Aileen Xue fidgeted in her seat.

She watched intently on the bench as her volleyball teammates settled into the match, trying to calm her racing heart.

Aileen checked the scoreboard once. Then again. Then once more.

Time, it felt to her, stood still.

On the other side of the court, Aileen’s parents — Ning Lee and Stephen Xue — were just as anxious. They settled into their seats in the front row at Hillsborough High as a loud, boisterous crowd filled in behind them. “No Role Modelz” by J-Cole blared through the speakers. The team’s go-to pregame song.

Her parents tuned out the noise.

Was this really happening?, they thought to themselves.

Seventeen months earlier, it wasn’t certain that Aileen would survive a horrific crash that left her life in jeopardy. She would endure six brain

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