Blindsided
It’s at the end of year party, where all of her footballers and their families come for awards and photos that Wynn gets completely blindsided.
One moment, she’s chatting with parents, and the next moment, she catches sight of Brom going rigid out of the corner of her eye next to Evie - he’s taken to watching over her when Wynn's otherwise occupied, especially now that she was nearly seven months in and top heavy.
She loves that the two of them are close, and loves how much her nephew loves Evie. But the three of them being together and Wynn’s general protectiveness means she has a constant awareness of the two of them, which is how she saw him go stiff out of the corner of her eye. She looks over at them, then quickly excuses herself, immediately putting her hands on Evie’s back to steady her.
“Love? Everything okay?” She asks, already planning how to get out of here as quickly as possible.
It’s Brom that answers. “Fuck, Wynn - I swear, I had no idea-”
“What?” She spins, tracking his line of sight. There, at the top of the hill, are two figures, her nephew already sprinting toward them. She stares, feeling like she might be sick, and like she might start screaming all at once. Brom’s still talking but she can't keep up.
“Wynn? Can you help me sit, lieverd? I’m feeling a bit woozy,” Evie says suddenly.
Wynn snaps her attention to Evie, immediately ushering her onto a nearby bench, crouching in front of her.
“Ev? Baby, what was wrong? Are you sick?”
“No,” Evie says, holding both of Wynn's hands. “You just look like you've seen a ghost. I’m fine. Baby is fine. But are you? What’s happening?”
Wynn blinks, briefly resting her head on Evie's knees in relief, and then looks up again, climbing to her feet to sit next to her. She leans in to kiss her temple and whispers quietly in her ear. “Those people? Coming down the hill?” Evie swivels her head, catching sight of them and nodding. “Those are my parents.”
Evie's eyes go comically wide and she whips her head back toward Wynn, taking in her expression and pale face. “What? What are they doing here?”
“I don’t know,” she mutters. “Brom must have have told them-”
“No,” Evie argues immediately, shaking her head. “He didn’t. Look at him - he had no idea they were coming.”
She’s right - Brom looks just as shaken as Wynn, and more than a little furious. He’s actually marching up to them at this very moment, looking like he’s shouting, though his voice doesn’t carry.
“Oh god,” Wynn mutters. “Oh god, Evie - I- I can't-”
“Hey - breathe, lieverd. You’re okay.”
“I can't- I can't talk to them. I- I don’t want to see them. It’s been- I don’t-”
“I know, love. It’s alright.”
Wynn's shaking, pulling Evie into her so tightly it aches where her fingers press into her skin. Brom has clearly sent Nate back to the party, because he comes sprinting over happily.
“Auntie Wynn! Aunty V!”
“Yeah, buddy?” Evie asks softly, holding Wynn as best she can.
“My nan and grandad are here! You should come meet them! I want you to say how good I did this year! And they’ve got to meet my Aunties! I’ve never had Aunties to show them before!”
Wynn goes stiff in Evie’s arms, who offers Nate the best smile she can muster.
“It’s very nice you’d like us to meet them, sweetheart. But your dad is talking to them right now, and we don’t like to interrupt when grownups are talking, right?”
“Right,” he nods seriously. He seems to notice Wynn for the first time, and a tiny frown appears between his eyebrows. “Auntie Wynn? Do you not feel good?”
“Auntie Wynn just got worried about me and the baby,” Evie explains softly. “So we’re just having a little rest. Do you think you could give her a cuddle, maybe? I think that might help.”
He nods again, very pensive, and lifts his arms for Wynn, who smiles tearfully and pulls him into her lap. He wraps his arms around her neck and squeezes her tight.
“S’ok, Auntie Fred. Auntie Ev and the baby are okay, see?” He pulls back and keeps one hand wrapped in Wynn's shirt, leaning forward and placing one hand on Evie's belly and glancing back at Wynn as though to reassure her. “Baby is good,” he says wisely, giving Evie a gentle pat. “Don’t gotta worry so much, Aunty Wynn. But I’ll stay right here, til you feel better, okay? I’ll even help you give your speech, if you want,” he says, leaning back against her chest and giving her face a little pat, just like he had Evie's bump.
“Thank you, baby boy,” Wynn says softly. “That’s nice. I could use a cuddle from my favorite nephew.”
“You’re being silly!” He giggles. “I’m your only nephew!”
Wynn shrugs with a little grin. “That doesn’t mean you can't be my favorite.”
“That;s true,” Evie adds, running a hand over each of their heads. “You can still be special even if you’re the only one.”
