Page 114 of Your Pucking Mom

“Isn’t that what mothers are supposed to do? Isn’t that their job?”

“Yes.” My voice softened, imagining my own mother and all the times she spent with me on hockey. “It is, but you’re an adult now, Austin. She’s got every right to fall in love with someone. Is it unfortunate that it was with someone you play with? Yes. Am I an asshole for not telling you? Yes.”

He tilted his head, a wry smile spreading across his face. “Yeah, you are.”

I chuckled along with him. “I love your mom, Austin. It’s not just about sleeping with her. I genuinely want to be with her every moment of the day. I want to see her smile.”

I paused, my voice trembling with the intensity of my emotions. “Her soul is pure, radiant, and leaves me in awe. Her laugh is like a symphony in my heart. And her kindness? It’s like a beacon cutting through the darkness.”

A sense of wonder suffused my being as I spoke of her, each word imbued with a reverence reserved for the most sacred of truths. “I’m humbled by her, inspired by her, and grateful that she loves me.”

A soft smile graced my lips as I reflected on Auburn. “I’m unworthy of her, yet she sees something in me that I cannot comprehend. Austin, she’s not just the love of my life but the very essence of my existence.”

Austin laughed softly. “You sound like you’re Hozier or something, man.”

The sign of jest made me smile, but Austin interrupted my thoughts. “You’re right. My mom is a very special person. She is kind and has always put me first in her life. I’m irritated that you’re my captain and you’re dating her, but she does deserve happiness.”

I got up, hobbling from my leg being wrapped, then sat on the side of his bench. “It was a shitty thing for me not to tell you. I don’t want this to affect us on the ice, but I don’t know if I can promise you I’ll be able to stay away from her. I want to see her happy too.”

Austin looked up at me, his blue eyes softened. “I know that it doesn’t seem like it, but growing up, I heard the way my grandmother spoke to my mom. I heard it the other day. I see the way Mom acts when she’s around. I know there’s more to the story of what happened to her and where my biological dad is, but I’ve never thought to ask.”

I offered him a sympathetic smile. “I won’t lie. I don’t know what it’s like to be a part of a family like that, Austin. But I will say that I’ve had a great relationship with my mother growing up, yet you don’t see her at my games or my practices. She never moved up here, and that thought simply never crossed her mind. Your mother quite literally gave up everything to give you a better life.”

Austin nodded again and brought his hands to the nape of his neck, pulling on them. “I think you should talk to her,” I said.

“I should.”

“Have we kissed and made up?” Alex’s voice echoed in the locker room from where he was standing in the doorway. He still had his skates on, so I presumed the guys were waiting outside to change.

“We’re good?” I asked and looked at Austin as he stood up. Wincing inwardly, I met his stance.

“All good.” He leaned in for a hug, and I met him where he was at. Before I pulled away, I looked at him. “I guess the only thing left to fight about is whose jersey my mom will wear on game day.” We all laughed, including Alex.

I turned silently toward Austin, giving him a nod of appreciation. “Thank you.”

“Take care of her heart.” He was fighting back tears, and I was only able to nod.

“We’re good,” I called.

“Thank fuck,” Alex huffed, then turned around and motioned for the rest of the team to come in.

Dirks was first,and stared at both of us as he shook his head. “We were waiting forever out there. Jesus Christ.”

“Shut up.” I chuckled, glancing over at Austin, who had regained his smile.

Alex approached me as the other guys busied themselves with changing and storing their gear. “Did everything go okay?” he asked, his voice pitched low to avoid being overheard.

“Yeah, sort of. As well as it can with Austin, I guess. Now I just have to figure things out with Auburn,” I replied.

“I guess we can’t call him the child anymore, huh?” Alex quipped, earning a laugh from me as I nudged him on the shoulder.

I watched the guys bustling around the locker room, and my mind churned with thoughts of Auburn. I had to make things right. This was my chance to prove myself, to show Auburn how much she meant to me. I couldn’t let fear or doubt hold me back. I had to find a way to reach her, to touch the depths of her soul with the same fervor and passion she ignited within me.

And so, as I gathered my gear and prepared to leave the locker room, I made a silent vow to myself. I would find a way to win her back, to mend the shattered pieces of our connection. In the depths of my heart, she was worth fighting for, worth every ounce of effort and determination I could muster.

60

auburn

---