Page 55 of Slapshot Bride

The hallway outside the ceremony suite. The car. The red light. The cousin’s name being the same as mine. The photos at the boutique. The texts from my father. The fact that I have been sleeping in her son’s t-shirts. The texts from Preston. My brother, my mother. Having no plans. The confusion, and the fear of destroying her son’s career…

Caroline doesn't interrupt.

She reaches across the counter once again and lays her hand over mine.

When I finally stop, I'm aware that I'm crying. I wipe my face with the side of my wrist.

“I'm sorry,” I say. “I don't know why I just…”

“Riley.” I look at her still with teary eyes and blurred vision. “None of what you just said sounds like a woman who did anything wrong.”

I look away.

She doesn't press. She gets up, finds a glass in the cabinet on the second try. She fills it with water, sets it down in front of me, and sits back down.

“He’s not worried you’ll destroy his career.” She starts. “He’s helping you, the same way he’s done for me.”

I look at her. She smiles softly, but she has a far-away look in her eyes like she’s deep in memory lane.

“He was a quiet child. The kind of quiet that worries you, at first, but he was very attentive. He watched everything. So, he knows, and he sees it all.”

Her smile blooms into a brighter one. “He used to be very small too, and then one summer, all of the height came.” She laughs, and I find myself laughing too.

“He was the happiest when I finally decided to leave his father. Donovan Blake is just like the man you’ve spoken about. And Easton detested him. I think Easton has spent the better part of his life trying to figure out which parts of his father were going to show up in him, and weeding them out one by one. He isn't done. He may never be done. But he's the most committed gardener I have ever met.” She laughs again, and lifts her eyes, until they meet mine.

“He’s been helping with the divorce process and calls me every Sunday.” She turns the water glass in her hands. “Without fail, since the first week I left.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through all of that, Caroline.”

“Shhh… It’s fine, honey. All in the past now, so trust me, you can do it too. In fact, you’re already doing it, and you have the best sidekick by your side.” She winks at me.

This time, I truly laugh. It’s carefree, and for the first time since I woke up today, I feel lighter. It’s like Caroline has empowered me to go conquer the world.

Her bright, toothy smile is the final icing on the cake.

The front door opens. I hear his keys hit the tray.

I see Caroline’s face shift, very slightly, into a soft expression, and her motherly love for her son shines through.

“Mom?”

His voice comes from the entryway. Footsteps follow, slowing as they approach the kitchen, and then he's in the doorway, in his post-practice clothes with his bag still over one shoulder, and a wide grin stretching his lips.

“I smelled you from the door.”

“Hello, baby.” Her smile lights up the room as she rises from the stool and opens her arms.

She's tiny compared to him.

Easton bends down to hug her, wrapping both arms around her without hesitation.

Over her shoulder, his eyes find mine. They’re gleaming. I smile back.

Caroline stays for one more hour.

She tells him a story about her sister’s dog. She doesn't bring up Preston or any part of our conversation, which I’m grateful for.

It's afternoon when the town car arrives, and Easton walks his mother outside.