Evening shadows stretched across the Fiorentina stadium as players filed out of the dressing rooms with equipment bags slung over tired shoulders, and the distant sound of the team bus engine humming carried through the corridor as most headed toward the main exit.
"We'll see you guys back at Atalanta," Riccardo called over his shoulder as Demien and Luca paused at a side hallway, and Demien nodded in acknowledgment before they turned down the corridor that led to the VIP parking area.
The passageway gradually opened into the smaller lot where family members and important guests were permitted to park, and the cooler evening air felt refreshing against Demien's face after the stuffy confines of the dressing room.
A sleek black sedan stood waiting near the far corner, its polished surface reflecting the stadium lights while several figures stood beside it in conversation, and Demien felt his pace quicken involuntarily as he recognized his mother's silhouette.
