Page 19 of Until Nalia
“It’s nice that you coach his team.” I step out of his space when I can, but the tension in my lower belly from that move is still sitting there.
“That’s me, nice.” He grins my way and I roll my eyes but can’t stop the smile that creeps across my lips. Entering the area where the fields are I start to look for a good spot to sit that isn’t overly crowded. “You can sit with Ma.” He tells me like he can read my mind.
“My sister and her family are coming, so I’ll probably just find somewhere with room for all of us.”
“There’s room,” he tells me before calling out to the kids and telling them to head to the bleachers. As we get closer, I spot Gigi near the dugout with a large, brimmed hat on her head and a flowy, floral dress, the lipstick she had on when I first met her in place, only she’s exchanged her glasses for ones with tinted lenses. When she spots us, she waves, and I wave back as Cooper runs up to give her a hug, with Zuri waiting for me at the bottom of the bleachers. “You good?” Logan asks, and I focus on him.
“Yeah, good luck today.”
“Thanks, babe, see you after the game.” He smiles then grins when I roll my eyes at the nickname before he walks onto the field calling for Cooper to follow him. Watching him walk away for longer than I should and curse myself for doing it.
“Do you know where your friend is?” I ask, walking over to Zuri.
“I don’t think she’s here yet.”
“How about you hang with me until she gets here?”
“Okay.” She follows me up the stairs to Logan’s mother, who smiles at the two of us.
“I’m so glad you came,” Gigi tells us getting to her feet, air kissing my cheek then her eyes move to Zuri. “Hey, honey.”
“Hi, Gigi,” Zuri says, quietly leaning into me.
“Sit, sit,” Gigi orders as she takes a seat. I take a seat next to her, and she leans around me to look at Zuri. “Zuri, honey, do you want some snacks? I brought lots.”
“No, thank you,” she tells her while scanning the crowd and the people coming up the dirt path.
“She’s waiting for her friend to get here so they can hang out together,” I explain.
“I understand.” Gigi pats my leg. “When Billie was her age, I’d only see her if she needed money; now I don’t even see her.”
“I used to do the same thing when I’d go to football games with my parents.” I laugh as she digs into her oversized bag and pulls out a container that looks like something you’d keep fishing lures in only each small box is filled with snacks from Goldfish crackers to M&M’s.
“Heather’s here,” Zuri announces, getting to her feet, waving her arms over her head. Looking in the direction she is, I see her friend, whom she sat next to the first day of school, walking with a boy Cooper’s age, probably her brother, and who I’m guessing are her parents behind the two of them. After saying something to the man and woman over her shoulder, she leaves them behind and runs our way, then bounds up the bleachers to Zuri.
“You’re here,” Heather shouts hugging Zuri like she’s surprised to see her and the two of them hadn’t spoken a few minutes before we left the house about meeting up. “Do you want to come sit with me and my parents?” she asks when she lets Zuri go and Zuri looks at me.
“That’s fine,” I tell her, and she leans down to give me a tight hug.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” I laugh.
“Is this your mom?” Heather asks, and I notice tension fill Zuri’s small frame before she shakes it off.
“Yes.”
“Cool.” Heather smiles at me. “Nice to meet you, Zuri’s mom.”
“You too, Heather,” I say quietly while I try to process what I’m feeling. Since she was born, I’ve had a connection with Zuri that was different from what I have with Harmony and Willow. Different than being just sisters.
Maybe it’s because she was a helpless baby the first time I held her in my arms, but I’ve never really felt like she was my sister, it’s always felt like our bond was deeper than that. And although I’m sure it’s the same for her after everything that has happened, I worry that her reason for telling someone I’m her mom might not be exactly healthy. It’s going to have to be something I talk to her about when we are alone. It’s also something I don’t want to talk to her about because I don’t want her to think I dislike the idea and am upset about it. I guess I just want to know she’s doing it for the right reasons; then again, I don’t even know what the right reasons are.
“I’ll be back,” Zuri cuts into my thoughts and I watch her walk down the bleacher to Heather’s parents. When the girls reach them, Heather introduce Zuri then motions to me and both her parents look back my way and wave, I wave back.
“Are you okay?” Gigi asks me softly, and I turn to look at her.
“Yeah,” I smile at her, and she pats my leg, then lifts it to wave. I turn to see who she’s waving at and watch a very pretty, very tall, willowy blonde woman who looks like an older version of Billie coming up the bleachers towards us with an even taller blonde man at her side.
