| Alex |

It's been almost a month since I had a talk with Joanna. It wasn't as much a conversation as it was a promise, on my part, to ruin any chance she has at a career in soccer if she so much as touches a hair on my daughter's head. It seems to have worked, Cody has been coming home from school a lot happier, she's been going to practice and Jack continues to keep an eye out for her - as usual.

They're playing their first game of their own small season today, and as a surprise, I'm picking my family up at the airport, along with Hope who's picking up Kelley. So when we get to the airport, we split off into two different directions.

I grab a coffee from the starbucks and find an empty seat as I wait for my family to get through security. I pull my phone from my pocket, scrolling through social media. I notice that I'm no longer getting tagged in posts from Joanna, which I'm thankful for. However, as I'm busy staring at my screen, I don't notice the group of people I'm here for, approaching me.

"BOO!"

"What the hell, Jeri?!" I squeal at my sister, who laughs her ass off as I try and catch my phone after launching it in the air.

"Where's my favorite niece?" Jeni asks, flanking my parents who seem to have worked out their problems.

"She's still at school. She has a game tonight, I thought you could surprise her there."

We leave, heading back to the car, to find that Hope and Kelley are already there and with an Uber waiting. I thank Hope, who takes my sisters with her in the car as my parents and I take the Uber home.

| Jack |

Something's going on. I don't know what, but if I was Sherlock Holmes, I'm sure I'd have solved this already. Cody is almost constantly on her phone, texting and when I ask who it is, she brushes me off and the only reason that I don't interrogate her about it is because it's nearly her birthday. It's a big deal for her this year, she's finally with her mom and I know it's a big deal for Alex, too.

"Yo, asshole! Are you okay?" My best friend screams in my ear and while I'm happy she's clearly growing in confidence, but I hate that my eardrum has to be her victim. I push my friend away, laughing as she trips over a ball and falls on her ass.

"Well. That's rude." She grumbles, standing and rubbing her butt, as though it'll help.

"Girls, back to it!" Coach yells, not only talking to Cody and I, but everyone else before she blows her whistle calling us in. "Okay, you're all looking good out there. I thought you could use some extra help, so after a lot of phone calls please, give a warm welcome to Kelley O'Hara and Tobin Heath." Coach announces, a look of pride on her face, but as she motions to her left, there's no one there.

"Is this a joke?" Jo asks, clearly unimpressed, while I'm just confused, until I'm lifted from my feet and spun around in a circle. I hear Cody laugh as I squeal.

| Cody |

I smile as I watch Jack being lifted from the ground, Kelley wrapping her arms around her tightly before she starts to spin.

"They're cute, huh? Like a real family." I hear from my right, and turn to see Tobin there, already looking at me. I don't think about my next move, if I did, I probably wouldn't have made it. I jumped on the midfielder, throwing my arms around the woman that I've come to view as a second mother, pleasantly surprised that she holds me up and we both don't stumble to the ground.

"What? How are you here?"

"Um...by plane?" She sasses, grinning when I roll my eyes at her after she sets me back on my feet.

"Does my mom know you're here?"

"Not yet. It's a secret, deal?"

"Deal."

I'm rudely pulled from my reunion with my favorite player by someone clearing their throat. Both Tobin and I look up to see Joanna standing with her arms crossed over her chest, an eyebrow raised in obvious irritation.

"Can we practice now?" Our captain asks, not tearing her eyes away from the four of us - Jack, Kelley, Tobin and I.

Coach takes over, sensing the tension, and gets us back to work. Things with Joanna, my mom and her teammates have been awkward. Especially with Tobin, who always seems to notice the little things that Jo does, even when Alex misses it.

"She doesn't like Jack much anymore, does she?" The midfielder asks me and I glance between Jack and Jo, the latter still glaring at my best friend.

"No. Not since Hope adopted her."

"Does Hope know?"

"I really don't know. You would have to ask Jack."

"I don't think I would, Joanna's still standing. For now." Tobin tells me and when I look at her, she points in the direction of my best friend, who looks like she's close to having a fist fight with our Captain. A few shoves are exchanged before Kelley interrupts, ever the protective mother to Jack, and she pulls my friend away to let her cool down.

I take two steps, preparing to confront the captain before someone's hand wraps around my wrist.

| Tobin |

I grab my girlfriend's daughter before she can get herself into any trouble. Trying to keep her in place is tougher than it used to be, it's obvious she joins in on Hope's workouts, probably Alex's too.

"Let me go Tobin, I've had enough of her-"

"Forget it, I'm not letting you go, Codes."

She looks back at me, her face contorted in anger before it softens and she relaxes. I still don't let her go, scared that she'll run after the bully the second that I do. Instead, she simply hugs me and once again, it catches me off guard. In all the time I've known her, Cody has found it difficult to hug someone, the only people I've seen her hug, without hesitation, are Alex and Jack. I eventually wrap my arms around the teen, and we don't even hear the Coach calling practice.

"Can you two stop hugging now? I wanna get food."

"Wow Kelley. You even sound like Jack now." Cody smirks at my teammate once we let each other go.

"Why you gotta throw shade at my love for food?" Jack asks, arms crossed over her chest, glaring playfully at Cody before she starts chasing her around the field.

"Hey, come on you two! You don't wanna tire yourselves out before tonight!" KO yells after the teens while my phone vibrates in my pocket. I take it out, reading the text from Alex, simply hoping I'm doing okay.

