Page 68 of Redeeming Heart

“Maggie,” He noted.

I nodded and turned my head slightly when I caught Brandon in my peripheral vision. He was making his way over to us but decided against it when he noticed we were having a private discussion. I smiled when he showed me that he will talk to me later.

“Why didn’t you tell me about today?” My father asked bringing my attention back to him.

“I didn’t know if you would come,” I answered truthfully.

“You are my daughter, why wouldn’t I?” He asked, taking a step towards me.

“You haven’t treated me as your daughter over the past three years, why would I suddenly think that you would change your mind?”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

I’ve learned over a couple of years of my life that you should never take things for granted. The world, planet, and destiny have their own way of things and set of rules. No matter how prepared you are or what positive mindset you are in, it tears you apart and leaves your soul bare. In most cases, life can surprise you and show you that it isn’t always such a bad idea to be alive.

I was still a bit shaken up after the weekend. I went to the game with the thought that people will hate us and boo us, but it turned out the opposite.

That doesn’t mean I trust life from now on. I was still angry with it because of what it took from me after letting my mother suffer from the day she was born.

I for one disagree with that saying about needing to forgive to move forward.

My mom’s birthday was coming up in a couple of days and that feeling of despair was hanging over me like a cloud. I thought by now that things would have come a lot easier to handle, but each year it became harder because each year I got a year older without her being at my side.

I don’t get to see her grow old and she will never see me get old, fall in love for the first time or see me win championships and rise each passing year.

I know this was unusual for me, but I went to go see that one person who gets me and doesn’t make me feel pathetic. It was strange to me that I trusted someone who wasn’t Jaylin or Camille. They knew every bad corner of my life and I could express myself in front of them, but surprisingly I could do it too in front of Brandon.

A guy.

Someone whom I judged at once stage of my teenage years and I felt bad about it every passing day. Where I thought he was just another guy who chases fame and girls. Only to learn that he was a lot like me and he was chasing an actual dream where his passion was involved.

Nobody could blame him for being adored by thousands of girls around the globe.

I took a wild guess and headed over to the ice rink early, Sunday morning and found Brandon on the ice, practicing his strikes surrounded by the sound of his skates gliding over the ice.

I stood next to the rink watching him and getting mesmerized by the way he could handle the puck and skate without a single beat of fear.

It’s kind of obvious why fans were so intrigued by ice skating and found it extremely satisfying to watch the game.

Brandon went for a shot, skated around the back of the net, and lifted his head for that split of a second when he noticed me.

He left the puck in the net and skated across the ice and over to me. He lifted his helmet and pulled it off, revealing his sweaty face and hair standing in all kinds of directions.

“Morning,” He greeted with his signature smile.

I wonder if he ever tires from smiling?

“Morning,” I greeted back.

“Can’t stay off the ice, eh?” I joked.

He shrugged.

“Couldn’t sleep.” He answered.

“I never got a chance to congratulate you on your win yesterday.” He suddenly remembered.

I pulled up my shoulders. “It was my team who were amazing and they deserve the credit,” I remarked.

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