I walk into the guest room Niko told me I could use and turn on the monitor. Sophia is still sound asleep. Looking at the time on my phone, I see it’s a little after one and I send up a prayer that Hunter isn’t at the arena yet for the game. I hit his number and hope like hell he answers.
“Hello?”
“Oh, praise be. You answered.”
I hear Gordie barking in the background and Hunter moves the phone away from his mouth for a second to shush him. “You okay, Sadie? You sound out of breath.”
I’m not sure if I’m about to break out in tears or laughter. I lean against the headboard and throw my head back, heaving a sigh.
“Yes. No. I don’t know. Sophia had a rough afternoon and the toilet is clogged. She dropped a toy down there and now there’s water all over the bathroom. Niko is meeting with the team doctor so I don’t want to disturb him because it’s only kind of an emergency, but also isn’t important enough to get in the way of his appointment.”
“Sadie. Slow down. Take a breath.” Hunter’s voice is calm and reassuring. I do as he says and after a few more deep breaths, I’m able to think a bit more clearly.
“Okay. I’m good now.”
Hunter says goodbye to his mom and Gordie, then I hear the door shut in the background. I didn’t know his mom was in town. I’m about to ask him about that but he speaks first.
“I’m on my way over.”
Relief washes over me but then I panic, remembering the most important hockey game of his life tonight. “No. You have game seven tonight. Game seven is more exciting than Christmas morning. You need to go to the rink to prepare.”
I hear Hunter laugh before he cuts out for a second, his phone flipping over to Bluetooth in his car.
“I’ve been at the rink all morning. I just stopped at home to check on things.” He doesn’t bring up his mom, but I can tell by the change of his voice that something is bothering him. Now is not the time, though, so I table it for later.
“Are you sure you have time? I can call a plumber.”
“See you in fifteen.”
He hangs up before I can argue again. I’m so grateful for him. Knowing that he’ll be here soon eases some of the anxiety I’m feeling.
I close my eyes and attempt to get myself on track with a few on-the-go meditation techniques that usually work for me. I focus on my breathing and notice different areas of my bodythat feel tension. My heart is pounding and my shoulders feel tense, so I do my best to focus my attention there. Picturing my breath as a shade of blue, almost identical to Niko’s eyes, I picture it shifting in shade as it works its way through my body.
After a few minutes, I’m feeling lighter and more focused on the task at hand. Hunter should be here any minute. I hop off the bed and head downstairs. I grab some towels from the linen closet and attempt to clean up the water before he gets here. I have no idea how he’s going to fix the toilet, but I figure a dry floor is a good first step.
I’m wiping up the last of the water when my phone buzzes in my pocket.
Hunter
I’m here
Throwing the towels in the tub to deal with later, I sprint on my tiptoes to the front door hoping I can get there before he knocks or rings the doorbell.
When I throw the door open, Hunter’s fist is raised, ready to knock.
“Sophia’s sleeping.”
“Got it.”
Hunter follows me into Niko’s house, closing the door quietly behind him. When I turn to look at him, he’s attempting to take off his shoes with one hand. In his other hand is a long, metal, thingy-majiggy that kind of looks like a snake. I know just as much about plumbing as I do about the Finnish language.
“What the heck is that?”
We walk together toward the bathroom near the kitchen and Hunter holds up the weird tool. “It’s a snake.”
Okay, so maybe I know more than I thought.
Hunter laughs at what must be a very confused look on my face. “Here, let me show you.”
