“Welcome to the family,” he says. “Let me know if, no when, you ever get tired of getting ganged up on by the girls. We usually head to the bar or hang out in the man cave at my house while the ladies are off gossiping at their book club meetings or binge-watching whatever new show they’re obsessed with.”

I raise a brow. “That actually sounds like a plan. My brother, Hud, and I have been looking to meet some people out here.”

Before I can get another word in, Kerry, who’s been watching the interaction with amusement, crosses her arms. “Hold on, what? Mr. Antisocial actually wants to make friends? That’s certainly a new development.”

I roll my eyes, and then Hawkins transitions his attention to Ari. “Now, word on the street is that there’s a soccer star in our midst.”

Ari hesitates, her excitement faltering just slightly. Her fingers fidget with the hem of her shirt as she looks up at Hawkins, her brows drawing together.

“And no one’s ever made fun of you for being different?” she asks, her voice small but heavy with something deeper—doubt, fear, the memory of all the times she’s felt othered. “The kids at my last school weren’t very nice.”

Hawkins’ expression softens, and he kneels so they’re at eye level, his voice steady but full of understanding. “Oh, yeah. They did,” he admits. “Plenty of times. Sometimes, my kids even rag on me—calling me a transformer!”

Ari giggles and then blinks up at him, surprised by his honesty. “Really?”

“Really,” he confirms with a nod. “You’re gonna meet my rascals in a few. Some people are light-hearted. Some people are cruel because they don’t understand. Others just like to pick on what makes someone special because they’re too scared to be different themselves.” He places a hand over his heart. “But you wanna know something?”

Ari nods, biting her lip.

“I stopped caring what those people thought because I realized they weren’t my people.” His voice dips lower, more reassuring. “You’re gonna meet so many people who are like you. And a whole lot who aren’t. But I promise you, the good ones? The ones worth knowing? They’re gonna see you for exactly who you are. And they’re gonna think you’re pretty amazing.”

Ari stares at him, absorbing every word. Then, she looks down at his prosthetic, the same as hers, before meeting his eyes again. “And you really don’t feel different?”

Hawkins smiles, lightly tapping his metal limb. “Ari, I don’t feel different; I feel unstoppable. And I promise you, when you get out there and play, when you feel how strong you are, how fast you can move, you won’t feel different either. You’ll just feel like you.”