“It’s like soccer except you carry the ball. And people try to throw you down to stop you from crossing the goal. Sometimes the coach decides to kick the ball into a little goal instead. When I was little I was smaller than the other kids. I tried hard, but everyone just ran over me like I wasn’t there. So the coach never let me play. I just sat on the side and watched everyone else play. Then I had an idea. I decided it didn’t matter how big I was if I was a goal kicker. I practiced kicking the ball every day until I was the best kicker on the team. I won our biggest game of the year by kicking the ball through the goal.”

“Wow.”

“Just because you’re not the fastest runner doesn’t mean you can’t be a good soccer player. Maybe you’re just playing the wrong position. You look to me like the kind of guy who should play the most important position on the field. You look like a goalie.”

“Really?”

“Most important job in the game. If the goalie doesn’t stop the ball, it doesn’t matter how good all the other players are, right?” It sounded right. “You know how to play goalie, don’t you?”

“I stop the ball.”

“Exactly. Where’s your goal?”

“That rock. And the flower pot.”

“Do you want to try?”

Alessio nodded.

“All right. You stand there and I’ll kick the ball to you.” Ross set the ball on the ground. “I’ll take it easy for a while, but only at first.” With his toe he nudged the ball toward the goal. Alessio fell on it.

“That was good. Let’s try again.”

Alessio threw the ball back to Ross. Ross kicked the ball slightly harder. Again Alessio stopped it.

“You are a soccer ball magnet.”

Alessio grinned.

Eliana heard their talking and looked out from an open window. Then she walked outside to watch. She stood in the entryway, her arms crossed at her chest.

“All right, here it comes again. Remember, watch the ball, not me.”

Alessio’s gaze was focused. The ball bounced off of him, out of reach.

“Good block.”

“Thanks.”

Ross kicked it again and again, increasing some in speed, but just enough to guarantee Alessio’s success. Alessio blocked all of them but one.

“Man, where I come from they have a name for guys like you. You’re the bomb. You better let me get some through here or I’m quitting.”

Alessio giggled with delight. He would raise each stopped ball triumphantly above his head and do a short victory dance while Ross pretended to get mad. “That does it,” Ross said. “No more mister nice guy!”

Suddenly Alessio noticed his mother watching.

“Look, Mom! I’m good.”

“I can see that.”