“Hi hi, Gracie,” I said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Look how big you've got!”
“Getting bigger every day,” Christina laughed. “It's great to see you Leah!”
“You too,” I said, hugging her again as I passed Grace back to her.
I finally turned to Josh who grinned at me.
“Got a hug for your big brother?”
I flung my arms around him and Josh squeezed me even more tightly than I’d squeezed Jamie.
The moment was perfect.
We found a trendy little café nearby and sat outside in the sunshine while we ate. Jamie didn't stop chattering, telling me about school and his friends. Hearing about Jamie’s accomplishments was one of the things I'd missed most. When I lived in Zellor, Jamie always came to me when something had upset him, and I was the first to hear when he'd achieved something new. Being so far away made that difficult. It was the same with Grace. I hadn't been around when she learned to walk or said her first words, and it really bothered me sometimes. They were growing up so fast and all the small but important milestones in their lives were passing me by.
Jamie seemed so grown-up. His brown hair was a little darker and he’d grown several inches, making him closer to my height than I’d expected. Clearly he’d inherited Josh’s tall genes, not my tiny ones.
I loved seeing that our
bonds hadn't weakened. We were all as close as ever, and Jamie never left my side for a second.
It wasn't until we had finished eating that Jamie finally asked the inevitable question.
“Auntie Leah,” he said, seriously, “please may I have my birthday present soon?”
“Jamie,” Christina said, “it's rude to ask for a present!”
“But I already know I’ve got one! Daddy told me.”
With a laugh I said, “Don't worry Jamie, I haven't forgotten, but I have to give it to daddy to look after.”
His eyes widened. “What is it?”
Leaning down to pick up my handbag, I pulled out two tickets for the upcoming Warriors match.
“Tomorrow night,” I told him, “you and daddy are coming to watch Westberg’s match. So you'll see all of your favourite players up close because you’ll be sitting right at the front of the stands.”
His mouth dropped open and he looked from me to Josh, then back to me again. His face was priceless.
“No way,” he said.
I nodded. He pounced on me, wrapping his arms tightly around my neck.
“That's the best present anyone's ever given me! Thank you!”
“You're very welcome,” I told him, smiling at how happy I had made him.
“Will Radleigh McCoy be there?”
“Yes,” I answered trying not to gag. “He’ll be there.”
The high from seeing my family somehow made the stress of the last few weeks fall away. Work didn’t feel like a chore because I knew that later, I’d see them again so we could spend more time catching up. We all had an early night on Friday, and I managed to grab a few hours with them in between training and the game on Saturday.
The match between Westberg and Tampa seemed extra exciting, knowing Josh and Jamie were in the crowd. Before the game began I chatted to them over the barriers, just a little way away from my seat with the coaches and reserves. Jamie was jumping up and down, wearing his Westberg team shirt. I couldn’t recall ever seeing him so energised. In the middle of a conversation, Jamie let out a yelp, signalling that the players were coming out of the tunnel. As the Warriors lined up on the field, McCoy spotted me. Surprise crossed his face. I was supposed to be in the technical area, not chatting to the crowd. I think my moment of rebellion amused him because he winked at me, making my stomach flip over.
What the hell?
I hadn’t felt anything other than irritation for him in a long time, mostly because I’d made “Avoiding McCoy” my new favourite work game.