Page 39 of Here and Now
“Oh?”
“Nope. It’s contingent upon me having to drive Kai to you.”
She purses her lips. “Hmm, well, in that case, I wouldn’t want to deprive the children of their fun.”
“Yeah, it’s all about their needs,” I agree, but the sarcasm is dripping from each syllable.
“All right, I’ll text you so you have my number.” She grabs her phone out of her purse and I give her my number. “I just texted you. I should go. Thank you for doing this and don’t forget to share your location or I’ll be a nervous wreck.”
I laugh. “Not a problem.”
Penelope waves at Kai, who waves back, and then dashes out, almost as though she wouldn’t really go if she didn’t run.
I skate out to the kids with my ill-fitting goalie gear and sigh. “All right, you little ankle biters, it’s time for the make-a-goal game.” They all yell with an extreme amount of enthusiasm. “Settle down. Today instead of five chances, you each get an extra three. Now, the rules today are like normal, except you can’t hit someone else’s puck if you think they have a better shot at hitting me, okay? We’ll line up and have two rows.”
The boys probably didn’t listen to a word I said past the extra shots, but last practice, one of the kids gave his turn to Ethan because he’s got deadly aim. It’s why I have a cup on this time.
I get in my spot and they let me have it. I block quite a few, which makes me feel pretty proud, but both kids go at the same time, so there’s really no chance to focus. It’s all instinct and reflexes.
After, all the kids yell and skate around. It’s fun, and this is what I wish I remembered about playing hockey.
The friendship and the way the sport just made me laugh. By the end of my time, it was all about numbers and injuries and the never-ending bullshit about what I was actually worth. I just realized thatwinningwas all the coaches put worth in—not me.
But these kids, they don’t know a damn thing about that, and I hope they always love days like this.
“All right, I’ll see you in a few days. Go home, shower, drink some water, and be ready for our next skill lesson,” I say as I herd them off the ice. “Kai, I’m going to take you to Prose & Perk. Your mom didn’t want to be late.”
“Cool! Thanks, Coach!”
I nod once and then start to remove all the pads.
“What I wouldn’t give to be able to shoot some pucks at your head,” Eloise chimes in as I’m pulling my skates off.
I stand and scoff. “Please, you have zero athletic ability.”
“I have enough rage, though.”
That part is true. “I still feel pretty safe.”
She shrugs and then yells for her son. “Ethan! Get your shoes on, we aren’t hanging around. I need to get home before Cora wakes up!”
“You left the baby with Doug?” I ask, questioning my sister’s decision-making skills.
“Gran is there, and even if she wasn’t, Doug is just fine watching the baby. He’s a great dad, just not a great hockey player.”
I toss my shit in my bag and throw it over my shoulder. My sister falls in step beside me as we head to where all the kids are.
“No, he’s really not, but I give him an A for effort.”
“How magnanimous of you. God knows you were always stingy with the As.”
I grin. I really was. I loved that about myself. “Anyway, why did you want to pick up Ethan and not have me drive him as part of my penance?”
“I needed to leave the freaking house.”
“So it wasn’t because I’m finally forgiven for breaking your husband’s leg and you just wanted to see me?” I ask.
“Not a chance in hell.”
