Page 56 of Sleepless Nights and Hockey Fights

“Whoa! We’re so close to the ice!” Matty exclaims as I shuffle sideways into our row and pull him with me. He’s so distracted by all the music, lights, and people that he almost tripped down the stairs just now.

“Thank god for the glass between us and the pucks. I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel like sustaining a head injury tonight.”

“There’s Bobby!” Matty points to the rink where a stream of players in gold and black take the ice. My heartrate jumps at the sight of my kind-of boyfriend all geared up and speeding across the rink. This is more exciting than I thought it would be.

“I’m gonna go down and bang on the glass to see if I can get his attention.” Matty lunges for the stairs again, and I just barely catch the sleeve of his jersey.

“Hold up, Speed Racer. He’s working. Let him focus on the game. We’ll have plenty of time to see him after.”

Matty reluctantly takes his seat, and I do the same.

“Besides, who’s going to eat this candy if you abandon me?” I pull a box of Milk Duds from my purse and Matty’s face lights up.

“I can take care of that for you,” my kid assures me, snatching the box from my hand and tearing it open like a bear raiding a camper’s cooler.

I’ve never been to a professional hockey game before. It’s almost giving me sensory overload and the game hasn’t even started yet. My gaze tracks Bobby in his #62 jersey as he whacks a puck toward the goal and sneaks it past the goalie before he circles around to grab another puck. Why is my heart beating so fast?

“Did I tell you Coach Chloe scheduled our first official game?” Matty asks over a mouthful of caramel and chocolate. “She said she’s gonna let me be a winger.”

I smile at Matty, pretending to know what that means. “That’s great!”

“I guess I’d better make sure I don’t get grounded between now and then so I don’t let down Coach and the team.” He shoves another two candies in his mouth and turns his attention back to the players warming up on the ice.

I tap his temple with my finger. “Good thinking.” I’ve been tiptoeing around the subject lately since I haven’t had any more calls from the school and Matty’s mood appears less troubled. But I suppose now is as good a time as any, since he brought it up.

“You know, I got a call from the counseling place I told you about. They said they can finally fit us in right after Thanksgiving.”

He doesn’t look away from the players as he shrugs. “Okay, but I should probably tell you a couple more details since you’re going to find out anyway.” My mom senses go on alert, but I stayquiet. If my tween is volunteering private information, I’m not about to do anything to deter him.

He finally turns to look at me. Damn, in these seats, he’s the same height as me. How did that happen? “So, it’s pretty much just been this Raiden guy making trouble, like I told you. The kid he’s been bullying the most is gay like Dad, so I’ve been sticking up for him and, you know, it’s making Raiden give me a hard time too. That’s what most of the shoving and name calling has been about.”

I knew some of this already, but not that Raiden was seeking out gay kids or that Matty himself was a target. I’ve suspected it, but he never said for certain until now. When Matty showed me the screenshots he’d taken, I sent them to the school, but I haven’t heard anything since. Now that I know Matty is a target, though, I’ll be calling again for sure.

“So, he’s bullying you?” I ask just to make sure.

“I can handle it, Mom.” Matty shrugs before turning his attention back to the ice. “Bobby!!” He waves his hand wildly and shouts to his new hero.

I’m too distracted to even look to see if Bobby has noticed us. I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry or hug the snot out of my kid. But before I can decide, Bobby’s agent, Kaitlyn, appears beside me, her dark hair pulled up into a topknot and a carseat balanced in one arm.

“Hi! You must be Molly and Matthew.” She smiles warmly at us. “I’m Kaitlyn.”

“Oh, let me help,” I say, unfolding the empty seat next to me so she can set down the carseat. As soon as she does, we shake hands. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” she says as she takes the seat next to the baby carrier. “Believe me, I have been starved for adult interaction since this little lady showed up.” She lifts the blanketcovering the carseat to reveal the most precious baby with wispy black hair and a rosebud mouth.

“She’sgorgeous,” I gush. And no wonder. Kaitlyn is drop dead beautiful, and I’m pretty sure I did a double take the first time I laid eyes on her fiancé, Banks Bennet. The man isfine. The two were destined to have runway-model babies.

“We definitely lucked out. Mei sleeps through anything. If only she’d do it at night instead of during the day.” Kaitlyn pulls a pair of baby pink headphones from her bag and carefully secures them over her sleeping daughter’s ears. “Just in case.” She grins as more fans trickle in and take their seats.

“Boy Scouts have got nothing on moms. We’re always prepared for any eventuality.”

“I’m trying,” Kaitlyn sighs. “But I’ve got to confess, I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing most of the time. We’re both first-time parents.”

“Aw, you’re doing great, I’m sure.” I gesture to Matty whose got his nose buried in the program now that the players have left the ice. “I can’t tell you how many rookie mistakes we made with Matthew, and he somehow turned out okay.” More than okay considering his current situation. “It’s a constant learning experience. Just when you think you can predict your kid’s behavior, they change it up on you and you’ve got to figure it out all over again.”

“Oh my god, yes! I swear a good back rub would calm Mei down like a charm for the first few weeks, but now? She ratchets up to DEFCON one if I so much as lay a hand on her back when she’s upset. Why can’t they just speak from birth, so we know what we’re doing wrong?”

I laugh. “Hang in there. It’ll get easier once she starts sleeping through the night.” Lack of sleep is enough to drive the sanest person batty—I should know. Although, on the nights Ispend with Bobby, my insomnia has gotten remarkably better. I’m assuming it’s sexual exhaustion.

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