Page 122 of Spring Tide

“No, Juney.” I check my phone screen, anxiously noting the time. “Your dada’s playing today, remember?”

She blinks up at me. “But Geegee?”

“We’ll go see Geegee another time, okay?” I laugh, tugging at a tiny curl of her dark brown hair. “Today, we have to watch Dada’s game.”

“Noo.” Her eyes go wide, head frantically shaking back and forth.

“Yes, sweetie,” I say softly. “Don’t worry, we’ll have fun. Uncle Elio’s already inside waiting for us.”

Her little frown melts into a smile, blue-gray eyes sparking with interest. She lifts her arms, finally allowing me to unbuckle her belt and pull her out of the car.

“Are you excited to see your uncle?”

“Uh-huh.” She nods, slipping her hand into mine.

It’s the first game of the regular season for Luca’s team, the Carolina Bobcats, but we’re the last people to park in the reserved section at the stadium. Of course, due to the chaos of toddlerhood, we’re running late as usual.

“Okay, good.” I carefully shut the door with my free hand, quickly double-checking that we have everything we need. “Today, we’ll watch the football game, and then next week, we’ll go to Nonna’s house. Sound good?”

She gazes up at me, her smile stretching a mile wide. “Okay, Mama.”

By the time we make it into the stadium, the family box is already packed to the brim. I stop along the way to chat with a few girls—some spouses and partners I’ve befriended over the last four seasons—before we spot Elio seated near the front. His legs are kicked out, a baseball cap pulled down over his eyes.

Elio’s not interested in big crowds these days, but he’s still been making an effort to come to the games. At least, ever since he reconciled with Luca, that is. Unfortunately, it took him a while to get clean and sober after that fateful night back in high school. Almost an entire year went by before he even so much as spoke to his brother again.

Eventually, their parents were able to help him get into rehab, earn his high school diploma, and accept a spot in Coastal U’s electrical engineering program. After all, it only makes sense that he’d follow in his eldest sister’s footsteps.

“Hey, El.” I clap a heavy hand on his shoulder, smiling as he jolts out of his seat.

“Hey, you two.” He wraps me into a quick hug before squatting down to June’s level. “How’s my little Junebug?”

“Hewo, Ewo.” June giggles at her own rhyme, stretching her arms up and out toward her uncle.

Elio grins wide, lifting her without question and perching her onto the side of his body. He wraps one arm underneath her legs to hold her up, lifting a brow in my direction.

“We’re great,” I murmur, ruffling my daughter’s hair. “Somebody was really excited to see you today.”

“Is that right?” He taps his niece on the end of her nose. “Was it you, Juney?”

“Mhmm.”

“I’m excited to see you, too. You’re growing so much!”

She beams up at him. “Mama said I a big girl.”

“Youarea big girl. You still want to sit up on my shoulders, though, right?”

“Yes, p-ease!”

“You got it.” He flips June so she’s facing forward, swinging her body up and over his shoulders. His hands wrap around the front of her ankles to secure her into place.

“So, how’s school going so far?” I ask, reaching into my bag for a snack pouch and passing it up to June. I’m sure she’s a little peckish by now. Besides, it serves as a good distraction while we wait for the game to start.

“Fine, as usual,” he mutters. “ButGod, I’m so ready to graduate already.”

“I know the feeling.”

“How’s the team treating you?”

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