“This will sound stupid, but, do I know you?”  Alice said with a furrowed brow.  

Shit.  Dana thought to herself.  She really wanted to talk to this woman without any lingering celebrity she had interfering.  She was trying to think of a response when the other woman finally placed her.

“I know!”  Alice exclaimed.  “You’re a soccer coach, aren’t you?  I saw you here before.”  The woman was even more striking up close.  She could easily get lost in those blue eyes.

Dana let out the breath she had been holding.  “Yes.”  She said with a smile.  “I coach the Badgers.  Five- and six-year-olds.”  The women were quiet for a bit.  Both were inwardly thrilled to have met the other person who had so infused their thoughts and wanted to keep the conversation flowing.

“I couldn’t tell if you guys won or lost.”  Alice said at last.

“We don’t keep score in this league.”  Dana bent a little closer.  “But between you and me, we won.”  Both women shared a laugh.

“Is that your, uh, husband that helps coach?”  Alice asked tentatively.

“It’s my son’s father.  I’m not married.”  Dana didn’t want to get bogged down in the specifics of her relationship with Harrison.  “That’s Alex over there.”  Dana pointed with a smile.

“Ha!  That would be my little guy, Daniel, apparently playing Power Rangers with him.”

It was then that Dana noticed Alice’s ring.  Her spirits sank.  Figures.  But maybe she could make a new friend.  For whatever reason, she had problem making friends with the mothers of the kids her son played with.  She didn’t know if it had to do with her celebrity, being out, or her inherent goofiness, but, she just didn’t seem to mesh with them.  Maybe with Alice it would be different.

“They seem to make a good team.”

“Yes.”

The women grew quiet once again and Alice spoke up hesitatingly.

“We only just moved here and I was thinking of getting Daniel on a soccer team.”

“Really?  I have a couple openings on mine.”  Dana dug in her bag to find some paper and wrote out the information.  “Here is where you need to register.”  She pointed to the bottom of the paper.  “And here is my number.  Just call if I can help you at all.  You know…  With anything.”  Dana ended with a welcoming smile.

Alice couldn’t help her returning smile.  This woman really was too sweet.  “I will.”

The two women fell into the easy patter of mothers as they watched the kids exhaust themselves.  After almost two hours, the boys were getting cranky and it was time to leave.

“I hope you do sign up for the team.”  Dana said as they walked toward their cars.  “Until then, maybe we’ll see you here at the park again sometime?”  She finished hopefully.

“Nice park and good company.  I am sure we will be here again.”  Alice said with a warm smile of new beginnings.