Page 11 of Breadwinner
For most of the first half, Sarah watched Nell. She was close enough that she could keep an eye on her, but far enough away she was sure Nell hadn’t seen her and Lily sit down.
As the game went on, Sarah could see the slight shifts in Nell’s posture. The way she tilted her head when she was pleased; the terseness of her expression when she wasn’t. Sarahfound her presence intoxicating. She watched the game the way a stockbroker watches the market—locked in and laser focused.
Lily, utterly oblivious to Sarah’s internal observation, was wholly invested in the game, perched on the edge of her seat, hands clasped as she watched Wren weave her way down the field.
“Come on,” she muttered under her breath.
“A little tense there, hun?” Sarah joked, nudging Lily with her elbow.
Lily didn’t look at her, instead keeping her eyes glued to the field. “It’s just annoying seeing people hesitate. She had a lane.”
“I know Wren appreciates how much you care, Lily, but don’t forget she has coaches. She needs you to be her friend, someone who is there for her.”
Lily shrugged. “Yeah, I guess, but that’s not really our thing, you know? I’ve been taking notes and everything. And if she wants to get called up to the next national team camp, she’s got to be at her best. That’s what we do. We hype each other up. I know she can’t come to a lot of my competitions because of the travel, but she always watches and takes notes for me.”
That was the thing about Lily—even with three Olympic gold medals, even with a name the entire world recognized, she still talked about her friends like she was just another kid who loved the game. In Wren, Lily had someone who understood what it was like to be a teenage professional athlete, someone who understood her daughter’s drive and her fire and cheered her on endlessly.
She and Beth had always been adamant about doing their best to keep Lily as grounded as possible—to try and protect her innocence while also honoring the true force that she was. But, as Lily’s moms, there was only so much of Lily’s world they could understand.
A whistle blew, signaling the end of the first half, and right as Sarah was about to get up to stretch, she felt it. A presence. The unmistakable weight of being watched. She knew before she even turned.
Nell approached with the same reserved elegance as always.
Sarah met her gaze, and for a fraction of a second, she’d swear she saw amusement there.
Nell greeted her with ease. “Ms. Gallagher.”
Ever unfazed by presence or authority, Lily turned. “Hi, Nell.”
Nell inclined her head slightly. “Hello, Lily.”
“Your team is playing really well today.”
Nell glanced at Sarah briefly before responding. “Thank you. I think so, too, but between you and me, I have a few notes for the coaching staff about our defense.”
“Puget Sound Pride has the best forwards in the league!” Lily beamed, excitedly bouncing on the balls of her feet. “You remember my friend, Wren? Number thirteen. She’s the best in the whole NWSL in my opinion. Did you ever play?”
“No, sadly. I was all about field hockey back in my day.”
Lily considered that. “Were you any good?”
Nell met Lily’s question with the tiniest arch of an eyebrow. “I was excellent.”
Sarah pressed her lips together, highly entertained.
Lily nodded approvingly. “Respect. How did you deal with the skirt thing? I don’t think I could play a sport where you have to wear a skirt. It’s not even functionally necessary to perform.”
Something in Nell’s eyes glinted. She liked Lily. Sarah could see it.
“Not well, but I made it work,” Nell said, with a conspiratorial grin, and Sarah couldn’t help the mental image of Nell in a field hockey skirt that popped into her head, causingheat to rise in her cheeks. She quickly pushed the thought from her mind.
After a moment, Lily stretched and glanced up toward the private boxes. “Some of my friends are up there,” she said, already standing. “I’m gonna go say hi.” She turned back toward Nell. “Good luck with the second half.”
Nell gave her an amused head tilt. “Enjoy the view from the top.”
With that, Lily was off, disappearing into the crowd.
And, suddenly, it was only the two of them.