She sighs, her shoulders slouching. Her eyes drop to the floor. “Hockey took you far away, and it sucks. I agreed not tomove out there because you could be traded at any time and then I’d be left there all alone since you don’t have a choice, until I managed to get a job in your new location. You convinced me to stay here, and said you’d come home when you retired.”
“I know. I remember.”
Edna nods. “But now you have Keno, and I just feel like… you’re never coming home now.” Her voice shakes and she squeezes her eyes shut to fight her tears. “It was so hard when you were drafted, but you used to call all the time, and we’d video chat and text and… then Keno came along, and I hardly heard from you. I thought eventually one of you would be traded and things would go back to normal, but now you’re marrying him and I… I just feel like… I feel like I lost my twin.”
Tears track down her cheeks as she covers her face. I set my glass down and bring her into my chest. “No, Eddy,” I whisper. “I’m sorry I made you feel that way. I didn’t mean to hurt you like that.”
“No, I know. It’s not your fault.”
“Itismy fault, but why didn’t you say something? Why did you wait until you were so upset that you acted like a bitch to Keno?”
Edna flinches. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
“I know but now answer me. Why didn’t you tell me how you were feeling?”
“Because you’re so happy. I’ve never seen you as happy as you’ve been since he joined your team, and I don’t want to be the reason you’re not happy.”
“Eddy…”
The kettle whistles. I shuffle us toward the stove to turn it off. “I’m sorry. I thought you’ve been preoccupied with your boyfriend and since we’re both growing up, I thought maybe we were naturally creating our own lives. But don’t think for asecond that I don’t think about you often and wish you were there.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Would it kill you to text me when you do?”
I laugh. “No. As long as it won’t kill you to call me when you want to talk.”
She sniffs. “Yeah.”
“Look.” I push her back and wipe her face. “I don’t know what’s in the future. I don’t know where hockey will take us and we’re already facing a future where hockey could split us up at some point. That’s just the nature of being professional athletes. Which means I don’t know where we’re going or how long we’ll be there. But when we’re ready to retire and settle down somewhere, that’s a conversation we’ll have, knowing that I want my sister close. Okay?”
Fresh tears leak down her face. “Okay.”
“And I’m going to need you to apologize to Keno. He’s pretty convinced he did something to make you hate him.”
Edna flinches. “I will.”
“Good. One last thing.” I wipe her tears away again. “I’m going to need you to be my best man girl… thing. And I’m also going to need some help on wedding shit from time to time because we’re overwhelmed as fuck.”
She gives me a watery laugh, and yes, I get more tears. “Yes.”
“I’m glad that’s settled.” I hug Edna again, keeping her close for several minutes. “Now I want you to find a video of grandmothers being flower girls and show it to Gram while I’m finishing making this tea. Set the stage for me.”
Edna grins. “She’s going to love that.”
I nod. I hope she does.
By the time I return to the dining room, Gram is giggling as she watches. I set a mug in front of her, hand Mom her glass ofsparkling water, and then retake my seat with my own mug of tea. Gram looks at me with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
“You’re going to ask me to do this, aren’t you?”
“Well, notexactlylike that. You’ll put your own twist on it.”
“With your Mr.’s Gram?”
I nod. “She’s his gran, but yeah.”
