“I’m sorry I had to work today. Maddie already told me how amazing her first game was.”
“You’re here!”
I turned to Maddie’s little voice. Just like her mother’s, her voice seemed too small and soft for her tall body. She slammed into me and squeezed her arms around my waist.
“Easy, Mad,” Jesse said, putting his hands on her shoulders. “You just saw Emily. You don’t need to clobber her every time.”
“Mom says hugs are free, so you should give them out whenever you want.” Her smile faded. “Or used to say, I guess.”
Jesse clenched his eyes shut as if he’d just been punched.
“Well, I’m a big believer in free hugs too.” I cupped her chin as she beamed up at me. I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved orwant to cry at how easily Maddie had corrected herself that her mother wasn’t around anymore to say anything.
“Did you come over a lot when you were Uncle Jesse’s friend?”
“I did,” I said, trying to ignore Jesse’s stare in my periphery. “And your grams makes the best lasagna, but never tell my mother that,” I whispered, pressing a finger to my lips.
She giggled, pretending to pull a zipper across her mouth.
I did a quick scope of the living room, noting the updated couches and recliner, but most of it seemed and felt the same. The scent of garlic wafted in from the kitchen and smelled good enough to make my nervous stomach rumble.
“I stopped at that famous bakery everyone talks about on Sunrise Highway and picked up a chocolate cream pie.”
“That’s very sweet of you. You didn’t have to bring anything, but I’d never refuse something fromHey, Batter. You know that chocolate cream pie is my weakness.” She tapped my chin with her knuckle. “It’s almost ready, so all of you can take a seat in the living room until I call you.”
“I’ll help you,” I said, following Mrs. Evans into the kitchen.
A lump grew in the back of my throat when I glanced behind me and found Maddie lining up her dolls on the living room floor—like Tessa would before she’d pull me down to play with her—and I couldn’t swallow it away.
“You don’t have to help. I’m sure you’re exhausted from all those parents and kids,” Mrs. Evans told me over her shoulder as she rinsed out a dish in the sink.
“If I can’t handle a scrimmage game, I probably have no business coaching,” I said, chuckling as I leaned against the counter.
“Did the kids find out that you’re a superstar?”
I laughed at the excitement lighting up her features. Jesse and Mrs. Evans had loved to call me a superstar back then, and it seemed just as ridiculous yet wonderful now.
“Was. Past tense. I didn’t do anything with soccer after college.”
“Jesse told me,” she said as she bent to peek into the oven. “Doesn’t matter. I knew you’d go on to do great things, and I was right.”
She straightened, regarding me with a warm smile that finally made the dam break.
“I’m sorry. So, so sorry,” I sobbed, covering my mouth with my hand as if to will back the tears streaming down my cheeks.
She pulled me into a hug, patting me on the back of my head as I cried on her shoulder.
“I know, honey,” she whispered, pushing me back to meet my gaze. “It’s…it’s a bitch.” We shared a chuckle.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I squeaked out, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand. “It’s just, being here in this house with all of you, and watching Maddie play on the floor like Tessa and I used to…” I dropped my head into my hands and pinched the bridge of my nose as if that would shut off the waterworks.
“It’s been a long time since you’ve been here, so it’s all fresh. For me, too. When I spotted you on the field, I couldn’t get to you fast enough.” She laughed as she plucked out a tissue from the box on her windowsill and handed it to me. “I know Jesse felt the same way when he saw you again.”
“We aren’t…” I stammered as I dabbed at my eyes. “We’re friends now. It’s good,” I said, nodding with a little too much enthusiasm.
“I’m not sure about that, but I think I’ve met my quota of interfering for the day.” She patted my cheek. “But you can believe me when I say that we are all happy you’re here tonight.Including my daughter, who asked about you every single day that summer.”
“Did she?” There was the lump again, now too big to swallow away. “I wished I could have come back to see her and all of you, but?—”
