An unexpected smile played at Michael’s lips. “What are they playing?”
“Some football game.” She glanced at Mia. “It’s all PG, I promise. Apart from the guys’ swearing. But you two can tell them off if they do that, right?”
Josh nodded, his face serious. “Mom makes us put money in a jar if we swear. I can be in charge of it.”
Maddie laughed. “That’s a great idea. You’ll probably make a million dollars. Come on inside, I’ll show you where the den is.” She grinned at Mia. “The girls are all in the kitchen. Grab a prosecco and join them.”
Carrying Becca’s gift, Mia walked into the kitchen, smiling as the aroma of pizza and cake wafted over her. Maybe adult birthdays weren’t so different to kids ones after all. Michael seemed to have cheered up as soon as the Xbox was mentioned, and Josh, as always, was excited to be out of the house.
“Mia!” Becca called out, running across the kitchen in her bare feet. She was holding a glass in her hand, and on her head was a huge plastic tiara with ‘Birthday Girl’ spelled out in silver. “I’m so happy you’re here. Everybody, you know Mia, right?”
A chorus of hellos echoed through the huge room.
Mia passed her the gift. “Happy birthday.”
Becca grinned, her eyes sparkling as she ripped the paper open, then squealed when she saw what was inside. “I love it!” she said, wrapping the scarf around her neck. “I saw this in the window of Laura’s the other day and had scarf envy.”
“I saw it and thought of you,” Mia said, smiling at her friend’s reaction.
“You know me so well already.” Becca hugged her tight. “Let’s go and join the others.” She passed a fresh glass of prosecco to Mia and led her over to a huge cream leather sofa. “You know Courtney, of course.”
Along with Courtney, there was Van, Tanner’s wife, as well as Courtney’s best friend, Lainey. As soon as Mia sat down with them, the conversation picked up, as they gossiped about work, Van and Tanner’s drive-in movie theater, and what movies they were planning to show that year. Then the talk turned to the brothers, as Maddie – who’d returned from the den – regaled them with a story of how Tanner wouldn’t accept that Gray had beaten him at the football game, and the two of them had ended up rolling on the floor, play fighting each other like kids.
“If only Cam was here,” Becca said, shaking her head. “He’d whoop all their asses in an instant.”
At the mention of Cam’s name, Mia found herself looking up. What would they think of her if they knew what was happening between them? Not that she’d ever say. Cam wasn’t planning on staying around for good, after all. Soon he’d be back at work, and she’d still be here.
“Logan’s been on edge all weekend,” Courtney said. “He’s so worried that Cam might want to play again.”
“Surely he wouldn’t do that.” Maddie frowned. “It could kill him.”
Mia’s head snapped up. What?
Courtney pressed her lips together. “I know. But Logan says that football is Cam’s life. He has no idea what to do when he’s off the field.”
“What’s wrong with Cam?” Mia found herself asking. “I thought he was taking a break because of a bad tackle.”
Becca sighed. “It’s a bit more than that.” She glanced around at the women sitting with them. “This goes no further than this house, okay?”
They all nodded.
“He has post concussion syndrome. Not just from the tackle he took a few weeks ago, but from the build up of brain trauma over the years. There are lesions on his brain that won’t ever heal, but he can still lead a normal life if he stops playing.” Becca’s voice was low.
“The problem is, if he carries on playing, it could make things worse. Much worse.” Courtney bit her lip. “Have you heard of CTE?”
Mia shook her head.
“It’s a degenerative disease of the brain due to excessive trauma. It starts with headaches, which is what Cam has. The more concussions he gets, the worse it will get. CTE can cause personality changes and forgetfulness, as well as extreme aggression and depression. I hate the idea of Cam ending up like that,” Courtney told them.
“Not to mention suicidal thoughts,” Maddie added, grimacing. “It’s all horrific. He needs to give up football now.”
Cam had a brain injury? The words were still sinking into Mia’s own mind. He’d never mentioned it, not once. And he had time to mention it. When she was in his arms, telling him about her broken marriage and separation. He could have said something then.
She was torn between sympathy and annoyance at him not telling her. Sure, they were casual, but she was a caring person. She could have helped or at least listened to his worries.
“It’s okay,” Becca said, rubbing Mia’s arm. “He’s going to be all right.”
“I’m the one who should be comforting you.” Mia shook her head at the whole situation. “You’re his sister, after all.”
“We’ve had a bit of time to come to terms with things,” Becca said with a shrug.
“So has Cam, but he’s still fighting it,” Maddie added.
Mia shifted uncomfortably on her seat. She liked these women, and she hated that she was hiding something from them. But what was she supposed to do? Tell them that she and Cam had a secret fling going on?
She wasn’t a solution to his problems. She had enough of her own. Not to mention Josh and Michael’s lives to consider. But it hurt to know he was hiding this every time they saw each other.
“You know what?” Maddie said, clapping her hands together. “This is supposed to be a birthday party, not a wake for Cam’s career. We
