Page 40

“So ask me after the match.”

I know she is ready. I saw her at the training sessions. She’s been killing it. She’s faster, and she’s stronger.

“What Daisy means to say,” I say, sending a pointed look to our teammate, “is that we’re here for you. We’re a team and we’ve got your back.”

“Exactly,” Daisy says. “We’re going to kick some ass together.”

Valentina joins us, her arm around my waist. “And if you feel tired or weak, just let me know. I’ll cover for you.”

Rebecca rolls her eyes. “Thanks, but I don’t need a babysitter. I’ve got this.”

We laugh. “I know you do,” I say. “But we’re still looking out for you. Because we’re a family.”

“Speaking of family,” Daisy says, nodding at the stand behind our dugout. “Your sister’s in row F again.”

I look to where she’s indicating and see Alycia waving at us from the plastic seat next to my mother’s. I wave back.

She’s been coming to every match. She’s also been doing a great job as marketing director, bringing in new sponsors. I’m proud of her.

I still can’t believe she’s pregnant with Raul’s baby, but I’m trying to accept it. I know she’s happy, and I want her to be happy. Even if it means that Valentina and I are going to be aunts. It’s weird, but it’s also exciting.

We take our positions and wait for the whistle. We’re playing against San Lyon United, a team that’s started the season with a win and a tie. We can’t afford to lose after our defeat to the Predators. We have to bounce back.

San Lyon kick off, and we defend.

They pass the ball around, trying to find a gap in our defense. But we’re ready for them, we’ve studied their tactics, their players. Raul made us do our homework, and it pays off.

We steal the ball and break forward. I run forward, with Daisy on my left, and Rebecca on my right.

We move in sync, communicating with our eyes, our gestures. We’ve been training together for a while now, and we have a good understanding of each other’s style and preferences, especially Rebecca and me, since we’ve been playing on the same teams for years.

Daisy passes to me, and I beat my defender. I see Rebecca making a run, and I cross the ball to her. She controls it with her chest and pauses to give us time to regroup.

She passes it back to Valentina, who tries to find Daisy, but she’s marked tightly. Valentina keeps possession, then passes to Rosario, who’s making her way forward.

I run a few steps back to get away from the defender. Rosario clocks me immediately and passes the ball.

I still have the defender on me, but her stance is wide and I’m confident I can dribble the ball between her feet. My touch is perfect and I take two steps forward before kicking it into the goal.

The crowd cheers and chants my name. Adrenaline rushes through me, and I smile.

Rebecca is the first one on me, hugging me. “Great goal, Lexa.”

“Thanks,” I say. “You set it up. Knowing when to slow down is the key.”

“Nah, you did all the work,” she says. “You deserve it.”

Valentina comes up to me, kissing me on the cheek. “¡Qué golazo, cariño!”

I grin. “I know.”

I high-five the rest of my teammates, and we go looking for a second goal. The goalkeeper makes some good saves, the defenders make some good blocks. We’re dominating, but we can’t get another goal.

The halftime whistle blows, and we go to the locker room. We’re upbeat, but we know we can’t get complacent. San Lyon is a good team, and they could come back in the second half.

Raul gives us his usual speech, praising our performance, but also reminding us of our weaknesses. He tells us to be more ruthless, more clinical, to finish what we start.

He also tells us to keep an eye on their number 10, who’s their creative force. She’s been quiet so far, but she could change the game if we let her.