Chapter forty-eight – Telling Them

Ryan's POV

The apartment above the café was quiet when Ryan came in, the soft golden glow of evening stretching across the living room. Sarah was in the kitchen, a half-full mug of coffee beside her as she scribbled notes in a planner—probably going over ideas for the grand opening.

"Hey," Ryan said, dropping his backpack to the floor.

Sarah looked up with a tired but warm smile. "Hey, honey. Long day?"

He grabbed a water from the fridge and leaned on the counter. "Practice went good. Coach Daniels said our first game's on Friday."

Her eyes lit up. "Already? That's fast!"

He nodded. "Yeah, and… I was wondering if you'd come watch."

She froze for a second, then softened. "Of course I will. I wouldn't miss it for anything."

Ryan hesitated, fidgeting with the cap of his water bottle. "There's a chance someone might be there. Someone you used to know."

Her expression shifted slightly, guarded but calm. "Who?"

"I heard from Anna that her dad's the mayor—Richard Morgan," Ryan said, watching her reaction. "She mentioned you two dated in high school."

Sarah's breath caught ever so slightly, but she kept her composure. "Yes… we did."

"You okay with seeing him again?" he asked. "It's a small town—he might show up."

"I'll be fine," she said, giving him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "It was a long time ago."

Ryan didn't press further. He just nodded and stepped away from the counter.

As he disappeared into his room, Sarah stood still for a moment, her fingers tightening slightly around her coffee mug.

Ben's POV

Ben walked into the house and found his dad asleep on the couch, a book resting on his chest. The TV was on, volume low, showing some cooking show he probably didn't care about. Ben stood there for a second, watching him, then nudged his shoulder gently.

"Dad?"

Jack stirred awake, blinking. "Hey, bud. You're home."

"Yeah. Practice was good. I—uh—wanted to tell you something."

Jack sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. "What's up?"

"We've got our first game on Friday. Coach announced it today."

Jack's face lit up, and Ben saw something in his eyes he hadn't in a while—pride.

"Really? That's awesome! I'm proud of you, Ben. I'll be there."

Ben smiled, genuinely. "Thanks. It'd mean a lot."

Jack nodded. "Don't worry. I'll even wear one of those embarrassing 'Go Team' shirts if I have to."

Ben laughed, shaking his head. "Please don't."

Anna's POV

Anna walked into the living room and found both her parents there. Evelyn was flipping through a magazine while Richard looked over some paperwork.

"Hey," she said, trying to sound casual.

They both looked up. Evelyn smiled. "Hey, sweetie."

"So… we've got our first cheerleading performance Friday. It's for the school's opening game."

Evelyn lit up. "That's exciting! We'll be there, right Richard?"

Richard nodded. "Of course. I'll move some things around."

Anna hesitated. "You'll be okay seeing Sarah again?"

Her father stiffened just a bit, but quickly recovered. "It's been a long time. We're all adults now."

Anna just nodded, hoping that was true.

Savannah's POV

Savannah sat on the edge of her bed, phone in her hand, staring at her contact list. Her parents' names were still there, but she hadn't called them in months—not since the day they both decided their careers mattered more than staying in the same place, the same home.

She tossed the phone aside and picked up her journal instead, flipping to the back page and writing:

Friday is the big day. Our first cheer performance. I wish someone would be there for me. But it's okay. I'll cheer louder, smile wider. Maybe that'll be enough.

She closed the book, took a deep breath, and glanced out the window.

"I've got my friends," she whispered. "That's something."