“All right,” he conceded. “Are you okay, then? You’ve been MIA.”

“Yeah. Yes.” She flicked her eyes out toward the field again and her hand came up to absently brush against the purple stone. “I took a few days off to go upstate.”

“Vacation?”

She shook her head and her eyes filled. “There was just something I had to do. And once I got back, well, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Fin.”

He was deeply relieved to hear she’d been spending time with her best friend. Maybe it was because he didn’t know anyone else who resembled her—the slightness of her physicality, gold skin, dark eyes, that squished nose—but looking down at her now, she just looked very solitary. It worried him. Because of Matty, Seb’s mini-me, Sebastian never had to worry about being completely alone. But Via on the other hand, she had no family. Not even a Muriel to criticize her in her kitchen. It made Sebastian want to invite himself over to her house, bring his kid and dog and make sure that there was enough noise in her life.

She used her wrist to push at the tears that swelled in her eyes and looked away from him, out toward the field. He wasn’t made uncomfortable by other people’s tears, but he knew when it wasn’t the time to push. “What’s the purple for?” He nodded at her necklace.

Her fingers brushed it again. “Amethyst. Apparently, it’s kind of a cure-all. Or so Fin says.”

“So you’re not okay.” He crossed his arms over his chest and searched her face for an answer. She looked so small right now, her delicate collarbone peeking out of her shirt like a piece of elegant jewelry. The only things big about her were those baleful eyes, and they were filled to the brim with unshed tears. He had the insane urge to make her soup, turn on a Disney movie or soft music. Damn it. He kind of wanted to rub her feet. He inwardly grimaced. Now was not the time to perv out.

She laughed at herself, the sound tight with tears as she swept her cap off her head and rubbed at her eyes with her wrist. “I don’t know what I am. Don’t mind me. I’m just a crazy lady who came to play softball.”

“Man, I’ve been there before. Well, except for the lady part. Trust me, I was a crazy man for just about all of Matty’s year four on this Earth.” He nudged her gently with an elbow. “You were there.”

“Oh, Seb, you were just fine. And don’t worry, this isn’t that kind of crazy. I think I’m just having a midlife crisis.”

Sebastian threw his head back and laughed at that one. Really laughed. His cap came a little loose at the movement, and he jammed it back on his head. “Via, I hope to God you live longer than fifty-four years old. There’s no way this is a midlife crisis.”