She glances up, noting Brom in a standoff, looking like he’s near screaming, a few of the other parents glancing his way worriedly. She leans into Wynn's ear and whispers softly, playing with her baby hairs as she does. “Lieverd- I’m going to go help Brom.”
Wynn looks at her, terrified for a moment, then glances at her belly and grabs her hand.
“They won’t do anything to me, Wynn. You know that,” Evie says calmly. She signs with her other hand, grateful they have a secret way to communicate with so many prying eyes. He’s attracting attention, and this is for the kids. Are you okay if they stay? Or do I need to get them to leave?
As long as they stay the fuck away from us, I don’t care what they do.
“Okay, love. I’ll be right back.”
“Genevieve,” Wynn says desperately, tugging on her hand. Just… come right back, okay?
You’ll hardly know I’m gone, she promises.
She pushes up from the bench and strides over to Brom, noticing the confused glance from Wynn's parents as she gets closer. She shoves down her indignant and protective rage, instead putting a hand on his shoulder gently.
“Brom - you’re scaring the kids,” she says softly.
“They shouldn’t be here, Evie-”
“I know. But they are. And Nate’s thrilled about it. And today is about the kids, so-”
“She shouldn’t have to-”
“I know. But we’ve got her,” she says firmly. “And she’s fine with it, so long as they keep their distance.” She looks at her in-laws, a word which makes her shudder a bit, glancing them over. They seem… put out that they’re being spoken about as if they aren’t there, but Evie frankly couldn’t care less.
“Brom - uhm… who’s your friend?” His mum asks, looking worriedly at Evie's belly and her ring, as though she thinks Brom has a secret wife he refused to tell them about.
Brom's back straightens the same way Wynn’s does when she’s getting upset. Evie squeezes his shoulder, trying to soothe him and reaches out her hand toward his parents.
“Genevieve,” she says, waiting for both of them to shake it, which they do. “Your daughter-in-law, I suppose,” she says airly. They stiffen in surprise, looking at Brom, who narrows his eyes. “Oh, don’t worry - I’m not Brom's wife,” she says in that same unbothered tone. They relax, briefly, then look confused, then stiffen with what looks like barely concealed disgust.
Evie smiles viciously. “Ah, I see you’ve puzzled it out. Lovely - saves me an explanation. I suppose I’ve just got one thing to say, then-”
Brom's dad huffs, making to step past her, but Evie's hand shoots out, resting against his shoulder, holding him at arm’s length. He looks like he’s going to shake her off or shout at her, but she puts her other hand calmly on her belly and tilts her head. “Let’s not make a scene, shall we?” She says, pushing him gently to stand back where he was and staring both him and Wynn's mum in the eyes. “Take a look behind me. Every single one of those kids adores Wynn. And every single one of their parents does, too. And me, by extension, given that I’m her wife. You might also be surprised how incredibly protective people are of a pregnant woman,” she says, as though it were a minor detail. “So here’s how this is going to go - you may stay-”
They both opened their mouths to argue, and Evie raises her eyebrows the way she does when a child is misbehaving at the library. “Ah ah ah,” she tuts softly. “I’m not done speaking. And remember - every single adult over there is watching us,” she says, glancing over her shoulder, pleased to see that she is, in fact, correct. Every adult in the area is keenly aware of what is happening, and they appear to only be staying away because Brom's gone quiet and had his hand on Evie's upper back, clearly ready to step in.
“You may stay, only because today is about the kids, and Nate was thrilled you’re here, and we’re not going to ruin his day. That being said - you will not approach Wynn. You will not speak to her, you will not so much as say a single nasty word about her or send her a single look that suggests she is anything other than your grandson’s lovely coach you’ve heard so much about. You are here as Nate’s grandparents only. Wynn's a stranger to you, and you will behave as such and will not suggest otherwise. You may think that is a favor to you - but it is for her. And if you do anything to make her uncomfortable, I will personally make sure everyone knows what you did to her when she was a child.”
“Why would they believe you-”
Evie smiles, but it’s a cold expression. “I’d advise you not to go looking for that answer. You won’t like what you find,” she says. “Have I made myself clear?”
They both stare at her coldly.
“She asked you a question,” Brom growles.
They look at him in shock, and Evie gets the distinct impression this may be the first time Brom has seen them in nearly a year, since he found out.
“Yes,” they both say, though it’s through gritted teeth.
“Lovely,” Evie announces, spinning on her heel. “Brom?” She calls, reaching for his elbow. “Take me back to your sister, would you?” She requests, knowing the couple behind them won’t follow.
He nods once, leaning gently against her shoulder as they plod through the grass.
“Are you okay?” She asks him softly, leaning her head on his shoulder for a moment.
