Page 115 of Shutout
“I can’t believe you guys did long distance for a year and a half.” Mina shakes her head. “I could never.”
Dee scoffs. “Yeah, you could. You’d follow Bloom to the ends of the earth.”
“Heck yeah. I have to be there to keep those puck bunnies away.” She winks, knowing full well she was one such puck bunny once upon a time.
I recognize some approaching figures over her shoulder. “Oh, time’s up, guys. The whole Rodriguez clan makes landfall in T-minus one minute. See you at the party later?”
“Of course.”
“For sure.”
The fact they say this at the same time, and that Dee’s wearing the same sinister-Mina expression, gives me pause.
But then a set of pincers wrap around me. “¡Mi hermanita se graduó!” Luz’s obnoxious voice pierces my eardrum.
“Ugh! Get off me, you oaf. You’re gonna squish the baby.”
Luz places a loud kiss on my cheek and pulls away. I turn to find her massaging her pregnant belly. “Baby CR wanted to hug you too.” My dork of a sister and her dork of a husband are calling their upcoming firstborn by the initials of their last names, because they refuse to give us any hint on whether it’s a boy or a girl.
Max gives me a one arm hug. “Congrats, Oliva.” Of course, he’s joined the family tradition of calling me by some variant of olive, but in Italian. I hate them all.
Mom’s all sniffly as she hugs Dad. And his eyes are misty eyed too. “Our last baby is all grown up now, Arturo. ¿Qué vamos a hacer?”
“Jugar golf?” He suggests, dabbing at his face with a handkerchief.
“Auntie!” This is the only word, aside from Mommy and Dadda, that my niece can say so far. Which is helpful, since aside from Luz and I, she has Maddie’s sister.
I pluck her from her mother’s arms and smush my face in her belly, which always makes her laugh. She clings to my neck as I look at her parents. Aran grunts, and his wife translates, “We’re so proud of you.”
I love Maddie, and only Maddie.
“Thank you, guys.”
I can’t help trailing my eyes past them to the expanse of the plaza that leads to the public entrance of the arena. There are clusters of people everywhere, families and friends of the grads taking pictures, hugging it out. It’s a moment of relief, joy, and pressing nostalgia.
Right now, I’m trying my hardest to not let sadness overpower me. This should’ve been another one of those important milestones that Brooke and I shared together. It was why we busted our behinds to get in the same college. But life had its own plans, anyway. And I guess it’s not right for me to expect him to come today, when I’m literally flying tomorrow to officially move in with him.
He’ll keep playing professional hockey for the team of the city I’ll be doing my master’s at. I can’t believe how perfect that is—it almost feels like a reward after all this time apart.
Aran reaches his hands toward me to retrieve his daughter, and I comply with a mild protest. ThenIget lifted off the ground.
Squeals explode from my chest at the vertigo. My diploma and bedazzled hat go flying off. A second later, I land on powerful arms and I recognize the scent of expensive cologne and warm boy. When I open my eyes, Brooke’s grinning face peers down at me.
My brain catches up to what my nose knew first, and my jaw drops.
“Hey, Liv.”
“Surprise!” the voices of my former roommates shout in unison from nearby.
It finally clicks. This is why they looked so devious. They were planning this behind my back.
I stretch until I free my arm squished against his chest and bring it around his neck. With my free hand I touch his face, just to make sure this is real. The faint scar from a year and a half ago is still there on his jaw, and that’s how I know I’m not dreaming.
“It’s you,” I sigh the words.
“It’s me.” Brooke presses a quick kiss on my lips that makes someone coo. My sister, I’m sure. When he pulls away, he asks, “Did you really think I’d miss this moment?”
“Well. Your team’s in the playoffs, unlike the losers over there.”