"Stop smiling at your phone." Kelley nudges me with her shoulder. "You'll see her later."

The teens finally make their way over and the four of us walk to the car, deciding that Kelley should call Alex and tell her that she'll get food with Jack and Cody, not saying anything about me.

___________

| Cody |

I love game time. The smell of the grass, the floodlights, the crowd slowly building the closer it gets to kickoff. Everything works in sync on nights like this - even Joanna. It's probably the only time in the entire school calender that the captain isn't a complete bitch. I hate to admit it, but I admire the way that she can compartmentalize that stuff.

"Here, Cody," My captain calls before throwing a bottle of water at me and I catch it in one hand, nodding in her direction in thanks.

"Maxi?!"

"What?" I ask, taking a drink from the bottle. I gulp it down, leaving the bottle half full before Jack swipes it from my hands, finishing the bottle.

"Your mom is here. Where's Tobin?"

"We're gonna surprise h-" I start, only to freeze when I see my family beside my mom.

"Codes? What's wrong, are you okay?" My best friend asks, grasping my chin and forcing me to look at her. She wipes the tears I didn't even know had fallen.

"I'm great. My family is here." I grin like a madman at my best friend. It's the first time my family has been here for me in this capacity, and it makes me so happy I could cry a river. I take Jack's hand, and drag her along with me as I make my way to my mom, my aunts and my grandparents.

"Hi baby! Good luck out there."

"Thanks mom."

When my mom finally lets go of me, and kisses my forehead as always, I turn to my other family members.

"I know I'm awesome but you don't have to be shy now." Jeri winks at me before pulling me in for a hug, which I return.

"Yeah, you're so awesome but I'm still the favorite." Jeni deadpans and smirks at her sister, and hugs me too. I chuckle when I hear Alex mumble 'not this again'.

"Hi grandma, grandpa." I beam at my grandparents, finally completely comfortable with both, and happy that they're still together. I make my way back to my mom as Jack introduces herself due to my 'lack of manners'.

"You did this?"

"I did, I wanted to surprise you."

"I'm glad." I grin at my mom, who looks confused. "I wanted to surprise you too-"

"Oh my god, are you pregnant?"

"What? No! I'm not even nearly straight enough for that." My mom sighs in relief while I look at her like she's lost her mind. She still hasn't noticed that Tobin is behind her, and trying her hardest not to laugh.

"So, what are you talking about?"

"She's talking about me."

My mom swivels in her place when she hears Heath's voice, and I watch on with my family, each of us smiling, as my mom wraps her arms around her girlfriend.

"Jack, Cody! Let's go!"

"I gotta go mom, that's Coach." I interrupt their moment, feeling like shit when I do, but my mom lets go of Tobin regardless to give me one last, long hug. Everyone here wishes us good luck, including Hope and Kelley who I hadn't noticed but I throw them a wave as I jog back to my team with my best friend by my side.

________

| Jack |

I was so pumped for this game, I was like a bunny on crack - I couldn't stand still. We're into the second half now and I'm starting to feel odd so at the next stoppage, due to a substitution, Jo throws me yet another bottled water - this makes three for the evening, same as Cody who I can see looks pale.

"Are you okay Maxi?" She doesn't answer, she only nods but I don't believe her. I know she doesn't want to get pulled from the game

| Alex |

I'm watching my daughter intently, something seems off and it's not just her, it's Jack too. I glance at Hope, immediately seeing that she's worried. I focus back on the game as my daughter runs up the field ahead of Jack who has the ball at her feet when she suddenly kicks it out of play and runs off the field to the nearest trashcan, where she throws up. As the school's trainers look after Jack, the play goes on, but not for long.

I hear gasps all around me when my daughter hits the ground - nobody near her. I'm on my feet in seconds, trying to rush to her side, only to be held back by Tobin and Jeni.

"Jack!"

I hear Hope call out for her daughter, her own wellbeing seemingly deteriorating as quickly as Cody's, and I pull my arms free of my sister and my girlfriend and join Hope in running down the steps, off the bleechers and to my daughter as Hope goes straight to Jack. I hear the crowd start to cheer when they see me, which makes me shake my head. My daughter is more important but when I finally make it to her, medics are already there. I notice two more run by me, on their way to Jack.

"What the hell happened?!" I yell out, to anyone that could answer me, but no one does as I come to a skidding halt by my daughter's body. I take her hand in mine, squeezing it. "Cody, baby. Can you hear me?"

"Ma'am, you need to let us do our job."

I'm about to disagree when I'm lifted to my feet. Turning, I see Tobin but she's not looking at me, she's looking at Cody.

"What hospital are you taking her to?" My girlfriend asks, and I begin to zone out as I watch Cody being lifted to the ambulance, an oxygen mask on, already hooked up to a drip. I look as another body is wheeled by me, heading to the ambulance next to the one my daughter was loaded onto, knowing it was Jack.

I feel Tobin guide me to the car, my sisters in the backseat and Tobin jumps in behind the wheel. She starts the engine, backs out of the space and follows behind the two emergency vehicles. I notice two more cars behind us, realizing it's Hope and Kelley, and my parents.

"What the hell happened?" I ask again, knowing that nobody had an answer. Not a good enough reason for me, anyway. I use all my strength to stop myself from crying, biting my lip when it begins to quiver.

"One person collapsing is one thing, but two, right after one another? Must be something in the water here." Jeri mumbles from her seat directly behind me.