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“Have I told you how pretty your smile is?” I asked.

“Not in a long time.”

“I’m changing that,” I said. “It’s very beautiful, and I could tell you about it all night. But I got a little girl to congratulate.”

Her smile was a little softer, a little warmer.

I turned away from Maggie to find the girls letting Maya off their shoulders. I walked up to her, extending my hand for her to shake.

She held out her hand, but the second we were about to touch, she pulled her hand back and ran it over her ponytail. All the girls started laughing, but I picked her up and tickled her side, making her laugh.

“Fine! Fine!” she yelled, “I’ll shake your hand!”

Chuckling, I set her down for a do-over.

“Good job, Uncle Rhett,” she said.

I grinned and shook her hand. “Good job, Maya. Now, everyone, head to the dugout! Get a drink and then line up. We’re taking turns at bat!”

For the rest of practice, Maggie and I traded off pitching and catching while everyone on the team took turns batting. A few of them had been playing since T-ball, but this was the first year for others. It was fun to help them get their swings down, see the pride on their faces when the bat connected with the softball and their teammates cheered for them.

At the end of practice, we huddled up and Maya said, “Uncle Rhett, a few of the girls and I came up with a team cheer at swimming lessons this week.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Is that so?”

She nodded proudly.

“Let’s see it.”

Maya yelled, “One, two, three!”

Everyone on the team pointed a finger from their forehead and held their other hand at their side like a hoof. Then they dragged their feet across the ground and shouted, “UNICORN ROAR!”

I held back a laugh. “I love it.”

“Now you do it, Coach,” Maya’s friend Tessa said.

“Oh, I don’t think that’s necessary,” I said.

Mags patted my back. “Come on, Coach. Gotta lead by example, right?”

Maya grinned and yelled, “One, two, three!”

I closed my eyes before copying them and yelling, “UNICORN ROAR!”

Everyone had a laugh as my cheeks and the tips of my ears got hot as hell. I walked over to the parents, several telling me good job on the way, but when I got to Liv, she was still shaking with laughter.

“You put her up to that,” I said.

Liv shook her head. “Maggie did. She gave Maya a haircut this week.”

I turned to stare at Maggie by the water cooler, wiggling her fingers in a little wave.

I hate you, I mouthed.

She put her pointer finger on her forehead like a unicorn horn.

I’d get her back for that at our dinner Thursday night.