Page 49 of Anatomy of Us

Lucía shows up thirty minutes early.

“I’m here to help,” she says fast the second I open the door.

She follows me into the kitchen without another word. She leans against the counter, crosses her arms, and watches me. She doesn’t reach for a bowl. She doesn’t touch the salad. She just studies me with the same look I’ve seen on the field a thousand times when she sizes up an opponent.

“Doc,” she says, brows lifting.

“Lucía.”

Silence. She doesn’t add anything, so I keep slicing tomatoes. The knife thunks the cutting board in a steady rhythm that keeps my brain busy.

“You better take care of Zoe,” she says, eyebrows still up. “The whole team knows where you live and where you work.”

“I’ll put that in my notes,” I say, deadpan, and hand her the charcoal to get the grill going.

After that, the rest of the team comes in waves.

Jamie shows up at 2:15 with only one crutch now. When she sees me, she bumps my fist with a huge grin.

“Hey, doc. Nice rehab, right? I’ll be playing again soon.”

“You did the work. That knee didn’t fix itself,” I remind her.

She shrugs like it’s nothing, but pride flashes in her eyes. She heads straight for the yard, where Zoe and Lucía fight with the grill and a lighter that seems to go on strike.

Hades arrives at 2:30 with her twin daughters, who look like they come under protest until they spot Wesley.

Jade Herrera comes last. Unless you count Iris, of course.

Jade pauses in the doorway, scanning the room like she’s mapping emergency exits. She wears that uncomfortable look of someone who isn’t sure why she’s here.

Zoe steps out of the kitchen and looks surprised.

“Jade. Thanks for coming,” Zoe says, drying her hands on a dish towel.

“Yeah, well.” Jade shrugs, eyes glued somewhere near the floor. “Hades said it was mandatory, so…”

“Still. Thanks,” Zoe insists.

Iris rolls in close to four, when everyone already eats.

She wears sunglasses even though it’s cloudy, and a wrinkled shirt she probably picked up off the floor less than half an hour ago.

“Rough night?” Hades snorts, then clicks her tongue. “I think you only show up late for training. And you’ve got a championship-level hangover.” She takes a beer from Iris’s hand and swaps it for a Powerade.

Pretty soon, Wesley goes arm to arm like he’s the trophy of the season.

Lucía sings him something low in Spanish. A lullaby, I think, though I don’t catch the words. Wesley stares up at her, eyes wide, hypnotized by her voice.

Hades’s twins claim him later, but Iris steals the baby back and says she puts on banana cologne so Wes will like her more.

Diana finds me alone in the kitchen while I grab more drinks. She comes in quiet and leans on the counter, same as Lucía earlier. Apparently this is the official interrogation spot.

“You know why I set this up?” she asks, no warm-up.

“Because the team needs to bond before playoffs?”

“Yes, partly.” Diana’s eyes sharpen. “But mostly they needed to see Zoe as a whole person. Baby. Partner. A house full of people who matter to her. Not just the captain. Not just the legend trying to come back after a lost year because she’s a mom.”