From the first time she picked up a softball bat, Kayla has loved team games of any stripe. Now in her mid-forties, though, she is starting to come to the bitter realization that like all good things, her involvement in team sports must come to an end one day, whether she’s ready or not. When her broomball teammates start making noises about this being their final season together, Kayla sets her sights on capturing the league championship. What better way to remind them of how much fun it can be to win? The prospect of snagging the league title seems brighter with the addition of a new player, Val, who Kayla would like to get to know better. That is, if her meddlesome ex Abby will stay out of the picture long enough. Will winning the championship be enough to bring Kayla’s teammates back for one more season? If not, what can she do about it?

Curtain Call

An excited outburst from the announcer drew my attention back to the television screen. “Will you look at that. They came back to tie the game,” Val said, forcing a grin. “That’s our Leafs!” She punched me in the arm. Lightly. Playfully.


I hesitated, wondering whether to probe into the flash of emotion I’d seen. Something was bothering her, I could tell. Then I shrugged. It hadbeen pretty quick, that change in expression.


Don’t turn rocks over if you don’t want to know what’s under them,I told myself. I settled back to watch the game.   8


We coasted through the first two rounds of playoffs, destined for a final-series rematch with our arch-rivals, the Spring Chickens. With the best-of-three series tied at one game apiece, it all came down to one last game.


Maybe, the last game that our team would be together.


Chapter 9