Chapter Text
Agatha wouldn't claim to outright hate soccer; she simply didn't find the concept of people kicking a ball around, without using their hands, all that fascinating.
Despite this, every week her wife Rio, the town's youth soccer coach, would invite her to watch the practice.
Agatha always declined with a gentle smile, saying, "I'd love to, hun, but it just doesn't excite me."
Although Agatha noticed the flicker of disappointment in Rio’s eyes each time, she remained firm in her decision.
Even their son, Nicky, had toyed with the idea of joining the team but quickly realised that he did not share his mother's soccer talent or enthusiasm.
After just one game, Agatha withdrew him, having noticed his lack of interest.
"I just wanted to make Mami happy," the 11-year-old confessed to Agatha.
She admired Nicky's caring nature, a trait he surely inherited from Rio.
She reassured him, "Sweetheart, you make Mami and me happy every day just by being you."
Rio had recently taken over the coaching role from her former coach, who had retired.
Thrilled by this opportunity, Rio managed to juggle her landscaping job and her coaching duties seamlessly.
One evening, as Rio prepared to leave for practice, she asked, "Are you sure you two don't want to come watch?" Her navy hoodie, emblazoned with 'COACH' and the team logo, was ready.
Agatha, lounging on the couch with a book, glanced up and said, "No thanks, hon, go knock 'em dead."
Nicky, absorbed in his video game, flashed a sympathetic smile. Rio's shoulders slumped slightly as she headed out the door.
“Okay my loves, I will be home by 7pm”
That weekend, Rio busied herself getting ready for a big game.
Dressed in a team tank top and running shorts to beat the summer heat, she asked again if Agatha and Nicky wanted to join her, only to be met with Agatha's half-interested look.
After Rio left, Nicky approached Agatha, who was folding laundry.
"Mama?" he began hesitantly. Sensing something was on his mind, she looked up.
"What's up, sweetie?" she asked.
Nicky fidgeted, drawing Agatha's attention.
"I know why Mami always asks us to come to practice," he confessed, avoiding eye contact.
Agatha raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?" she prompted, curious.
He continued, "The other moms make her nervous. They’re always come up really close to her, touching her and I can tell she doesn’t like it."
Agatha's mind whirled. She felt her jealousy rising, a fact she hadn't fully acknowledged before.
The vein in her forehead pulsed as red hot anger flowed through her veins.
Her mind flashed images of Rio leaving that morning, clad in running shorts and her toned arms on display in that tank top.
The notion of anyone making her wife uncomfortable stirred something protective—and undeniably possessive—within her.
It became clear that this was something Rio hadn’t mentioned, likely to avoid this very reaction.
Knowing fine well that Agatha had a very nasty jealous streak.
Determined to support her, Agatha realised that perhaps it was time she and Nicky made an appearance, to cheer Rio on and remind her (and everyone else) that she has a loving family in the stands.
Her mind raced with images of Rio, kind and polite, subtly distancing herself from the overly-friendly attentiveness of the other soccer moms.
Her thoughts veered back to those moments of Rio’s quiet disappointment, the small frowns that had crossed her features each time Agatha declined an invitation to practice.
Agatha realised that perhaps it hadn’t just been about wanting family support at games; it had been about creating a shield, a comforting presence amidst the unwelcome attention.
Determined to address this, Agatha turned to Nicky, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and schooling her face to something more relaxed.
“Thank you for telling me this, honey,” she said softly.
“How about we give Mami a surprise visit ?”
Nicky’s eyes brightened immediately.
“Really? You mean we’ll go to the game?”
“Absolutely, we’ll be her personal cheer squad,” Agatha confirmed, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Oh she was going to enjoy killing some soccer moms.
Agatha donned her sunhat, and a slightly all too revealing sundress, to make a point of course and grabbed a thermos filled with iced lemonade.
Nicky sported a cap with the team’s logo.
As they arrived at the field, Agatha’s gaze scanned the crowd, noticing a cluster of mothers gathered around the sidelines, chatting animatedly.
She spotted Rio almost immediately, standing holding her clipboard looking distracted.
But what Agatha had zoned in on mostly was the bimbo with long blonde hair who was laughing at something while running her hand up and down her wife’s bicep.
If looks could kill, this woman would have died the most painful death imaginable at that moment.
Rio spotted them from across the field. Her eyes widened with surprise, then softened with a palpable wave of relief and joy. As she jogged over, a smile spread wider than the sky across her face, leaving the other woman following her movements, her face slightly crestfallen.
“You’re here! And you look….wow” Rio exclaimed, pausing a distance away, a hint of uncertainty still lingering.
“Of course, we wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Agatha said, stepping closer, wrapping her arm around Rio’s waist and claiming her lips in a not so appropriate kiss and swallowing the gasp that came from her wife.
Pulling back, face flushed, Rio narrowed her eyes at her wife knowingly but didn’t dare say a word.
Agatha’s eyes were zoned in on the blonde woman standing open mouthed from the other side of the field, a noticeable blush creeping up her face as she walked away defeated.
Rio knew Agatha was here to mark her territory. And she couldn’t be happier about it.
“We’re your biggest fans.” Agatha had shrugged and went to claim a seat on the bleachers.
As the game began, Agatha and Nicky settled into the rhythm of the match, cheering heartily, their enthusiasm genuine.
Agatha found herself unexpectedly caught up in the joy of the team working together, of Rio’s clear, encouraging voice guiding each player.
Only slightly growling audibly when one of the soccer moms tried approaching her wife with some half assed excuse of conversation.
“Hey Susan, sit your ass down and dont distract the coach!” She yelled at one of the women who clearly wasn’t named Susan.
When the match concluded with a triumphant win, Rio made her way over to her family, her expression one of pure contentment and gratitude.
The other moms exchanged glances but seemed to pick up on the unseen boundary, maintaining a respectful distance.
Agatha realised then that it wasn’t about the game itself; it was about being present for the ones you love, about understanding and supporting each other’s worlds, even if they didn’t initially seem appealing.
Later, as they drove home with Nicky recounting every detail of the match, Rio reached over, squeezing Agatha’s hand.
“Thank you,” she murmured, her tone conveying more emotion than words could capture.
Agatha smiled, her heart full.
“I think I’m starting to see the fun in soccer,” she admitted, leaning her head against the window, feeling the warmth of family enveloping the car like the gentle summer sun.