The news of Cristian Chivu's sacking was a bomb that had detonated in the quiet, orderly world of professional football, and the shockwaves were still being felt a day later. For Leon, it was a strange, unsettling feeling. He had spent the last year of his life in a tactical chess match with the man, and suddenly, one of the grandmasters had been unceremoniously knocked off the board.
His first thought, his only thought, was of Sofia.
He called her that morning, his heart a knot of anxious concern.
"Hey," he said softly when she answered, her voice sounding tired. "I saw the news. I'm... I'm so sorry. How are you? How's your dad?"
