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Alissa’s eyes open wide, and mom and I just observe their interaction.
“Who hurt you, Andrew?” she frowns, lightly touching his splint.
“I’m hurt from playing too much hockey, Ali!” he ruffles her hair. “I did it to myself.”
I hug mom hello. The bellhop comes to take their luggage to their room, and she sits with me with a concerned expression on her face.
“He’s not getting better?” she whispers to me, eyes already looking for a waiter.
I shrug with a frown. “They gave him stronger meds and he’s seeing a physical therapist. Andrew’s going through the seven stages of grief one by one, poor guy.”
“Talking about me?” he asks, all smiles, with Ali under his good arm.
“Always,” I wink.
Mom waves a waiter over. “I want a mimosa, please,” she says.
“What do you want, sweet pea?” I ask Alissa, and she opens her mouth as she thinks.
“How ‘bout one of these?” Andrew points to his own drink. “Take a sip and see what you think.”
Alissa tries the cherry soda, and nods enthusiastically. “I want one of these please!”
The waiter goes to fetch the drinks, and mom asks, “Are you going to Family Day tomorrow too, Andrew?”
“Nope!” he leans back, pouting.
“Oh!” Alissa leans back too and hugs him. “I want you to come with us!”
“I want that too, Ali,” he takes her hand to kiss. “But I have to see my doctor tomorrow.”
Alissa’s lower lip juts out in a slight pout, and she crosses her arms tightly across her chest.
I mimic her and cross my arms and turn up my nose, pretending to be offended. “So, you just get here and Andrew’s already your favorite, huh?”
Alissa looks alarmed and mom holds back a laugh.
“No, mom!” She leaves Andrew’s side to come to me and quickly jumps into my lap.
“I was kidding, sweet pea.” I hug her tight, so happy to have her here. “Did you behave with grandpa and grandma?”
“You know I did. Grandma told you every day!” Ali looks indignant.
Andrew stands up and directs his gaze towards a man approaching us. He is wearing a suit despite the Florida heat.
“Terry!” Andrew raises his arm, then turns to me, “I gotta go talk to him.”
Andrew leans over to give me a kiss on the lips, then kisses mom on the cheek. “See you, Eleanor,” he says.
“Take care, hon,” mom says. When Andrew leaves, she asks me, “Who’s Terry?”
“His agent,” I answer. Ali sits up straight when her and mom’s drinks arrive. “He’s been talking of retiring to spend more time with us. Terry is going to take care of it.”
Mom takes a sip of her mimosa and shakes her head in disapproval again. “He’s too young to retire,” she frowns. “That will only make him unhappy!”
“It was his idea, mom!” I hold Alissa steady in my lap as she busies herself with her cherry soda. “I would never ask that of him. He wants a family. And he knows that staying in the league he won’t be as present as he wants to be for Ali and me.”
Mom takes another sip. Alissa is occupied with chasing the cherries in the bottom of her glass and doesn’t pay us much attention.
