I try to make the surprised sound that slips out of me pass for a hiccup.
I didnotknow that part.
“But I think it embarrassed him,” she adds, ignoring my not-so-subtle stifled gasp of surprise, “because he didn’t want to come back once he got his degree. At least, not until everything fell apart at his last school.”
She stands straighter.“Run, Abigail, run! You can stop him!”
Our team is bearing down on the other team, converging as their player lines up to take a shot.
I go up on my tiptoes and watch as the ball sails toward the net.
At the last second, while all of us hold our breath, our goaltender dives and deflects the ball.
All of us erupt in cheers while Charlotte’s daughter claims the ball and dribbles it back up the field.
“Way to go, Viv!” Charlotte cries.
We all whistle and cheer and yell, then groan together as the other team steals the ball again and kicks it out of bounds.
“So, anyway, he’s never been the settling down type,” Charlotte says to me. “I don’t know a lot about his dating history in college and his early years of teaching, but I know if he had a choice between running a camp for kids who needed a solid adult in their lives or having a family of his own, he’d pick the camp for kids any day.”
I study her. “That’s a lot of detail for not knowing a lot of details.”
“You seem interested.”
“Just like knowing who’s living down my driveway and teaching my kid.”
“Sure.” She lifts a shoulder under her oversize Hell’s Bells Demons hoodie, which is one more thing I love about Charlotte.
She might be an attorney by day, but she’s all in with comfy clothes on the weekends.
“I don’twantto be interested,” I mutter.
“Safe choice.”
“I missed a lot of Junie’s—” I don’t finish.
Instead, something drives straight into the side of my face.
Stars dance in my vision.
I hear people gasping around me.
There’s something wet and hot soaking through my own Hell’s Bells Demons sweatshirt.
And I’m on my ass on the wet ground, taking entirely too long to process that I’ve spilled my coffee all over myself.
Bodies crowd around me.
“Mom!”Junie yells.
“I’m okay,” I gasp out. “I’m okay.”
“Is there a medic?” Charlotte calls above me.
“I’m okay,” I repeat.
“Mom!”Junie yells again.
