Page 30 of Worthy

“Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, and that day is even more important than Christmas to us. No, if there is any time that we should be at church, it’s tomorrow. And guess what, Anna? It looks like you get to return the favor to God because you’ll be coming with us!”

I never planned to set foot in church ever again once I left Savannah, but a promise is a promise, and I’m a person of my word. Resigned, I ask, “What time do we leave?”

Chapter fifteen

Aiden

Ihave the television on in the living room, hoping to drown out the conversation that’s currently happening in the kitchen. I hear snippets, but there is a lull in the sports program that allows me to eavesdrop on my mom talking about going to church for Easter Sunday and telling Anna that she has to come with us.

Penny and I smile conspiratorially at one another. As soon as Anna disappeared into the kitchen to get a debrief from my security detail, Penny told me all about her and Anna’s discussion this morning and how Anna isn’t on speaking terms with God right now. While I was disheartened to hear this at first, I have hope that their relationship can be restored. Anna is angry with God for reasons I don’t yet know, but maybe she was brought into our lives so we can help her find her way back. After overhearing what my mom said, I realize that she’s already way ahead of me with that endeavor.

Everyone eventually returns to the living room, ready to watch the game. The next few hours pass by slowly, and I’m on the edge of my seat the entire time. We shout at the screen as the Rockets play sloppily against Atlanta. I’m disappointed by the amateur level displayed by the team and in Swank, who was supposed to rally our guys, not scream in their faces every time a mistake was made. The game, which should have been an easy win, ended in a tie after an additional five-minute 3-on-3 sudden death overtime followed by a shootout. It was painful to watch, and we’re no closer to the playoffs.

Anna nudges me with her elbow, “I know what you’re thinking right now, Aiden, and you need to stop it.”

“And what am I thinking, Anna?” I try to keep my tone neutral, but a hint of annoyance seeps out. Anna was the one who convinced me to stay at home and rest today when I should have been on the ice.

“You think the Rockets would have won today and would be on their way to the playoffs if you had been there. The truth is, they might have, but at what cost to you? If you had taken a hit to your side, you could have ended up benched for the rest of the season. There’s no telling. But you can’t blame yourself for the rest of the team’s performance or Swank’s lack of leadership.”

“Anna’s right,” my mom says, chiming in with her two cents. “Aiden, you are an exceptional hockey player, and so are most of the guys on the team. But that’s what they are: a team; which means everyone needs to pull their weight to succeed. When a man is down, others need to step up and fill the gap. If they can’t do that without you, then the Rockets don’t deserve a playoff spot. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth.”

It’s definitely not what I want to hear. “I know, but it’s difficult to digest. I want to leave the Rockets at the end of the season confident that they’ll be just as good, if not better, next season.”

My dad leans forward and stares me down. “Have you thought about asking the coach to play you less? Let some of the other guys start and get more ice time as you lift them up with your leadership. Help Coach Dorn and support the rest of the players from the bench when you’re not playing. The guys listen and respect you, Son.”

I hadn’t thought about that. “You want me to be their training wheels?”

My dad laughs. “That’s one way to put it. There are nine games left in the regular season. Use that time to slowly withdraw from the limelight and let some of the other players shine. They’ll know you are there to pick them up when they fall, but they’ll eventually learn to work together without you the less and less you play. That’s your end goal, right?”

I absorb all the advice given to me and nod in acceptance. “Right.”

Scott, Jeremy, and Jack stand and stretch, preparing to leave for the evening and snapping me out of my self-imposed pity party. “What’s the plan for tomorrow?” Scott asks.

I try to recall everything I have scheduled and start listing off the itinerary: “The service at church starts at 9:00 a.m., so we need to be out the door no later than 8:30. Patricia is coming over afterward for an hour-long supervised visit with Penny.”

“What?!” Penny, my parents, and Anna shout in unison.

Mom is visibly upset by the news. “Why is this the first time we’re hearing about this?”

Chagrined, I tell her, “I kind of forgot about it. So much has happened between then and now that it totally slipped my mind.”

Penny is equally troubled. “What if I don’t want to see her, Dad? She’s not a nice person.”

“She wants one hour, Penny. If you don’t want to see her after that, I won’t allow it. But she’s still your mother and expressed a desire to make amends. Everyone deserves a second chance to get things right. That’s what forgiveness is all about.”

Penny harumphs but doesn’t argue any further. I glance in Anna’s direction only to find that she isn’t distressed in the slightest. I remember Anna taking a step back, prepared to defend my daughter, and I have to ask, “What did Patricia say to you the other day outside the locker room?”

Anna shies away and avoids meeting my gaze. “Nothing that you need to worry about.”

Penny has no qualms about answering my question. “Patricia told Anna, ‘He’s mine,’ and then she said she would be seeing me soon. She didn’t say it in a very nice way, either.”

I do my best to reassure my daughter. “I’ll make sure that I’m with you the entire time your mother is here.”

My mom mutters, “I have no doubt that’s exactly what the vile woman wants.” I pretend I didn’t hear the comment, even though it was said loud enough to reach my ears.

Scott steps forward to break the tension. “We’ll be here by eight in the morning, sharp.”

Dad reminds everyone of the Easter barbeque, “Don’t forget the team is coming over this afternoon for the cookout.”

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