The Net Gain

An unexpected love

Lena forgot how to blink whenever Leo smiled. It was a problem, especially mid-volley.

Their town’s annual “Sweetwater Serve” tennis tournament paired them as mixed doubles partners. Leo was all easy grace, while Lena wielded her racket like a weapon, her focus absolute.

“Relax, partner,” Leo laughed after she fired a winner. “We’re supposed to be having fun.”

Lena just grunted, tightening her grip on her stick. But his laugh was a warm net, slowly catching her.

Their final match was a thriller. At match point, a furious rally ended with a ball skimming the net tape, a lucky dribbler. As their opponents celebrated, Leo’s face fell. Lena saw it—not disappointment, but worry for her.

He found her afterward, scowling at the court. “Hey,” he said softly.

She finally looked at him, and didn’t blink. “We lost.”

“We did,” he agreed, stepping closer. A firefly danced between them. “But I won something else.”

He reached out, his fingers gently brushing a strand of hair from her cheek, his touch softer than any net cord. The world hushed. In that suspended silence, Lena felt her fierce grip on everything loosen.

“What did you win?” she whispered, her breath catching.

“The courage to do this.”

He leaned in. When his lips met hers, it was sweeter than any victory. The firefly, as if giving its blessing, landed on the net beside them, a tiny, blinking beacon in the twilight.

In that perfect, endless moment, Lena learned a new kind of focus. It wasn’t about keeping your eye on the ball, but on the person who made you forget to blink, who turned a loss into a beginning, and who, with a single kiss, mended every net you’d ever torn.

Total:280 words
Prompt: Write a story that includes the words: blink, net, stick
Entry for:"Daily Flash Fiction Challenge"  Feb 10,2026