“You’re still arguing with random fans?” I ask with a chuckle.
“Always,” Em says proudly, and her eyes move somewhere behind us. “Oh, look, Felix is here. I’ll quickly say hi to him before leaving.”
We say our goodbyes and Em walks across the room to our goalie. Vivian turns to me, a knowing smile spreading on her face. “So, now that we’re alone, I can say congrats,Dad. Jasper shared the news after the party.”
Haisley narrows her eyes at her friend. “Viv,” she warns.
“What did I do now? I just wanted to congratulate your baby daddy,” Vivian says innocently.
“Not here,” Haisley mutters, but I can’t help feeling glad she has someone to talk about the pregnancy with.
Åkerman coughs into his fist, clearly biting back a laugh. I swear my body temperature hikes up. My collar suddenly feels too tight.
“Anyway, I stand by it. This little peanut’s gonna break hearts with those superior genes. I mean, look at you two!”
“Little Meatball,” I mutter, ignoring the rest of her statement.
Åkerman and Vivian both look at me with questioning expressions. Haisley groans under her breath. “Rasmus, ever the Swede he is, started calling the baby our little Meatball after finding out that the baby is the size of it at twelve weeks.”
Vivian gasps delightfully. “Stop. That’s actually adorable.” While Åkerman comments, “Why does that not surprise me at all?”
“It started as a joke, but then it stuck,” I explain.
“Little Meatball,” Vivian repeats, clearly savoring the words. “I’m never calling them anything else now.”
“You’re welcome,” I deadpan.
Haisley’s phone buzzes in her hand. She glances down at the screen, and her whole expression shifts.
“My dad just texted,” she says, already stepping back. “He wants to see me upstairs.”
Vivian raises a brow. “Everything okay?”
“I think so,” Haisley replies, but there’s a tightness around her mouth she doesn’t bother to explain. “He probably wants to talk about my brothers or something.”
She squeezes Vivian’s arm and shoots Åkerman a quick smile before turning to me. For a second, we just look at each other—as if there’s a million things we should be saying and zero space to say them. Not here, not right now.
Then she steps closer, and in a voice meant only for me, murmurs, “I’ll text you.”
I nod and she turns, her heeled boots clicking softly as she leaves the room.
Saying a quick goodbye to Åkerman and Vivian, I head toward my car in the player parking lot as my phone buzzes.
Haisley
Don’t forget, we have the ultrasound appointment tomorrow *baby emoji*
Rasmus
12 pm, right?
Haisley
Yeah. Do you need the address?
Rasmus
I got it. Can’t wait to see our little Meatball.