“I’m furious,” he growls lowly.
“I know. Me too. But this is for Nate.”
“I know, but after-”
“After, we will be going to Hendrich and Sara's for supper. And you know you are always welcome. I’ll happily have Hendrich throw them out into the street if they try to follow. And then I’ll sue them for trespassing.”
Brom laughs, just a single wry chuckle. “You’re scary, you know that?”
“I prefer ‘mysterious’,” she says brightly. “Now come on, let's get this party going. Sara made a cake for us to bring and the baby’s been looking forward to it all day.”
Wynn practically glues herself to Evie's side after that. She periodically goes stiff when she spots her parents and looks at Evie, who smiles at her reassuringly. She tries to keep one hand on her whenever possible, just to try to keep her calm, and she keps an eye on her parents, too, to make sure they aren’t approaching. She also notes how everyone else is looking at them. She’s fairly certain if they say anything horrible about Wynn, there will at least be an expression she could pick up on.
They mingle for a bit longer, then Wynn excuses herself to set up the prizes for each of the kids, dragging Evie with her just for the company. Evie goes and perches herself on the bench, watching Wynn try to set things out. Evie had helped make the awards by making sure each of them said what Wynn intended, and that she could read them correctly. Or at least remember whose is whose.
When Wynn's ready, Evie stands and walks into the open space, smiling and speaking just loud enough to be heard, but at such a volume that everyone falls silent. It’s the same thing she did at the library, and Wynn's just as in awe of it now as she was when she first met her.
“Right then! Thank you all so much for coming, and for taking part in such a lovely season. Coach M was about ready to give out the prizes, so if all the little footballers wouldn't mind coming up and taking a seat right here - yes, perfect, just there, we’ll get started shortly,” she grins. “Parents - I’ll remind you this was children's football, and that none of them is a professional athlete quite yet, so we won’t be treating them as such. And for the kiddos - everyone should have been very proud of themselves! You’ve had a wonderful year and learned so much, and I know Coach M is so proud of all of you. And she has a special little prize for each of you, for what she feels made you special this year. So when you hear your name, you’ll go up to get it from her, alright? Any questions?”
There’s a round of nodding and then a bunch of tiny heads shaking back and forth, waiting patiently.
“Okay! Let's get started, then! And remember - we clap for our friends, but after, we’ve got to be quiet so we can hear everyone’s prize,” she adds.
The kids nod seriously and fall silent as Evie turns and makes her way back to the table where all of the prizes are being kept. Wynn squeezes her hand once, then steps forward.
“Okay, everybody! Like Evie said, it was such a fun year and I’m so happy to be your coach! Some of you I’ve known for a while then, and you’ll have been moving up into the older age groups, so we won’t have been training together anymore, and some of you are brand new, so we’ve still got some time together. But either way, I’ve loved playing football with all of you, and I think you’re all wonderful little guys and girls. Now- who’s ready for prizes?”
There’s a raucous cheer, which Evie adds to.
It settles as Wynn begins speaking again. She goes one by one, building the anticipation about the characteristic before she reveals the player after demanding a drum roll from each of the kids.
They’re all so excited when their name is called that they practically sprint to Wynn, throwing themselves at her legs as she leans down to hand them their prize. Then they hold it up for all their friends to see, grinning shyly and sprinting to their families as everyone else settles back down. A few of them give Evie a little hug as well, on their way to their parents. One little girl, who’s mum had been pregnant earlier in the season, even gives her belly a little pat to say hello to the baby - she’s one of the only ones that understands the concept of there being a little person under there.
After all the prizes have been given out, Brom stands up and comes to the front, smiling impishly at Wynn when she frowns at him in confusion.
“Alright - if you all don’t mind, I’ve got something to say. Coach M- I wanted to say on behalf of all the families here, thank you for being such a wonderful coach to all of our little ones. I truly have no idea how you train eighteen under-fived four days a week, but you do it, and you do it well. Nate is always beaming ear to ear after spending an hour with his Coach M, and that has been true for two years. The other parents and I got together and - we wanted to present you with this prize, for being the best football coach in the whole world, as the kids say. So we’ve got you this gift, which we would love for you to open now.”
Wynn wraps him in a hug before she takes the bag from him, peeking inside curiously. She pulls out a shirt first that reads “COACH M” in big letters on the back and a whistle next, which makes her laugh. Evie has been trying to teach her how to whistle with her fingers for months and she’s never been able to get the hang of it. At the bottom, there’s a coffee mug that says ‘Best Coach in the World’ on it, which Evie discreetly signs to her when she frowns in confusion, since she can't read the script. She laughs, holding each up, then slips the COACH M shirt and whistle on over her head.
