The moment Lukas spotted them, Joanna waved first. João immediately joined in, raising both arms dramatically over his head as if trying to make himself impossible to miss. Ruben jumped up and down excitedly beside the glass.
Lukas couldn't help smiling.
He lifted his hand and waved back.
From that distance he couldn't hear them, but he could imagine exactly what João was probably shouting.
He returned to the warm-up circle with the rest of the team, bouncing lightly on his toes while the fitness coach directed the next drill. Every movement felt slightly sharper than usual, his body alert and restless under the stadium lights.
He forced himself to slow down.
"Breathe."
"Focus."
The ball arrived at his feet and he tapped it forward, passing it quickly to the next player in the drill before jogging into position again.
Around him the stadium continued roaring, the atmosphere growing louder with every passing minute as kickoff approached.
