Epilogue
Three Weeks Later...
The end of the match is nearing. The whistle blows, giving the other team’s forwards opportunities to attack. Leah blocks a pass and kicks the ball toward me. Weaving up the field, I do the rainbow kick over a defender, hamming it up for Kai on the sidelines.
“Nice work, West!” Coach calls from the sidelines. “Girls, remember your formations!”
I pass the ball to Hayley, and she runs the field toward the goal circle.
She beats a defender and then passes to Dominica.
I grit my teeth hard when Dominica loses control of the ball.
I dodge and weave the other teams’ players and run at an angle toward the player in possession of the ball.
With some fancy footwork, I regain the ball.
Now, without looking for help from my teammates, I enter the goal circle. I size up the keeper, swing my leg back, and shoot. The ball soars under the top bar, the referee’s whistle blows, and the crowd cheers.
It takes a few moments to register. When it does, I jump in joy.
The buzzer sounds for the end of the game, and my team rallies around me. I smile up at the sky and hang my arms over Leah and Hayley’s shoulders. We won, four to nil.
“Good job, Jamie,” Dominica says. “Great to have you back on the team.”
“Thanks,” I reply. “It feels good to be back.”
“It’s good to see you’ve still got your A-game,” Leah says. “All the focus on schoolwork didn’t kill your skills.”
“We’re sorry for giving you such a hard time,” Hayley says, frowning. “We just didn’t want to lose our games. We didn’t want to lose you.”
“It’s completely selfish. We know,” Dominica adds. “But it really feels like a huge piece of the puzzle is missing when you’re not on the field with us.”
My heart bounces in my chest. Not that long ago I couldn’t string two sentences together in front of these girls. Now, this feels genuinely amicable.
“Maybe we can hang out outside of practices and games?” I suggest. “There’s a sequel to Katarina and Jeremy’s movie now streaming.”
Leah smirks. “You watch those movies?”
“I can’t get enough,” I gush.
Dominica nods. “I’m down.”
As we move off the field, Coach gathers us for a celebratory pep talk. I hang in the back so no one sees how Coach looks at me. We still haven’t announced our newly found connection to everyone. First, we had some tests done to confirm what Mom wrote. Thankfully, she was right.
I still haven’t called him dad, but I love spending extra time with Coach. He has come over to our house for dinner a few times. The next step will be for me to spend time at his house. I just haven’t been ready yet.
After the paternity test confirmed everything, we had a meeting with Principal Harvey to disclose our relationship.
Even if the rest of the school is in the dark, Coach’s boss needed to know in case something slipped and went into scandal territory.
The principal was weirdly sympathetic to everything.
He even reminded Coach of the privileges given to children of alumni and faculty.
Coach wants to pay for my tuition. Aunt Maddy and I feel weird about it. Mom kept the fact he’s my dad a secret because she didn’t want to seem like she wanted his family money. I don’t want to hurt his feelings. Coach insists he can help because he is my family.
It’s moot at the moment, because my scholarship is intact. Oh my gosh, am I relieved! I’ve never felt more pride than reading that letter to Aunt Maddy, discovering all my hard work studying is paying off.
When the team disperses after Coach’s talk, he steps up to me as casually as possible. “Hey, kiddo. Good game.”
I grin. “Thanks, Coach.”
“Do you need a ride to the cafe?”
I shake my head and nudge my shoulder to the right. “No, I’m good. Kai’s here to drive us over.”
“Okay, I’ll leave you to it,” he replies. “Good luck with the catering job today. Is Maddy still stressed?”
I roll my eyes. “Oh my gosh, yes! I refused to let her come to the game because she’s been such a basket case. David’s at the cafe to keep her calm during food prep.”
Coach chuckles. “At least she’s got a good man by her side. Speaking of which, your boyfriend looks eager to see you. Everything’s still going well with you two.”
My smile grows tenfold. “Never better. Milo is amazing.”
“You’ve really evolved as a person since spending more time with him,” Coach says. “Milo too. You’ve really helped him come out of his shell.”
I lean in and hug Coach in the most subtle way possible. “Thanks, Coach.”
Coach wishes me luck for the rest of the day, and I make my way over to Milo, Kai, and Tabitha.
“Good game, James!” Kai cheers, greeting me with a fist bump.
I thank him and move on to Milo, whose hug I’ve been dying for.
He kisses the top of my head. “You were amazing.”
“Did you keep up?” I joke.
Kai laughs. “Barely. I had to keep him focused on the game rather than his essay outline on his phone.”
“I can’t blame him,” Tabitha butts in. “Sitting through an entire game is tough.”
“You said you loved watching my games,” Kai says, hugging Tabitha close.
“And now you’ve rewarded me by letting me miss a game.” Tabitha’s eyes fill with bewilderment as she turns to us. “Can you believe he’s giving up a soccer game to be my date? I must be special or something.”
