“Okay,” Jamie says again, nodding more to himself than to me.
The whistle blows, sharp and loud, snapping us out of the moment, and bringing us back to the field.
The second half is harder for St. Michael’s. Southern Collegiate scores early, tying the game, which instantly changes the energy in the stadium.
When Zach leads the offense back onto the field, I can see the determination in his every movement.
He’s not going to let them win without a fight. That much is for sure.
Jamie stays still, his shoulders slightly hunched as if moving might wake her, his focus locked on the field. One of Ella’s hands is fisted in his hoodie now, the other slack against his chest.
The sight alone makes me want to melt into a puddle.
Zach throws a clean pass to Sebi, completing their first down.
Jamie sucks in a sharp breath, his hand tightening on Ella’s back as his eyes track the field.
“Yes,” he mutters under his breath.
I glance up at him, surprised.
“What?” he asks, catching my look.
“Nothing,” I say, smiling. “Just didn’t expect you to be such a fan.”
“I’m not rooting for Zach,” he says, dropping back into his seat carefully so he doesn’t jostle Ella. “I’m rooting against Southern Collegiate. There’s a guy named Trent over there who’s long overdue for a reality check.”
“Yeah, sure.”
The game tightens with every minute, with Southern Collegiate running down the clock. When there are only two minutes left, St. Michael’s is clinging to a four-point lead.
Ella doesn’t stir when the tension spikes. She’s fully asleep now, her cheek pressed to Jamie’s chest, her breathing slow and even.
Southern Collegiate lines up at the ten-yard line. Fourth down. One play to decide it.
The quarterback drops back, scanning the end zone, but the St. Michael’s safety jumps the route, batting the ball away at the last second.
Incomplete.
Game over.
The stadium erupts.
Jamie exhales hard, something between a laugh and disbelief, and carefully shifts Ella higher against him so she doesn’t slip as he stands with the rest of the crowd. Her head lolls against his shoulder, completely unfazed by the noise around her.
Blue and gold confetti bursts from the sidelines. The band launches into the fight song. Zach pumps his fist in the air, turning toward us.
Even from here, I know he sees us, or maybe he just feels it.
Jamie sits down, shielding Ella instinctively as the people begin to move around us.
I can’t stop watching them. My daughter. Her dad.
My heart.
For the first time in a long time, everything feels right.
“You okay?” I ask quietly, resting my hand on his arm.