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“Attaboy!” I said as Wes, Boone, and I made a circle.
“We might just have the hang of this, boys,” Wes said, grinning.
He looked up at the box his family was sitting in and raised his stick. I followed his gaze and barely made out Annalise, who had both arms in the air and a huge smile on her face.
I wondered for a split second whether I’d ever have a family cheering for me up there. I’d always assumed I’d have a family, but it was easy to assume that when you knew it was still a decade or more away. Given what was going on between me and my dad, I wasn’t so sure now.
We held off Chicago and won the game with a final score of 3–2. The mood in the locker room was light, with everyone talking about going out.
“You in?” Boone asked me.
“Yep, as long as we go to a place that has real food. I’m starving.”
It had been six hours since Lars and I ate our traditional pregame meal, a plateful of pasta, and I was jonesing for a burger. I was talking to some fans at the bar we were eating at, waiting for my food, when I got a text. I smiled, hoping it was from Sariah.
It was from my mom, though.
MOM: Hi Nash, great game tonight! I was cheering for you from our living room. I know you’re busy, but call me when you can. I’d really like you to make it to the anniversary party. Love you.
It was unlike her to text me so late. I apologized to the fans at the bar and walked back to our table and sat down, writing her back.
NASH: Hey Mom, thanks. I’ll try to make it. Is everything okay? You’re not usually up this late.
MOM: I just couldn’t fall asleep after the game. It was so exciting. Your dad is out of town for work, and I’ve become a night owl when I’m on my own.
NASH: Is that a lot?
MOM: A couple nights a week at least. Your dad has been very busy with work lately.
I shook my head, picturing my mom home by herself, lonely. Immediately, it made me feel guilty.
NASH: Why don’t you come visit me and the dogs? They miss you. We can go to some of your favorite restaurants.
MOM: I wish I could, honey, but I’m volunteering for the hospice center again. They’re really short on help.
NASH: That’s nice of you.
MOM: I’m so proud of you. I cried when I saw your face on the TV screen tonight. I really hope you can make it to our anniversary party.
NASH: I’ll do my best, Mom. Promise.
MOM: Are you out with your teammates?
NASH: Yes, just waiting on some food.
MOM: Okay, I’ll let you get back to them. Be safe and have fun.
NASH: Always. Love you.
I stuck my phone back in my pocket, sighing heavily. Though I really didn’t want to, I was going to have to go to the anniversary party. It meant a lot to my mom. I just had to set aside my feelings about my dad.
The glass of water I’d ordered when we got here was half empty. I went to reach for it, but lowered my hand back to the table. I needed a beer. I hadn’t planned on drinking tonight so I’d feel fresher for a big workout in the morning, but there was nothing like thinking about my dad to make me change my mind on that.
An hour later, I was watching Boone try to get a woman to go home with him, and it was nothing if not amusing. There was a one-hundred-percent chance this woman had gotten in here with a fake ID, because she was nowhere close to twenty-one.
“What’s your favorite college class?” Boone asked her.
She laughed nervously. “Science. I like the experiments and stuff. It’s just so brainy, you know?”
“I like science, too,” he said. “And I think smart chicks are hot.”
Her response was a giggle. I met Boone’s gaze and shook my head.
“What’s your major?” he asked her.
“I don’t know yet, maybe fashion? I’m like, obsessed with fashion. I either want to be a model or a social media influencer.”
“You could be both,” he suggested. “Like the Kardashians.”
“Oh my god, I like, love the Kardashians. Which one is your favorite? Mine is Kendall Jenner.”
Boone shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess Kim? She does some cool shit.”
The woman wrinkled her nose. “Kim is like, old, though.”
Jesus. Once upon a time I’d been just like Boone, pretending to care as some vapid woman talked and talked about absolutely nothing.
I’d texted Sariah after the game, but hadn’t heard back, so I was surprised when a message from her came through a little after midnight.
SARIAH: I woke up and can’t get back to sleep. Are you awake by chance?
