We have four sets of players running the drill in each corner of the rink. Mercifully, there’s no whistle piercing the air as it’s a continuous drill, but it takes all I have not to blow chunks on the ice.
Fighting off a migraine is impossible, but somehow Imake it through practice without passing out, vomiting, or crying. Though at various points, I felt like doing all three.
I spend what should probably be considered a criminal length of time in the showers when we’re done on the ice. Partly because my body is so heavy I’m not sure I have it in me to dry off and get changed right away.
Dunno how much later it is when I step out of the rink, but something makes my feet go into the store. I don’t need anything new, but I find the hockey rink store to be like Target for Mom. I neverneedanything, but I always go in for a look and end up coming out three hundred bucks lighter.
Ha. I wish. I don’t remember the last time I had three hundred bucks to blow on anything. But if I did have three hundred bucks, chances are I’d blow it in this tiny store right here.
The kid at the checkout jerks his chin at me in hello, but it’s the red waves standing at one of the racks of shirts that draws my attention. Victoria’s in the hockey shop. Curious.
She’s also looking at shirts and if memory serves, I already gave her one with my name on it, so she has no reason to go shirt shopping.
Whoa, nelly. I don’t own that woman, she can buy whatever the fuck she wants.
As long as it has my name on it.
Yup. Okay. Fine. There’s no calming the possessive beast in my chest. That woman is mine, even if she doesn’t accept it yet. There’s no way she can wear anyone else’s name on her shoulders. Not from my team, or anyone else’s.
I’m about three seconds from beating my chest like a caveman. I doubt she’d respond well to being hit over the head by my stick, but it’s worth a shot. Right?
Eloise holds up a shirt for Victoria, who wrinkles her nose. I’m moving in her direction, only a few feet away when a tinyvoice demands more goldfish. My heart stops beating in my chest as I stutter to a stop.
The ba-dum of the brewing headache is drowned out by the tiny person’s voice.
The squeak of my shoes on the linoleum draws Victoria’s attention. Frozen in place I glance down at where the voice came from then back to his mom. She’s far more relaxed than I am in this situation.
Do I run? Do I stay?
Eloise catches my eye, and her brows peak.
Instead of yelling or shooing me away, Victoria beckons me closer. Can’t tell if it’s to punch me in the face or to say hi, but she nods, and I take that as an invitation to step into their space.
“Hey.” It’s one word, and I’m already breathless.
“Hey, yourself.” Her returning smile is almost shy, it’s not like her. She’s probably nervous about how this is going to go. She’s not the only one.
Eloise’s surprise has shifted to intrigue but she stays quiet, observing the scene unfolding.
“Hi.” The miniature version of me steps out from behind Victoria’s legs and beams up at me. Guess he’s not in the least bit shy or scared of strangers. “I’m Wyatt.”
Crouching down to his level, I offer a fist bump. “Hi, Wyatt. I’m Raffi. I’m a friend of your Mom’s.”
Returning my fist bump with his tiny clenched fist, he smiles. “You like fish?” He offers me one of those food catcher containers that are impossible to get your hand out of once you put your fingers in.
“Ilovefish. But I’m good, thanks.”
My dude isn’t taking no for an answer. He shoves the container at me, making his mom laugh. “He doesn’t want a goldfish cracker right now, buddy. You have them. Great sharing, though.”
Wyattlooks at me for a long moment, like this guy said he loves fish but he doesn’t want fish. His little brain is trying to figure out how someone couldnotwant fish.
He turns his attention back to cramming crackers in his mouth, and tears fill my eyes. This kid is part of me. He’s a walking, talking, goldfish-cracker-eating miniature copy of his mom and me. What the fuck do I do with that?
Every bone in my body wants to swoop this little guy up and smush him until he punches me in the face to put him down. But that’s not cool. Not yet. Maybe never. And I need to be okay with that. Even if my heart aches to just breathe him in.
Victoria’s jade eyes are watering like mine when I stare up at her. Her face softens, and for a moment, there’s only the three of us. My girl, my kid, and me, right here in the hockey store.
“You free tomorrow night?”
