Page 23 of Face Off

Every doubt and argument to stay home ran through my head while I changed out of leggings and an old T-shirt into something more presentable. I wasn’t ready to dive headfirst into my life here, not yet. I preferred to take things slow. Dip my toes in and let myself adjust before sinking in little by little.

Hanging out with coworkers was one thing. Going to the house of a professional athlete to hang out with his teammates and their families was a whole new level of overwhelming. Why couldn’t I just get lunch with my team during the workday?

Because I needed change. That was why I moved here. Why I uprooted our lives to move to a new city in a new state. This was my chance to change things. To go from being a hermit who suffered alone in silence, to actually being included in something.

My biggest motivation wasn’t the text from Chloe telling me how excited she was to introduce me tonight. No, it was all about Sadie. She was flourishing at school, and I didn’t want to stop her growth as soon as she got home. I wanted to keep widening her horizons and giving her opportunities to make friends.

Plus, I couldn’t deny how amazing having a big group of supportive friends sounded. The whole village raising a child concept was something I laughed at. No one cared about me and my daughter, let alone a bunch of strangers. But it didn’t have to be that way. They didn’t have to stay strangers. I just needed to take the first step, and I had a feeling Chloe and her friends would meet me the rest of the way.

“Mommy?” Sadie called from her room. “Can I wear this?”

Her faith in my abilities almost made me laugh. “What is this?” I asked as I moved from our shared bathroom to where she was sitting on the ground next to her dresser. She had laid out her fanciest pink dress in front of her.

“Oh, that’s beautiful, but I don’t know if you’ll be able to play very well in that.”

Her little nose scrunched. “This?” She pointed to a cotton dress with white, teal, and green stripes. It was adorable on her and allowed her to run and play without me worrying about it tearing or getting stained.

“Sure.” I pulled open a drawer and handed her matching teal leggings. “Wear these too.”

I knew she would get cold as the night went on, and getting that child to wear a jacket or sweater was nearly impossible.

As she changed, she stared up at me. “You look pretty, Mommy.”

“Thanks, sweetie.” She’d told me that before when I was sick and hadn’t showered in days, so I didn’t exactly trust her judgment, but I appreciated the compliment tonight. I needed a little boost of confidence.

“We’re matching!” She cheered after she pulled her dress down.

I was wearing a white and blue striped shirt with jeans, but close enough. “Yeah, do you think people will be able to tell I’m your mommy now?”

She nodded and grinned. “Will you do my hair like that?” She pointed to the curls I added to the ends of my hair.

“Of course.” She followed me into the bathroom, and I picked up the still-warm curling iron and curled her shoulder-length hair before pulling the front back and tying it into a ponytail so it stayed out of her face.

“All done, pretty girl. Ready to go meet some new friends?” She nodded up at me before running to the front door. Her excitement was a tiny bit contagious, and I found I wasn’t dreading this as much as I had been just minutes before.

I tried not to let myself get overwhelmed the closer we got to Chloe and Reese’s house, but with each street we passed, the nicer and larger the homes got. He was a professional athlete. If I cared, I could look up how much his contract was for. It was stupid and pointless to even compare myself for a half-second. I was a single mom, making it on my own for the first time in my life. I was able to provide a home for us, no matter how small or old it might have been. That was more than enough to be proud of. I might never own a home like this, but that didn’t mean Sadie was missing out on the things that mattered: love, support, education, and experiences.

The navigation announced their house was on the left, and I found an empty spot a few houses away to park.

“We’re here,” I told Sadie as I turned off the car and got out.

She started unbuckling her straps when I opened her door, and I helped her finish before lifting her out and setting her on the street next to me. She took my hand, and together we walked to the sidewalk and toward the enormous house. There were half a dozen cars parked in the driveway that we had to weave through to get to the front door. I was about to knock when it swung open, and a woman with bright blond hair stepped out, nearly running into us.

“Oh!” She jumped out of the way just before stepping on Sadie. “I’m so sorry. I was on a mission and wasn’t even paying attention.” She glanced between us and smiled. “You must be Holly and Sadie! I’m Madi!”

The name registered after a second. “Chloe’s sister-in-law.” I hadn’t meant to speak my revelation, but she grinned.

“And Erik’s wife, Coach Romney’s daughter, and physical therapist extraordinaire,” she recited.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, instantly liking her.

“I’m Sadie.” She waved up to Madi.

“Hi. I’m so glad you’re here. There are some kids that are very excited to meet you.”

Sadie’s eyes lit up, and we stepped inside.

“I’ve got to run to my car, but Chloe or someone will point the way.” She held up her keys, and a car in the driveway beeped.