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“That’s my girl,” I say. “Keep it cool, keep it classy.”

The final whistle blows, and we’ve won 2–1. We’ve beaten the Rovers, and we did it with style and grace. We show our pride as we celebrate with our fans, thanking them for their support.

I congratulate each of my players in the locker room. They’ve played well.

“Great job, ladies,” I say, raising my voice. “You were fantastic. You stuck to the plan, you kept your cool, and you played beautiful football. I’m very proud of you.”

They cheer, and I smile. They’re happy. I am too, but I’m also tired.

Coaching and running a restaurant have been kicking my ass, but fortunately, Sofia finally agreed to move to Los Angeles and take over, starting tomorrow. She turned the spare room down the minute she found out about the baby. She wasn’t going to be the cousin sleeping down the hall from the two of us, so I found her a place of her own. I’m looking forward to cutting back on the hours and taking a breath.

I leave them to shower and change, and head to my office. I need to call Sofia and go over some things with her, and I need to check on Alycia.

Speak of the devil, my phone rings.

“Hey, did you settle into your new apartment okay?” I ask.

“Yeah, it’s great. Thanks for finding it,” Sofia says. “I just wanted to confirm when you would like me to come in tomorrow. Are you coming in too?”

“I’ll go in the morning,” I tell her. “I want to make the transition as smooth as possible. You can come in the afternoon, and I’ll walk you through everything.”

“Okay, perfect. Is it possible to be both nervous and excited? I mean, I know I’ve been managing Sol y Luna for most of the year, but this is different because it’s a new business.”

“Don’t worry, prima,” I reassure her. “You’ll do great.”

“See you tomorrow, primo!”

“See you tomorrow.”

I head over to Alycia’s office. I have a feeling she’s there, even though it’s late.

She’s been working harder than ever, trying to make the Breakers successful. She’s brilliant, and she doesn’t get enough credit for it.

I do wish she’d work less, especially considering she’s so close to her due date, but I won’t be telling her to stop. Ever. Instead, I’ll make it my mission to make sure she’s comfortable and eats healthy.

I knock on her door, and she opens it, looking tired while holding her belly.

Her shoes are under the desk behind her. Her ankles have been swelling since Thursday and she hasn’t said a word about it.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“Yeah, just a cramp,” she says. “The baby’s kicking a lot today.”

I light up, then try to suppress it before she can see it. I haven’t touched her belly at all, trying to be respectful of her body, but boy, do I wish I could feel my kid in there.

“Do you want to…” Alycia trails off. “I mean, you’ve been so patient with me, and I’ve been excluding you from this process more than I should.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it isn’t,” she says and moves to the sofa, gesturing for me to sit down next to her. “Come.”

I obey and sit down. She takes my hand and places it on her stomach.

“Wait a second,” she says, and we wait. Suddenly, I feel a kick, and my eyes widen. She chuckles. “That was a strong one.”

“Wow,” I breathe. “That’s our kid.”

She smiles. “Yeah, it is.”