Page 22 of The Goalie

I jump up and nearly scream. “I thought you were sleeping.”

“Why because my eyes are closed?” she says with a laugh. “If you’ll recall, they’re swollen shut.”

“Sorry,” I say as I turn it back on.

“Ah, forget it,” she says. “I’ve seen it a gazillion times and let’s be honest, that marriage is not going to last past the credits.”

“Mom,” I say with a laugh as I turn the TV off. “It’s a love story. Of course, it’s going to work out.”

“I’ve been waiting for you to get home,” she says as she sits up on the bed. “Tell me you have a love story for me.”

I grin as I sit beside her. “It was amazing!”

“Nolan?” she says with a big smile.

“Oh yeah,” I say, getting that dreamy feeling all over again just thinking about it. “He was better than I hoped.”

She grabs my hand and squeals. “Tell me everything!”

I do. I tell her about seeing each other for the first time and how it felt like time was slowing down around us. About approaching him and the silent auction and dancing and our first kiss.

“There were fireworks in the sky!” I say as I squeeze her hand. “Fireworks, can you believe it?”

We’re like two teenage girls. It’s so fun.

She wants to know everything. What he was wearing, what he said, what he smelled like. I dish it all until my dad comes in, unraveling his tie.

“I sense tension,” Mom says as Dad walks over to the chair and pulls off his jacket. “What happened?”

“Dad doesn’t think I can make my own decisions even though I’m twenty-two,” I say in a pointed tone.

Dad huffs out a breath. “Your daughter refuses to acknowledge that I may know something about men that she doesn’t.”

“Oh please, Finn,” Mom says with a shake of her head. “Nolan seems like a perfectly nice guy and your daughter had a wonderful time.”

“A wonderful time kissing a man at a work function,” he says in a gruff tone. “Yeah, I saw you. What kind of man kisses a girl in public like that?”

“You,” Mom says. “Or, did you forget our first date?”

“Oh, really?” I say, grinning as I lean back on the pillow.

“Oh yeah, and we did a lot more than kiss that night, let me tell you.”

“Lynn!” Dad snaps as Mom giggles. “Will you please? I was a perfect gentleman.”

She snorts out a laugh and even though I don’t want to hear any more details, I laugh too.

Dad gets all flustered and grabs his bathrobe. “I’m taking a shower,” he grumbles and we laugh even harder as he flees into the bathroom.

I sigh as I cuddle my mom.

“When are you going to see him again?”

“I don’t know,” I say, feeling sick about it. “He’s going to be busy with the playoffs. He’s leaving for New York tomorrow to get ready for the game.”

“Go meet him.”

“And look like a psycho stalker? No, thank you.”

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