I walked over to him and his mom, bent down, and introduced myself.
“Hey, I’m Kayla. What’s your name?”
“Paul,” he said, shaking my hand.
“I’m sorry you didn’t catch a shirt. You know, I’ve never won anything, either.”
“Don’t you own the team?” his mom asked, her eyebrows sky high.
“I do,” I said. “But I have the worst luck. I always lose at cards, I spill on myself all the time, and I’ve never won anything from a claw machine. It almost makes me think the universe is against me!”
“No,” Paul said, patting my arm, “It’s okay. Winning doesn’t make you special. It just makes you lucky!”
I laughed. “You have a great attitude, Paul. I bet your momma has taught you some good life lessons.”
He shrugged.
Part of me debated taking them to the fan store to get him something, but as I said goodbye to him and his mom, another idea struck me.
I watched them as they returned to their seats, found the mascot, and made sure he fired a T-shirt directly toward Paul.
The look on his face when he caught it made my heart squeeze.
And now, Paul spots me, his eyes light up, and my heart squeezes again as he gives me an excited wave.
“I won the shirt!” he says.
I grin at him, but before I can say anything, his mother gives him a nudge and moves him along. She mutters something I can’t hear, and his shoulders slump.
It hurts worse than any scowl.
I shift in my seat, trying to clear the lump lodged in my throat. Trying not to cry.
She has no idea I made sure he got that T-shirt. She probably thinks I’m a stingy jerk for not having bought him a whole wardrobe that day.
I close my eyes for a second, wishing these people would just see me already.
“Thought you might need this,” a voice says. My eyes pop open, and I see Delia and Red. Delia hands me a cup from …
Fruitful Union.
Tears burn my eyes. “What’s this?”
“It’s for you,” Red says.
The warmth in the back of my eyes spills down my cheeks. “Thank you!” I say, gushing too much, but I can’t stop. “How did you know?”
“Sean called,” Red says.
“He told us to get ‘Green Goals,’” Delia says.
Red elbows her. “Say the next part.”
“‘For his goddess.’” She rolls her eyes hard.
I laugh and take a sip. “Thank you. You have no idea how much I needed this.”
“I know we don’t have much say in any of this, but you got our support,” Red says. He pats my shoulder.
