We settle onto the couch.
Lucy is asleep, school still knocking her out by seven most nights. She made a paper “Go Bears” sign and taped it to the inside of her bedroom door so “Daddy can feel it from Canada.” But insisted we send a picture just in case. He loved it.
“Six days.” Nalani sighs, adjusting a pillow behind her back.
“Six days and three time zones,” Noelle mutters.
“The beginning of a long stretch that always feels longer than it looks on paper.” Sofie sighs, and they all look at me.
I shake my head, “I’m new to this, and don’t take this wrong, but I don’t hate the idea of having that time to focus on Lucy and school, and sleep. God, I miss sleep.” I sigh.
They all laugh, and Claudia says, “Get it now while you can.”
Nalani shakes her head. “I’m freaking out about Koa being gone after the break. He’s going to be so much calmer than me about everything.”
“That’s when you text Claudia like I did when Lucy had a fever,” I tell her.
“I’d be vetting nannies now,” Sofie states, and we all look at her. “What? I had one and turned out fine.”
“I mean, sort of,” Noelle jokes.
Sofie elbows her, and we all laugh.
“Are things going well with you two?” Claudia asks.
I nod, trying to fight back a smile, “He’s wonderful, but it’s happening so quickly.”
“What part?”
“All of it.” I close my eyes. “To be honest, I worry that these feelings are.” I sigh and shrug.
“Aleks says he’s in love,” she looks at the others, “We all see it.”
I turn to the TV as the camera cuts to warmups. Lenzin glides across the ice as if he owns it. Even on TV, you can tell whenhe’s locked in. There’s a stillness to him before the game starts. Controlled and focused.
“He looks good,” Claudia says quietly.
He looks better than good; he always does.
“He looks like he’s got something to prove,” Sofie adds.
I tuck my legs beneath me, “He wants us to share a room. I worry about how Lucy will feel because I’d need to move Lucy upstairs, too. She’s had a lot of change.”
“I’ve always hated the term, kids are resilient, but when it’s in an environment that they know they’re loved, it isn’t harmful, it’s simply just change.”
I nod. “I think I’d like to do it while he’s gone.”
Every head turns.
“A nice surprise,” Claudia says, a slow smile spreading across her face.
“I already started,” I admit.
Noelle grins. “I love that he doesn’t know.”
“He asked for soon, but not a date.”
“You hit him with emotion, and he may short-circuit,” Sofie says.
