‘Really, I’m so sorry and I won’t ever do anything like that again.’

‘Okay,’ I said, not knowing what else to say. And I went back to shooting hoops, hoping that he’d keep his word. Trent nodded and walked away.

‘You all right?’ Caroline said.

‘Yep. I think we did good. Now we need to focus on the game.’

‘Let’s do this,’ she said, giving me a high five before coach Suzy pulled us together to run us through our game plan.

Our team didn’t start so well, we were ten points down seven minutes into the first half and I knew that it would take something really special from us all to get back into the game. And then Mum walked into the stadium with Nana. And with all of those people in the stadium, all of my family and friends cheering us on, it was knowing that Mum was there that gave me my hot hand that day, that had me hustling like my life depended on it, that helped me to help my team to win the game.

When the buzzer rang we ran to each other and piled up, shrieking with joy. When I jumped up off the court Katie, Jane, Dad, Caitlin, Mum and Nana all came over to congratulate me. I couldn’t believe it! I felt almost faint, my legs were jelly and my head was spinning.

After the presentations, everyone made their way over to the pub. Things felt a little weird as Dad and Caitlin sidled up next to Mum at the bar. She said to the bartender, ‘I’ll have a Coke and a cup of tea,’ and then she asked us, ‘What do you want? It’s my shout.’

Dad, Caitlin and I ordered Cokes too. And as our team and our families sat around a table talking about the game and the feeling of triumph, watching Mum sip her Coke, I knew it was just one of those days, where Mum could give something that she couldn’t give on other days.

And after all that time attending meetings and repeating The Serenity Prayer, I thought what I’d learned most is that there’s days that I can give Mum my full heart, and there’s others when I can only give her my spare heart. The main thing is, we still have days, and there’ll be many more.

RESOURCES

RESOURCES

LIFELINE

// lifeline.org.au • 13 11 14

A national charity providing 24/7 crisis support to people of all ages. You can contact Lifeline about worries, anxiety, abuse, sexual assault, depression and suicidal thoughts.

KIDS HELPLINE

// kidshelpline.com.au • 1800 55 1800

A free, anonymous and confidential 24/7 online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. Kids Helpline is available to talk about big or small concerns.

AL-ANON FAMILY GROUPS AUSTRALIA

// al-anon.org.au • 1300 252 666