“Glad you could make it,” Danika says.
Her dad engulfs Cami in a bear hug, rubbing his whiskery chin on top of her head until she wiggles free.
“We wouldn’t miss it.” Her mum bends to hug Cami and then kisses Danika on the cheek.
As the kids run off to join their friends, her mum asks, “Is Bella here?”
Danika shoots her a warning glance—she hasn’t told Mirza about Kim, and isn’t about to—but her mum rolls her eyes. “I’ve heard all about Cami’s latest, greatest friend.”
“She is—I saw Kim’s car.”
“Good.” Shirley pats Danika’s arm. “Now, you and the kids go register or whatever you have to do. We’ll find somewhere to sit. Coming, Mirza?”
The three of them move off. Danika draws a deep breath and squares her shoulders. She can do this.
Parents and kids are milling around the sign-up tables. Cami grabs her. “Quick! We need to play on the same team as Bella and her mum.” She tugs her across to the nearest table. “This one.”
Danika writes her name, Cami’s, and Sylvie’s. “Okay, squirts? Happy now?” The volunteer behind the desk gives them red bibs to wear. The other team wears blue.
“Yeah. Now you go sit with Granny and Gramps, but make sure you come out at halftime. Promise you will?”
“Of course.” Danika resists the urge to ruffle Cami’s hazelnut-brown hair. It’s tied tightly in a ponytail, and she won’t be happy if it’s disturbed. “Do your best, both of you.”
“Of course.” Cami gives her a ‘duh’ look. “It’s soccer.”
Danika walks back to her parents and Mirza. She looks around. Other parents, like herself, wear shorts, t-shirts, and sports shoes. She pulls the bib over her head.
Her dad is talking to Mirza about growing vegetables. Snippets of their conversation about cabbage moths and snails drift back to her. Her mum takes her arm and pulls her down onto the bench. “I see her,” she whispers. She jerks her head toward the pitch.
Danika doesn’t pretend not to know who she’s talking about. Cami, Bella, and Sylvie are arm-in-arm as they listen to the coach.
“They look so alike,” Shirley says.
“Yes, they could be sisters.” The joke falls flat as her mum stares at her.
“Where’s Kim?”
Danika looks discreetly around, but it’s not until she looks up to their spot in the grandstand that she sees Kim. She’s staring, but when she sees Danika looking, she looks away.
“In the grandstand, halfway up on the left,” Danika says. “Please don’t make it obvious you’re looking.”
Her mum nods and turns to talk to Paul, glancing up as she does so. She turns back to Danika.
“She looks so alone.”
“She is alone. That’s where we sat and talked. She’s giving me the chance to go to her.”
Her mother grips her upper arm. “Kim and you need to find a way to work together in this. For your kids’ sake.” She looks backto the pitch where the match has started, and Team Red are in possession and running toward goal.
Danika also directs her attention to the melee of kids racing around. While the skill levels are haphazard, the kids play fairly. Sylvie gets the ball and dribbles it toward the goal.
Mirza breaks off her conversation with Paul to scream, “C’mon Sylvie!”
Sylvie shoots and misses, and Mirza says sheepishly, “Sorry. I promised her I’d never be that sort of parent, but here I am, first chance.”
Danika knows how she feels. She opens her mouth to commiserate, but then Cami gets the ball and turns toward the goal, and Danika’s on her feet, yelling for Cami to shoot. Cami kicks it to Bella, and it’s Bella who scores the first goal of the match.
Twenty minutes later it’s halftime, and Team Red are ahead by three goals. Coach yells for the parents to come onto the pitch.
