Crowd be damned, our tongues meet in a kiss that’ll have me apologizing to my mom later.

Five months later

“Mr. Morris, come with me, please.” A security guard leads me away from everyone. We’re in Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park for the USWNT’s game against Nigeria and Olivia’s first game back.

The family refused to miss Olivia’s first game back so everyone is here—Kylie, Auntie, my parents, Lincoln, Ciara, Isaiah, Nina, Sasha, Carter, Nevaeh, Shane, Dom, Reggie, and Michael. Lincoln and Ciara’s daughter is home with Ciara’s mom while Isaiah and Nina’s three kids are with his parents and Reggie and Michael’s kids are being trusted to stay home alone. Brittany, Simone, and Sarah wanted to join but they sent us a video of them watching together on TV. We’re sitting with Justine as well, who’s excited that she has more people to shout with her.

Olivia has worked her ass off to get to this point, between transitioning back to practice with her new team and entering the beginning stages of planning her foundation with Dante. They will focus on being a resource for children who have experienced trauma, helping them to better strengthen their mental health, as well as teaching them financial literacy and other key life skills.

The security guard leads me down a long hallway where the roar of the crowd gets lighter and lighter. He opens a door for me and shuts the door behind me. I look around but don’t see anyone at first but then her scent surrounds me. Olivia steps out donned in her USWNT uniform and cleats with her hair in a long ponytail and a headband wrapped around her edges.

“What are you up to, Olivia Harding?” The smile in my voice can’t be contained.

“Well, first I wanted to say thank you for being here.”

“Where else would I be?”

She hums contentedly and reaches for my hand. When I grab it she leads me to a bench and pushes me down. “Second, since you are here, I figured I should take advantage. A girl’s gotta have her traditions, you know?”

I lick my lips, not knowing where this is going. “So what do you need from me?”

“I can always count on you to ask the right questions, Kai. I need you to sit back and enjoy the show.”

She presses something on her phone and the sound of “The Boy is Mine” fills the room.

The End

Epilogue

Kai

Seven months later

“Love, I’m home,” I call out when I step into our new home in Houston. We’re still in the process of unpacking, but the fact that we own a house together in the city where everything fell apart before is beautifully poetic.