“We’ve got one more thing as well!” comes a voice from the very back, stepping forward. One of the mums leans over to hold another bag out to Wynn, then melts back into the crowd.
Wynn glances inside then breaks into a wide grin, holding her hand out to Evie. She opens the bag for her and Evie laughs delightedly, pulling out a tiny referees’ uniform and the tiniest pair of football boots she’s ever seen. There’s a baby sized football kit as well, which she holds against her belly. It makes her tear up, and she wipes at her eyes, getting a gentle kiss from Wynn on the temple as she does.
“I can't believe they all started out that little,” she sniffles, glancing down at the kids and then to her belly. There’s a laugh from the parents, and then someone shouts from the back.
“They’ll be running around with Coach M before you know it!”
“That’s what I’m afraid of!” Evie laughs wetly. “Oh this is so sweet, thank you so much everyone.”
“Will we be able to see Coach Baby next year?” says a tiny voice, right near the front.
Wynn laughs. “Yeah, I think we could convince Ev to bring the baby, don’t you? But we’ll have to be very gentle, because they’ll only be little,” she answers.
“We could teach them the rules!” Someone cries, and Evie smiles at Wynn softly.
“Can we still meet the baby even if we’re too old to be on your team, Coach M?” Asks a little boy in the front who’s graduating to the next team in the fall.
“Yeah, buddy. You can always come visit, even if you’re getting big.”
A quiet falls over the crowd and Evie claps her hands. “Okay! All the little footballers- go crowd around Coach M! It’s time for pictures!”
Evie takes more than enough, getting photos of the chaos of wrangling eighteen three and four year olds into a semi-presentable photo, which she promises to send out. Then she busies herself cutting the cake as the parents come to talk to Wynn individually and have their kids take photos with her one on one.
“Alright, love?” Wynn asks, setting a hand on her back as she leans over the table.
“Mm,” she nods, leaning against her. “You?”
“Mm,” Wynn hums, but it isn't convincing. “Nate brought his grandparents over to meet me,” she says softly.
Evie jerks up to look at her. “What? When? I told them to-”
“It’s fine,” she whispers. “Brom asked. Nate really, really wanted them to meet me, apparently, and you know how terrible I am at saying no to him.”
“Are you okay?”
Wynn shrugs. “Not great, but not as bad as I thought, either. I thought they’d be awful or something. But they just acted like total strangers. They were actually rather polite,” Wynn muses. “It was very odd.”
“Ah, well,” Evie says, wincing. “That may have been me. I told them they were here as Nate was grandparents and nothing else, and that I’d personally cause trouble if they behaved otherwise.”
Wynn laughs, squeezing her side softly. “You can been scary, when you want to be, you know that?”
“I know,” Evie shrugs. “Brom said the same thing, actually.”
“Thank you,” Wynn whispers. “For going over earlier. It was- I was-”
“I know,” Evie says, leaning against her further. “I’m sorry they surprised you.”
Wynn shrugs again. “I’m getting an odd sense of satisfaction from it actually.”
“Yeah?”
“Mm,” Wynn nods. “They have to hear how much everyone loves me and see Nate and Brom interact with me. And see how stunning my wife is, and that we’re about to have a baby - just… that they have to sit there and watch all of it, when I know they hate it, and they can't say a damn thing. It just… it feels good. Really good.”
Evie laughs brightly. “Should we make out a little? Just to really rub it in?”
Wynn smiles. “I would, but you know I’ve got no control around you with this little bump,” she says, putting her hand on it.
“You had no control around me to begin with,” Evie teases.
“I know, but it’s even worse now,” she groans playfully.
Evie laughs again, wrinkling her nose. “Oh, hey - I said Brom and Nate could come to the pub tonight, if they wanted.”
“Sounds great, but I’m not sure I’m going to be that hungry-”
“We could always just go sit and chat,” she shrugs.
“I dunno,” Wynn sings softly. “I think this cake might put you straight to sleep.”
“Probably,” Evie says, taking a bite off the fork Wynn offers her. “But I bring my pillow with me everywhere, so I’ll be alright,” she says, squeezing Wynn's arm.
“Oh I see - I’m just good for sleeping, then?”
“Sleeping on, sleeping with-”
“Evie!” Wynn blushes. “Not around little ears!”
Evie laughs, plopping down on Wynn's lap. “Sorry, sorry - I’ll behave myself.”
“Mhm,” Wynn pretends to grumble, offering her more cake.
“Have I ever told you you’re the best wife ever?” Evie asks, grinning innocently.
“Not as often as you should.”