Summary

In December, Mia and Cricket run into veterinarian Dr. Wilkins who gives Mia a job. Mia does not see any reason to move anywhere else when everything she loves is in Victory. Her mother‘s death has given her perspective, and she starts to realize that stress of daily life just does not matter. She knows that “she is at her best when she is supporting others [because]... sacrifice has felt like love, and love like sacrifice, for as long as Mia can remember“ (129). Mia begins to believe that “a steady, ordinary life can be extraordinary so long as it’s centered around family and community and filled with Love“ (129).

In “Beep Test,” Coach puts Cricket and her team through a grueling psychological test because he says their minds are their strongest muscles. Teammates eventually drop...