Oh, shit! I forgot I was going to call Grace about that.
“Not yet,” I admit. “I’m hoping Grace will have an idea of somewhere I can stay that will allow me to bring Gizmo, since I’ll be gone for so long.”
“Can’t leave Gizmo behind,” Mom agrees, looking toward the living room, where the fuzzball is sleeping soundly. “Little guy would be beside himself with missing you.”
“I’d miss him too. I’ll miss you enough as it is, Mom. At least we can talk on the phone.”
“That’s true,” Mom grins. She reaches across the table and takes my hand. “I’ll miss you too, baby. But I’m excited for you.”
“Thanks, Mom.” This is just what I needed. Alone time with Mom to center myself and just relax before venturing off to kick ass in Denver. There’s no place like home, and no one in the world like Jade.
Later that evening, I go to my room with my suitcase and Gizmo in tow to shower and get ready for bed. The room still has the pink wallpaper from when I was a kid and is covered in posters and prints of famous photographs, likeDovima and the Elephants,The Pillow Fight, The Kick,and the photo of Brandi Chastain from the 1999 Women’s World Cup.
My full sized bed is covered in a t-shirt quilt and my old stuffed elephant Sir Trunks-A-Lot is propped up against the pillows. I feel a little sad, missing how happy and carefree I was when this room was pretty much my whole world. Life is so much more complicated now, in good and bad ways, but being here always reminds me of how totally safe and loved I felt when in this house.
After my dad and brother were gone, anyway. I was only four when Dad left and Aiden was fourteen, and then I was ten when Aiden took off, so I don’t remember many details about livingwith them - but I remember how I felt. The tension and the raised voices as Mom and Dad argued. Aiden’s cold moodiness as he locked himself away in his room and ignoring me instead of trying to comfort me.
I try not to think about those days. I only want to think about when it was just Mom and I, after Dad left to start his new family and Aiden went to military school and never looked back. As much as I missed both of them in the early days, there was so much more peace when Mom and I lived here alone.
Sighing, I drop onto the bed and grab my phone. Gizmo hops up next to me and heads over to pounce on Sir Trunks-A-Lot.
Ooph, I’m such a downer sometimes. I dial up Grace’s number and lay back on the bed, knowing talking to her will cheer me up.
“Hey girl,” she answers. “You’re on speaker! Skyler and Stacey are here too.”
“Hey, Rylee!” Skyler and Stacey say together.
I smile, even as I feel a pang of jealousy that they get to be all together like this whenever they want. It’s like they’re back in college again, when we were roomies and could hang out any time, and I’m stuck on the outside looking in.
“Hello lovelies,” I reply. “What are you all doing?”
“The boys just finished their first week of practice and are out having a boys’ night,” Grace explains. “So we’re hanging at Stacey’s for a girls’ night.”
“It’s only fair,” I declare.
“Oh! We should get Sutton in on this! Give me a second.” Grace puts me on hold before I can respond and as I wait, I play with Gizmo’s tail while he gnaws on my elephant’s trunk. A few moments later, Grace’s voice comes back through the line. “There! Now it’s a real girls’ night!”
“Hellllloooo ladies,” Sutton says and I chuckle.
“Well, this is perfect,” I declare. “I have some news that I wanted to share with you all anyway!”
“What is it?” Grace asks.
I pause for dramatic effect. “I found out today that the magazine is sending me to Denver to do two features on the Night Hawks!”
“Oh, my God! That’s amazing!” Grace says while the other two let out muted squeals of excitement.
“We’d scream louder but Millie’s sleeping,” Stacey explains while Skyler continues to squeal in the background.
“That’s awesome, Rylee!” Sutton chimes in. “Look at you! Kicking ass and taking names.”
“Ahhh, thanks guys,” I reply, grinning from ear to ear. “I was actually going to ask you, Grace, if you knew anywhere I could rent a furnished apartment while I’m there. Preferably some place that allows pets.”
“Oh! You can stay in my old place!” she replies. “No one’s living there now, and the lease is still good for a few months I think. Skyler stayed there when she first got here, right Sky?”
“I did, and it was great,” Skyler says. “It’s a cute place, Rylee. You’ll love it.”
“That sounds great!” I pause and flick Gizmo’s tail. “Can Gizmo stay there with me?”
