It's three to zero at halftime when Gwen and Scott leave to grab snacks. After talking to the parents for a while, I scoot over beside Lyn. “You doing okay?” I ask. She’s been quiet lately, and she hasn’t been at any of Thor’s parties in weeks.
“I’m hanging in there.” She offers me a sad smile. She finally told us about her parents, and it sucks. I would be devastated if my parents ever said they were divorcing, so I feel for her.
“I’m here if you need to talk about it. I can hang out Sunday morning if you like?”
She opens her mouth to speak, but clams up when Gwen and Scott reappear.
“Got you popcorn and a soda,” Gwen says, thrusting both items at me as she looks between Lyn and me.
“You didn’t need to do that.” Gwen shouldn’t be spending her money on me.
“It’s cool. Things are a little better now your dad organized that additional grant, and having Stephanie an extra six hours a week is a big help.” She pierces me with a look I can’t decipher. “I was hoping to talk with Lyn.”
“Oh, oh, sure.”Finally. I hope they patch things up so everything can go back to normal. “Let me know about Sunday,” I say before moving back to my seat. I chat with Scott as Lyn and Gwen talk in hushed voices with their heads bent.
Scott remains beside me when the game restarts, and we chat casually in between watching the play. Gwen is still beside Lyn, though they’re both fixated on the game and not talking much.
The opposing team obviously had a great pep talk from their coach during the halftime break, as they come back reenergized and rally around to score two goals, making it three to two. Every time Callan gets the ball, the defense surrounds him en masse, and even with his superior soccer skills, he can’t get around them to either pass or score. I’m sure he’s super frustrated. An opening appears a few minutes later, and Callan flies up into the air, aiming to head the ball into the goal when he clashes with one of his opponents. They butt heads, and a collective wince echoes around the stadium as we all watch them fall to the ground.
The referee blows the whistle, and I’m up on my feet, panic sluicing through my veins as Callan remains sprawled on thefield while the other guy climbs to his feet, clutching his head. Behind me, Roni is freaking out.
“I’m going down there,” she says when another couple of minutes have passed, and Callan hasn’t gotten up. We can’t tell exactly what’s going on as the coach and medical team are around him, blocking our view.
“Love, they won’t let you near him,” Tony says. I turn around, watching him hug his wife to his chest, trying to hold her back. “Let the team take care of him.”
A loud roar reverberates around the stadium, and I breathe a sigh of relief when Callan comes into view. He’s standing, leaning against his coach as he walks off the pitch.
“Skit. That was scary,” I say as I sit back down.
Scott squeezes my shoulder. “For all of us, but I’m sure he’ll be fine. They’ll be checking him out to make sure he’s okay. Try not to worry.”
I smile at him, grateful for his reassurance. Scott has quiet, solid strength that is grounding. He’s also crazy about my bestie, and the changes in Gwen are remarkable. She hasn’t had any alcohol in weeks, she’s smiling all the time, and she’s been in a really good mood.
Callan doesn’t return to the game during the last fifteen minutes, and we end up with our first defeat of the season, losing four to three to the Bulldogs. A ball of anxiety is lodged in my throat, and I won’t calm down until I see Callan for myself and know that he’s okay. So, I hang back after the game is over, waiting with Callan’s parents outside the locker room for him to make an appearance. My parents left with Erin and my sisters a while ago.
“Your boy’s okay,” Thor says when he materializes a few minutes later. “Try not to worry, Mrs. Hunt,” he tells Roni. “The medical team is assessing him to ensure he doesn’t have a concussion,” he adds. “He’ll be out shortly.”
“Tough result, son.” Tony clamps a hand on Thor’s shoulder.
“Yeah, but maybe it was a wake-up call. We’ve been taking our wins for granted. We need to push harder as a team. Stop relying on Callan to carry us.”
“Callan!” Roni calls out, rushing forward to greet her son when he exits the room last. He’s still in his muddy soccer uniform, but he’s swapped his soccer boots for his sneakers. “Are you okay? You scared the heck out of me.” She peers up at him, worry creasing her brow. “Does it hurt?”
“I’m fine, Ma. Stop fussing.” His eyes find mine, and relief is stretched across his face as he walks toward me.
Thor grabs me into a brief hug. “Don’t think I’ll be seeing you tonight. Take care of our guy.”
“Always,” I promise.
Callan pulls me into an embrace the second he reaches me. “Thanks for waiting for me.”
I gently wrap my arms around him. “I was worried. Wanted to make sure you were okay.” Heat from his body winds around me like a blanket, and I sink into his warmth.
“I’m fine, I promise,” he says before pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
“You good, son?” Tony asks, trying and failing to mask his concern.
“I have a killer headache, but they don’t think I have a concussion.”
