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

Abby did the intros. I knew some of the players by name, but not others. Most were familiar faces at least.


“You’ll play on the third line, for tonight,” Abby said. “Rotating at centre with Sally. She’s got a bit of a sore knee.”


I pretended to be engrossed in getting my shinpads out of my gear bag. Truth is, I hadn’t been relegated to the third line in years. It’s your first outing with this team,I told myself. You need to put in your time. Earn your stripes.


Chapter 12