The barbecue smoke wafted across the Barnes family garden, carrying the mouthwatering scent of charred meat and lighter fluid. Nathan stood by the grill, tongs in hand, watching sausages bubble and split while his five-year-old daughter, Emma, tugged at his shorts.
"Dad, when can we bake the cake?" She asked, her eyes wide with anticipation.
"After everyone eats, love." Nathan replied, flipping a burger, grease spat against his forearm. "Go find your brother."
Emma dashed toward the climbing frame, where her seven-year-old brother, Oliver, hung upside down, showing off for Silva's girlfriend, who was snapping photos on her phone. Beneath the apple tree, the Brazilian winger sat with his shirt sleeves rolled up, laughing at something Vélez had whispered in rapid Spanish.
