Luca stares at us.
Oh, shit.
He’s going to think we’re abandoning him. Just like everyone else.
Axel hoists Luca up into his arms. “You’re going to have so much fun. It will be like a vacation. And your unc-unc already misses you a lot. He needs to go for his job. So do I.”
“We’ll watch your parents on television,” Patricia tells Luca. “Doesn’t that sound fun?”
I go rigid.
Parents.
I buckle Luca into his car seat while Patricia loads the luggage, and then we’re driving across the bridge to old Boston.
Axel’s hand twitches on his thigh. I want to reach across and squeeze it, but Patricia is in the back seat with Luca, and that would raise questions I’m not ready to answer.
I stare out the window instead, gazing at the dark red brick houses with their glossy black shutters. It’s beautiful and proper in a way nothing in my life has ever been.
Axel parks the car.
“Let’s go greet them.” Axel turns to Patricia. “Can you take Luca?”
“Of course.” She starts to unbuckle Luca.
“See you soon, buddy,” Axel says.
I get out of the car hesitantly. I stare at the building again. It’s very nice.
Axel smiles. “Remember you’re a rich NHL player.”
“I feel like a poor freshman. I struggled so much with money back then.”
“I remember,” Axel says lightly.
“I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t received that hockey scholarship.”
Axel doesn’t meet my eyes for some reason. Does he think he should have gotten it?
“You were never interviewed for that, were you?”
He freezes. “Uh…” Then he smiles. “That scholarship was for you, Enz…”
I nod. “Yeah, I got a big scholarship instead of you.”
He snorts, then giggles.
The door opens. A little girl pokes her head out, spots Axel, and sprints toward us. “Axel!”
Axel laughs and lifts her in his arms. He twirls her around. “Hi Stella! How are you?”
She shrugs. “Okay.”
“Just okay?”
“I have homework! Three pages!”
“Oh, no.”
