86 Passing the Message

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~~~(POV: Ulysses Kennedy)~~~

~~~(Date: January 22th, 2026)~~~

~~~(Time: 8:45 AM)~~~

~~~(Location: Private Hot Tub at local RAC, Holden, Oregon)~~~

Hannah slides off me, and I pull my finger out of her. We're both breathing heavily and trying to regain the energy we've lost. "I think we've been here long enough... I told Ellie I'd be home by 9:00 AM, and we've only got about 14 minutes left..." Hannah looks at me, and her eyes are half-lidded with a smile. She looks satisfied, and that makes me feel good.

She lifts her body out of the water and exits, turning around to see me getting a full view. "C'mon, let's get you home." Obeying her, I stand up and exit the hot tub too. We both head for the showers. The water is warm and relaxing. After a few minutes, we're both clean, and we get out of the shower and dry off. We're both more comfortable seeing each other naked.

We get dressed, and we exit this part of the RAC. We have to stop by the gym to pick up my basketball. "Let's hurry to the car. It's too cold to walk." Hannah immediately starts shivering as we exit the RAC. We rush to her car, and we hop in. She turns the key, the car turns on, and she turns the heat full blast. Trying to warm herself up.

~~~(POV: Ellie)~~~

~~~(Date: January 22th, 2026)~~~

~~~(Time: 9:03 AM)~~~

~~~(Location: At Home, Holden, Oregon)~~~

Rob Pelinka has made a generous offer... Ulysses hasn't been to LA since the National HS Championship last year... Speaking of Ulysses, he should be home by now. As I reach for my phone to call and check in on him, I look outside the kitchen window and see Hannah's car pull up. "Talk about timing..." My phone is put back right where I picked it up.

Ulysses might be interested in going, but the catch to the trip is Rob Pelinka wants Ulysses to practice with the team. I've learned a lot about basketball background, and this is something NBA-bound players do. Teams with high picks have prospects they're interested in coming out and playing with them. To see how well they fit.

I'll leave the decision to Ulysses since the offer is his and not mine. Knowing him, he'll probably not want to go. "Ellie! I'm home! Hannah is with me!" The front door opens, and they both walk into the kitchen. Ulysses comes straight toward me and starts looking at what I'm cooking. "I had a hard workout, so I'm starved." Before he can sample the food, I smack his hand away.

He smiles and heads for the living room couch and takes a load off. Now is a good time to bring it up. "Ulysses, I received a call from Rob Pelinka of the Lakers Organization. He wanted me to ask you if you wanted to come down to LA for your birthday." I'm leaving out the details about the workout. If he likes the idea, I'll tell him the catch for going.

All I hear is a big sigh; and I look up from the stove, and I see both Hannah and Ulysses on the couch. TV is on, and they're watching some show Hannah likes. "What's the catch, Ellie? They want something." Nothing gets past him. Many would consider it an honor to work out with the LA Lakers, but Ulysses isn't like others. He knows how good he is and how valuable he is.

I finish the homemade rice crispy treats I'm working on, and I place them on the top of the oven to cool down. "They want you to work out with the team. Rob Pelinka said the LA Lakers will pay for all your expenses. First-class tickets, best hotels, and restaurants. Everything will be paid for." The offer isn't something we haven't had before. It was just before he was too busy to go.

Since everything that's happened, he's got a lot of free time on his hands. All he does is stay here at home or practice at the RAC or park. The only thing he does outside of those two things is take Hannah on dates. "What do you think, Hannah? Would you like to come to LA with Ellie and me?" It makes me proud that he's turned into this amazing young man. Considering others even though it's for his birthday. Aaron... Milly... You'd be proud of him...