Page 58 of My Wife
He continues, “It’s not so much that he has a chip on his shoulder, he just gets frustrated when things don’t operate as they should. Rainer, his dad, is German by birth, so Liam, as an aficionado of the fine engineering of his father’s homeland, believes everything, including the team, should operate like a well-oiled machine. But it doesn’t always because we’re human and have emotions.”
“He keeps his tamped down real tight. Except the mean ones.”
“Those come out on the ice from time to time which led to players and fans speculating about his absence last month.”
“That was an amazing summary,” I say.
“We spend a lot of time together,” Pierre replies.
“I wonder what he’d say about you,” Cara says.
“Maybe you don’t want to know,” her husband murmurs.
“But I do know that you’ve helped him a ton. Lately, my dad isn’t scowling when he talks about him.”
Pierre says, “Of course he is. He scowls at all of us. But that’s his way of showing affection.”
We all laugh and I reflect on relationships. The ones I’ve seen that are successful and the ones that are abysmal failures. Pierre and Cara fall into the first category. Every relationship I’ve had lands in the latter. I’m the not-proud owner of a short list of dating disasters.
Though, when Cara told me about Pierre, I never thought it would work out. She’s quiet and reserved. According to Grandma Dolly, Pierre used to be known as the Frenchman and not simply because of his French Canadian heritage. While Cara had never kissed anyone, he had a lot of experience in that department.
Still on the phone, he continues, “Now that Liam is back and named captain, I’m concerned he’s struggling but is hiding it well.”
“You should talk to him.” I’m not sure whether Cara is addressing her husband or me. I didn’t expect this to become a three-way call, but so far Pierre has been surprisingly insightful.
However, a realization about a crucial piece of Pierre’s story hits me like a cell phone on my toe. They don’t know about Liam’s son.
“He’s not the kind of guy to ask for help, but why?” Cara asks.
Pierre says, “Pride.”
At the same time, I say, “Stubbornness.”
Cara laughs. “You’re both probably right.”
“But what am I going to do about it?” I ask vaguely.
My bestie starts to say something, probably along the lines of asking why I think it’s my problem to fix.
Pierre interjects, “I’d suggest you tell his assistant to bring him candy to sweeten him up but?—”
“She’s already baking him a cake. Wait, are you?” Cara asks.
“You could just mash it intohisface.” Pierre chuckles.
Cara asks, “How are things coming with the rule-breaking?”
Pierre practically loses his mind when I start to recap the five rules Liam outlined. “No personal questions and you’re not allowed in his personal space?”
“I’ve dented those.”
“Tell me what he keeps on his bedside table,” Pierre says.
I answer, “A Bible and a box of tissues.”
“What a good boy.”
“Did it ever occur to you that maybe he meant his personal space, like—?” Cara starts.