Kai smirks and kisses Tabitha’s cheek. “Special doesn’t cut it.”
“How in the heck did Coach Lyle agree to let you skip the game?” I ask skeptically.
Kai sighs. “He’s got a brutal training regime for me this week.”
“I’m so excited about the garden party,” Tabitha asks, eagerly bouncing in place. “Jamie, do you get to sit with us?”
“I’ll be breezing past your table with canapes,” I say light-heartedly.
“Surely you’ll get to join us,” she replies. “Then it can be like a double date for the four of us.”
The twins share perfect ‘yikes’ expressions.
Tabitha nudges Kai. “Come on. Don’t be a party pooper. You know I want a double date.”
“Milo and I are still getting used to the whole going on dates thing,” I say. “Hanging out at the cafe is more our speed.”
“You’ll get there,” Tabitha says. “I’m changing at Kai’s house, too. Do you want me to do your makeup?”
I giggle at the happiness radiating off her. “You’d do that? I’ve never worn makeup.”
Her nose crinkles. “Like, ever?”
“Yeah.” I look at Milo and he gives me a coy smile. “Thanks for the offer, but I like how I look. I don’t need makeup.”
Tabitha shrugs. “Suit yourself. I just like to play. And now that Cammy’s gone and Yvette’s giving me the silent treatment, it feels weird getting ready alone.”
I shake my head. “What do you mean, Cammy’s gone?”
She deadpans me. “You didn’t hear? She and her mom are leaving town.”
“Whoa.” It comes out of me in a low hum.
Milo rubs my back, and just audibly, he mutters, “Thank go"dness.”
I watch the sadness on Tabitha’s face. “I do feel bad for Camila. It’d be hard dealing with your family breaking up. But she was mean to me long before her parents’ break up.”
Tabitha nods. “I wouldn’t blame you for celebrating that she’s gone.”
I grin and look at Kai, mouthing, “Yay.”
Kai smirks, jingling his keys. “Ready to go?”
Milo slings my bag over his shoulder, and we walk hand in hand to Kai’s car.
“Were you totally bored today?” I ask him.
He chews his lip, suppressing his grin. “Not totally.”
“Well, get ready to be on edge,” I say, swinging his hand in mine. “My aunt will give us fifty tasks as soon as we walk into the cafe.”
“I’m sure it won’t be that bad,” Milo says with hope.
“Don’t bet on it. I was just telling Coach how panicked she’s been over this event.”
“Speaking of him, he looks like he’s about to burst when he watches you play. I can tell he can’t wait until everyone knows you’re his kid.”
“I wish people already knew,” I admit. “It’ll be so awkward. Oh, hi, everyone. By the way, Coach was my mom’s boyfriend, and turns out he’s my dad. Any questions? Uh, yeah, like a million.”
Milo laughs, pulling me in for a side hug as we approach the parking lot. “At least your friends, the guys at the cafe, and my family know. It’ll help soften the blow and diffuse the situation. Showing everyone it’s not a big deal.”
“Once everyone knows, it’ll blow over. I just don’t want to rip off the band-aid and have everyone know my secret.”
“It was okay when we stopped being a secret, right?”
My heart flutters. “More than okay. It’s like a dream.”
Milo’s eyes sparkle behind his glasses. “So, this will all work out, too.”
I nod, awestruck by this beautiful boy.
“Do you think you’d change your last name?” Milo asks. “You know, once everyone knows Coach Anders is your dad?”
I chew on my fingernail and smirk. “No way. Then I’d lose my moment of everyone cheering from the sidelines, ‘West is the best,’ when I’m a professional soccer player.”
“Is that your big career goal?”
I cup a hand around my hip, smiling with stars in my eyes. “Yes. It’s the only thing that gives me a thrill. The cafe will be my retirement plan after I win the world cup.”
“Ah, makes total sense,” Milo replies with a hint of laughter.
“Besides, my mom and aunt have their mom’s last name.”
“Lovebirds!” Kai calls from the car. “You coming or what?”
“Coming!” I call, tugging on Milo’s hand.
I run up to the car and Kai chucks me his keys. “You want to drive?” he asks.
“Absolutely!” I cheer. After successfully driving home and coming clean to Aunt Maddy about it, I realized something. I could try for my license again. If I can comprehend King Lear, algebra, and memorize the ten amendments, anything is a piece of cake.
I drive us to the boys’ house. It’s easier for me to shower and change here than my house because I need to get to the cafe ASAP. Tabitha and I share the guest bedroom, and I’m dressed and brush my hair, while she’s still in a towel, blow drying her hair.
I’ll never understand why other girls need to do all that primping. I’ve learned the easy way that boys don’t really care about all that stuff.