“Remind me not to catch anything on fire when he’s on duty,” Avery says to me.
“Believe it or not, he can be serious when the occasion requires it,” I tell her.
“Not. I’m going with not,” she says.
The game goes on for four innings, with each team getting two turns at bat. The last Honey Bear strikes out.
I turn to Avery, my mouth wide open. “We won! We won!”
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about, Llamacorns!” Dustin shouts. He stands up and starts randomly high-fiving everyone around him, even parents from the opposing team.
“Line it up!” the opposing coach says.
The teams line up, running past one another giving high fives and fist bumps and saying, “Good game! Good game!”
The Llamacorns gather in a huddle.
I can’t hear what Greyson’s telling the girls, but he’s smiling like a proud father, making eye contact with all of them. They end with “Goooo Llamacorns!” and then kids scatter. Families and friends flow off the bleachers. Players run to their families.
I’m off the bleachers, standing next to Mom, Avery and my crew.
Mia runs up to us, giddy and smiling ear to ear.
“Hey!” I shout as she leaps and flies into my arms. I spin her around and set her down.
“Did you see my hits?”
“Of course! You did great!”
“And Whitney did too! She’s getting better, Mommy!”
“She is,” I agree.
“You know what it’s time for?” Mia asks.
“What?” Avery asks.
“Our victory dance!”
I glance up. Greyson’s eyes are on us. Is he even trying to hide the fact?
“Ready, Mommy?”
“Let’s do it!” I say, focusing on Mia and ignoring the hot coach staring at me from across the field.
“Ooooh, booga booga!” Mia shouts as we twist, holding our hands up in the air and wiggling our fingers. “Victory!” she shouts at the top of her lungs.
Dustin steps closer. “Wait. Wait. Wait. I feel like I’m missing something.”
“It’s our victory dance,” Mia says. “Want me to teach you?”
Dustin says, “Does a Honey Bear get chased by a hive of bees in the woods?”
Mia cracks up. “Okay. You just shout ‘Ooooh booga booga!’ and then you twist like this and hold your hands up and shake them in the air over your head like this.”
Dustin and Mia do about four rounds of victory dances.
She’s giggling and he’s smiling. The rest of our friends are all gathered around watching the two of them and chatting with one another.
