AllFreeNovel
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Before I know it, Sunday arrives and I’m ready ridiculously early. I’m not sure whether it’s nerves or dread—or maybe a combination of both—I have to blame for getting ready at the break of dawn; but I find myself sitting in the kitchen with almost an hour to kill while I wait for Adam to pick me up. Luckily, there’s some entertainment courtesy of my housemates as they’re attempting to wrap Lacey’s birthday present before they head off to the gym. How many grown men does it take to wrap one pair of hockey skates? Apparently, three of them. One to hold the wrapping paper in place; one to cut the tape; and the other to ensure it looks as perfect as possible. Judging by the amount of swearing taking place, I’d say it’s not going too well. It takes at least two more attempts and a lot more tape, before all three of them proudly step back and admire their masterpiece. I congratulate them with a round of applause and tell them it’s the best wrapped present I’ve ever seen. Spoiler alert: it isn’t, but Lacey will be super excited to open it and that’s what counts.
Ky pulls me toward him, enveloping me in a warm hug as he drops a kiss on my neck, “You think she’ll like them?”
“She’ll love them. All she wanted was hockey skates and you’re giving them to her. She’ll be the happiest girl on the planet today.”
“I asked Coach if I could bring her to the rink and give her some lessons.”
“That’s a great idea. What did he say?”
“He said maybe once or twice but not to make a habit of it. But he gave me the number of his buddy who runs some weekend classes at one of the schools near here. Said he owed him a favor and he might be able to fit Lacey in.”
“She’ll love that, Ky.”
“What time are you being picked up?” Ky deliberately doesn’t say Adam’s name. He may understand why I’m attending this meeting, but his contempt for Adam hasn’t waned. I look at my watch and realize it’s ten-after-nine and Adam should have been here by now.
“About ten minutes ago, actually.”
I open the messaging app on my phone and send a text to Adam asking for an ETA but hear nothing in response. “He’ll probably be here soon.”
Ky nods and takes a long swig from his water bottle. There’s tension in his face due Adam’s impending arrival.
“You don’t have to wait with me if you want to go with the others to the gym,” I tell him hoping to ease his mind a little. Instead, he huffs out a laugh.
“And leave you in the house alone with that douche canoe? No thanks.”
“You won’t be leaving me alone in the house. He’s picking me up and we’re going to a meeting, remember?”
“Whatever. I’ll still wait with you until he shows.”
As it turns out, Adam doesn’t show up, despite my attempts at trying to reach him. The start time for the meeting has come and gone and I’m still waiting for him in our living room. Eventually, my phone signals a new message.
Adam
Sry, change of plans. Mtg postponed.
I respond quickly and tell him I hope everything is okay but hear nothing further. I’m a little annoyed he’s kept me waiting around, but with every cloud there’s a silver lining and with my morning now free, and Kyler still sitting on the couch with the house to ourselves, we find other ways to entertain ourselves until we need to leave for Lacey’s party.
* * *
“Look, momma, look what Uncle Ky gave me!” Lacey runs over to her mom carrying her new hockey skates. When she opened them, she squealed so loudly it was hard not to be swallowed up by her excitement. She wanted to put them on straightaway, but Ky managed to talk her out of it, saying the best time to try them out would be at the skating lesson he’s taking her to in a few weeks. I think she squealed even louder when she heard that.
“They’re real nice, baby,” Ally tells her daughter, sending a look of gratitude and mouthing a “thank you” in her brother’s direction. Even though Ally and his mom depend a lot on Kyler for various money-related matters, it’s always his choice to go the extra mile where Lacey is concerned. It’s evident in the party he’s helped to put on for his niece. He’s hired out a local soft play center, which has not only catered for the party but also given them party bags for the guests. There’s even a two-tiered birthday cake, complete with a tiny little girl in a hockey uniform sitting on the top—not a princess in sight.
“She really dotes on him, you know?”
Ally’s voice sounds out before she reaches me. We haven’t officially met before now, and I’m glad for the opportunity to get to know her.
A smile forms on my lips as I watch the birthday girl and her friends on a small inflatable castle, clambering all over Kyler. To his credit he’s taking it like the sportsman he is, without any complaint.
“And he really adores her.” Turning to Ally, I take the opportunity to introduce myself to her. “I’m Thea. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to finally meet you too. I’ve been bugging Kyler to introduce us when he couldn’t stop talking about you all those months ago, but he always found a reason not to. It’s good to see him happy.”
Her words stick in my mind. The fact Ky told his sister about me before we started dating is like a comforting hug of reassurance working its way through my body, especially as for those first few months, he was a closed book.
“He makes me happy too,” I admit to her. “This is a great party.”
Ally sighs, “I wish I could take the credit, but this is all Kyler. I don’t know how I’ll be able to keep this up when he’s not here to help.”
