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‘Goal!’

The crowd roar.

The orange-coloured home team fans are cheering wildly, while the white away team groan into their hands. On the pitch, the team all come and pile on top of a celebrating Milo, whooping.

‘An elegant assist from Captain Adriana Summers! There’s no coming back for the Swans now!’

When the final whistle blasts, the entire stadium filled with fans singing Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger’.

The Tigresses whoop and cheer, running in towards each other to have a group hug, all united and lifting each other up – literally. Adriana is crying with happiness, highfiving and hugging her team, who then lift her up onto their shoulders as she shrieks in delight.

Maeve, laughing as she parades Adriana on her shoulder next to Elisa, who made some particularly impressive saves in the match, feels wonderfully, truly part of the team.

Maeve recovered from her injury smoothly, and has been having a solid start to the season, her and Coach working together on finding an effective balance for her training.

Maeve and Adriana have worked brilliantly together as Captain and vice, their old friendship flourishing in this new dynamic.

Adriana’s fiery hair glints in the sunlight as she waves towards the VIP box.

There, along with her family with their banners, is Jacob – proudly wearing a Summers Tigresses shirt with his tortoiseshell glasses and casual Levis, singing along as loud as anyone.

He highfives Adriana’s parents and her brother, who is filming the whole thing for the family group chat.

Grinning, Maeve turns out from the group to blow a kiss out towards the VIP box too.

Kira grins and mimes catching it. She’s screaming her support for her old team, waving her sign that just says ‘MAEVE MURPHY FAN CLUB’ covered in hearts.

Her own team don’t have a match today, so she’s rarely been able to come and support Maeve – her recently official girlfriend.

The women in the stalls near them, many of whom are holding hands with each other too, scream, whisper or cat-call Maeve and Kira’s mimed kiss in the language of obsessed lesbians.

Kira turns to Helena, animatedly gushing about the highlights of Maeve’s defense this game, yet again, and Helena smiles back.

Mirroring her daughter, Helena looks more at ease now too, her smile less forced, as she waves down at the pitch, finally letting her pride for her daughter show.

‘Champagne,’ says Jacob. ‘We must all go and have Champagne.’

Down on the pitch, as the team start their happy return to the dressing room, laughing and clapping each other on the back, Maeve and Adriana come to a stop together.

For a moment, it feels like it’s just the two of them in the world again.

Back to being teenagers at the Academy, two best friends with a big dream.

‘We did it, Moo,’ says Adriana. ‘You and me.’

‘Uh huh,’ Maeve puts her hand around her friend’s shoulder and kisses the top of her curls. ‘I’m proud of us.’

‘I wonder what we’ll do next,’ says Adriana.

‘Whatever it is, it’ll still be you and me, together.’

Maeve reaches out a ceremonial little finger to Adriana. She grins as wide as the sun, nods, and hooks her best friend in a pinky promise.