lives. Lindsay agreed. Forgiveness, if it came, would not erase boundaries.
The championship began the next afternoon under heavy clouds. Evelyn sat several rows behind Jamie as promised, while Mike coached with unusual calm. Lindsay carried her unopened email on her phone like another secret clock.
Maple Hill fell behind early. The opposing defense targeted Wayne with hard legal hits, forcing him to release the ball before routes developed. Each time he rose from the turf, he looked toward his family rather than the scouts.
Near halftime, a defender drove Wayne’s throwing shoulder into the ground. He stood, but pain tightened his face. The medical trainer wanted him removed for evaluation.
Mike asked Wayne whether he could grip the ball without weakness or numbness. Wayne insisted he could play. Mike surprised everyone by refusing to accept the answer until the trainer completed a full examination.
The old Mike would have prioritized victory. This Mike told Wayne that no scholarship was worth permanent injury. Lindsay saw her father beginning to become the man grief had kept hidden.
Wayne was cleared with a bruised shoulder. While he waited to return, Lindsay approached the sideline and told him about the journalism program. The truth spilled out before fear could reorganize it.
Wayne stared at her, hurt that she had hidden something so important. Lindsay explained that she did not want to influence his college choice. He replied that partnership required information, not decisions made in isolation.
The second half whistle called him back before they could resolve the argument. Wayne ran onto the field carrying physical pain and a fresh doubt about their future. Lindsay wondered whether her attempt to protect his choice had damaged his trust instead.
On the first play, Wayne’s injured shoulder failed beneath another hit. The ball slipped from his hand, the opposing team recovered, and Lindsay watched him remain motionless on the field.
