“Cup magic,” Mike corrected.

They watched the final in a packed boteco (hole-in-the-wall bar) so crowded that Sara sat on a keg and Mike stood on a chair that wobbled dangerously. When the winning goal was scored—a bicycle kick, a miracle—the bar exploded. Bottles shattered. Strangers cried into each other’s shoulders. A man proposed to his girlfriend using a bottle cap. She said yes.

“What? No! That’s insane.”

Mike turned to Sara. His face was streaked with glitter, beer, and joy. “Thank you,” he said.