“Why don’t you show me how it’s done then?” Liam growled through gritted teeth, defiantly whipping a puck in Alex’s direction.
With an effortless economy of motion, Alex glided to the center circle, where he whipped a blistering slapshot. The puck whistled past the unguarded net with a resounding boom.
“Did you see that! 120 miles per hour easy!” Alex crowed, basking in the admiring hoots and hollers from his acolytes.
Liam looked up at the large display of the digital puck radar, which indeed read ‘123 mph.’
Damn, that was lightning quick.
A sweaty, tired Liam fought a pang of mingled awe and jealousy watching the fresh-faced young star’s powerful display. Not so long ago, he was the one leaving fans breathless as he dazzled with his peerless gifts on the ice. But now it seemed his body betrayed him more with each passing year, making way for the next generation of rising hotshots like Alex and Nikita. He decided to call it a day.
As the locker room cleared out, the banter and insults among the teammates hit a little too close to home for Liam’s liking. He wasn’t the only one on the receiving end. The entire team dished out and was subject to jokes and jibes. It was part of the locker room culture, but Liam was mostly always targeted for his advancing years. That stung.
By the time he pulled into his driveway, he was a seething ballof self-pity, anger, and doubt about his future in a sport that had been his whole life since he was a six-year-old in Little League. He stormed through the front door, startling Sunny, who was reading on the couch.
“Everything okay?” she asked with a concerned crease in her brow, picking up on his thunderous energy.
“Fine,” Liam grumbled, not wanting to go into the details as he hurried past her.
But Sunny persisted, trailing behind him into the kitchen.
“You don’t look fine; you seem anything but,” she said. “I don’t want to rile the kids up before bed. You’re not exactly exuding a calming presence.”
“I said I’m fine!” Liam snapped, whirling around to face her with his jaw clenched. “And speaking of the girls, aren’t you meant to be looking after them?” he added.
He glanced down at the paperbark book she was still clutching, with an accusatory look.
“They’re safe in the playroom,” Sunny replied, looking wounded. “They wanted to prepare a surprise dance routine for me, so I agreed to leave them to practice before they performed it.”
Fuck. Well done, numbnuts. You’ve done it again.
An uncomfortable silence stretched between them as Liam stewed in his regret. He should have left his anger on the rink. Now here he was infecting the house. Again.
Before he could mumble an apology, the sound of squealing giggles echoed from the hallway. Maddie and Hailey came barreling into the kitchen draped in feather boas and makeshift crowns.
“Hi, Daddy!” Maddie shouted out in a singsong voice.
“We’re doing a show for Sunny! Wanna join?” Hailey added excitedly, clutching at her plastic tiara.
Liam couldn’t help but crack a small smile at their innocent joy.He reached down to ruffle Maddie’s hair affectionately.
“Maybe later, munchkins. Go ahead and get the party started without me.”
As his little girls scampered off in a whirlwind of feathers and giggles, Liam glanced up to see Sunny watching him with a concerned look.
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Liam mumbled, “Sorry I snapped at you. Story of my life lately, it seems It was a rough practice, and I took it out on you. That wasn’t cool. Seems like all I do is unload on you. I need to be paying you double.”
Sunny waved a hand dismissively, choosing to take the higher road.
“We all have bad days, no biggie,” she said. “I’m glad the girls managed to thaw you out. Although…” She pursed her lips thoughtfully. “If you ever want to talk about what’s bothering you, I’m a pretty good listener. If it helps calm the atmosphere in the house, which in turn calms the girls, you could call it part of my duties.”
There it was again. That selflessness. That willingness to go the extra mile for the girls…and for him. There was an earnest openness to her expression that made Liam’s heart twinge. How easy would it be to unload all his swirling doubts and insecurities on her? To confess his growing fears that his hockey career was reaching its inevitable expiration date? All too easy.
He remembered last night. Being so open with her. It felt raw, yet soothing. Like an emotional balm for wounds that could not be seen. He thought about Kate again then. Their closeness. Their intimacy. Their commitment to each other. Then the familiar guilt welled up from the pit of his stomach. Kate had been his confidant. She was still his wife. That never changed. He would not replace her. He would not dishonor her.
Liam exhaled a heavy sigh and shrugged.
“I’m just feeling a little old, I guess,” is all he ventured.
