Page 66 of Mind Pucked

“I want to wait for Amelia so she can go with us,” I admit as I look at my phone again to see how long she’s been gone. “I’m going to head up to my room to get ready…if she isn’t back in the next twenty minutes, we’ll head out.” Though I don’t want to leave at all without her.

She nods and goes back to playing with Hayden. I run up to my room and sit on the bed. I know I asked Amelia to go shopping to get a moment to herself and get over my mother being…well, my mother, but she’s taking far too long.

I try to call her number. I’ve texted her twice and I don’t want her to think I’m some crazy controlling man, because she can shop as long as she’d like, but now I’m worried that something has happened to her.

In a way, I think I must have some form of post traumatic stress or something. I didn’t think that until I got the call that she and Hayden were at the hospital. I panicked so quickly then, and now I’m doing something similar as I worry about Amelia being out there alone and not answering the phone.

When she doesn’t answer, I toss my phone back onto the bed and get up to change my clothes. I told my mother that’s what I’m doing, so I figure a change of clothes is needed to make it look like I’m not about to lose my mind here.

Once I’ve changed, I pace back and forth along the carpet in front of my bed, hoping like hell she calls me or sends a text. I reach down and call again…once, twice, a third time before I decide the twenty-minute time frame I gave my mother has come and passed.

I walk down the steps to meet the smiling faces of my parents and Hayden who is already standing at the door with her shoes on.

“Where’s Amelia?” Hayden asks with her little voice. She seems worried, more worried than I’ve ever seen her before.

“She’ll be back a little later tonight,” I say, praying it’s not a lie and that it’s enough of a revelation to appease my little girl.

I try my hardest not to make a habit of lying to my daughter. I want her to grow up to be honest, and I feel the only way I can do that is if I show her how to do it. I hope she never learns how to lie.

In no time, my parents and I decide on a seafood restaurant in town. I text Amelia the address and name of the restaurant in case she decides she wants to meet us. I’m trying not to freak out in front of my parents, but worry has turned to straight-up fear.

We order our food, and the entire time my mother is eyeing me as if she wants to ask me something but doesn’t want to say it in front of Hayden or something.

“So, how are things shaping up going into playoffs?” my father asks as he takes a bite of his seafood.

“It looks like we’re set up nicely for the first rounds,” I admit, thankful for the distraction. “You should see Felix—he’s gotten so much better.”

“We saw replays from the last game, you made that shot that was top cheddar,” my mother adds, and it’s strange to hear her using hockey slang. “I’ve never seen something so exciting.” She sounds like a cheerleader, and that is exactly what she has always been for me.

Sure, my father and I can talk hockey all day long, but normally when my mom adds her part in, it comes out strained. She wants to be able to talk to me about it but has to come up with words liketop cheddar, which is the correct term, but strange coming from her.

My mother is a neat lady, never breaking a sweat for much…other than maybe for Hayden. My father, on the other hand, taught me how to play the game. He’s worked as hard as I have for me to invest my time and energy into this life.

“Yeah, that was a good game,” I say. “Coach has really changed things up by implementing plays that are new to most of us. We’ve managed some scrimmages that have shown some of the guys’ strengths and helped build morale.” I’m glad to be talking to my parents about all this, but deep down I’m still worried about Amelia.

“That’s good to hear.” My dad smiles at me over a sip of beer. “I like your coach enough…he’s a good man, but when he let that one kid take that penalty last month, I about came unglued.”

“You and the rest of us, Dad,” I say as I realize Hayden is tugging on my shirt to get my attention.

I lean down to talk to her. I can tell she has something big to say, but she leans up a little so she’s nearly whispering in my ear.

“Hey, Daddy,” she says softly, “where’s Amelia?”

“She’s doing some shopping and enjoying her time off,” I say softly, though I’m not so convinced. Hayden must be just as worried as I am. This is the second time she’s asked about Amelia tonight.

“Otay, Daddy.” She smiles. “Can I go see the lobsters?” She turns and points to the tank of lobsters.

“Sure,” I say with a small smile. “I’ll take you to go see them.” I push my chair out a little to get up and join her.

“No, Daddy,” she says as she gets up from the table and walks around to my dad. “I want Papa to take me to go see them.” She offers him her little hand and he takes it, allowing her to pull him from his chair. “We like to name them.” She smiles as she says the last part as if it’s some big secret.

I turn and watch them walk to the tank across the room together, and when I turn back around to face the table and have a drink of my beer, I realize my mother is staring at me. When she leans forward on her hands and bores her eyes into my soul, I know she has something to say.

“Yes, Mother?” I ask teasingly, wondering what exactly has drawn her attention to me like this.

“What’s going on between you and the babysitter?” she asks as she eyes Hayden and my dad, obviously making sure they’re still across the room.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say in a teasing tone until I realize the use of the term thebabysitter. “Wait a minute, Mom…she’s not a babysitter—Hayden loves her, and she was never just a sitter, she was a nanny.”

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