My phone vibrates on the bedside table and I snatch it up with reflexes honed by years on the ice, silencing it before it can wake Elliot. She doesn’t stir. Her breathing stays slow and even, her body still warm and heavy against mine.
The caller ID makes my stomach tighten.
My father.
The timing would almost be funny if I weren’t already spiralling.
I consider slipping out of bed, answering quietly in the bathroom. I always take his calls. No matter where I am. No matter what I’m doing. I have never once let it ring out, and I’m not entirely sure why. Habit, maybe. Conditioning. Some part of me that still believes I owe him something.
But then I look at Elliot. At how peaceful she is. How she’s completely unaware of the storm in my head. And I know I do not want his voice anywhere near her.
For the first time in my life, I press decline.
My thumb hesitates, then I switch my phone to do not disturb and set it back on the table.
Elliot stretches in bed next to me, her eyes slowly blink open. Those beautiful green orbs looking sleepily up at me.
“Good morning,” she rasps softly.
I just smile down at her. It is a good morning. And I want more of them.
Arthur: Come home with me tonight.
Elliot: Who is this?
Arthur:
Elliot: Who taught you to use emojis!!!
Arthur: I watched a tutorial
Elliot: Proud of you
Arthur: Come home with me tonight
Arthur: We won’t get in until after midnight and you aren’t picking Sam up until after school tomorrow.
Elliot: Yes, but…
Arthur: But?
Elliot: I’m afraid you’re developing a bit of an addiction to me
Arthur: Maybe. One more night won’t hurt.
Arthur: I’ll quit tomorrow
Elliot:
I smileat my phone before putting it back into my pocket. Despite what I texted, I have no intention of quitting Elliot tomorrow. Or maybe ever.
The energy on the plane ride home is electric. The players are acting more like toddlers on sugar highs than professional athletes. But after beating Florida three to nothing and taking a three to one lead in the series, I can’t blame them.
It’s a hard line to walk. You don’t want to get overconfident, we still need to beat them one more time. Plenty of teams come back from being down by two. But you also don’t want to kill the momentum.
When I talked to them in the locker room after the game, Itried to keep things simple. Celebrate the win. But don’t let it distract you from the ultimate goal. We’ve got one more game to win.
Still, it’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement. If we beat Florida again in two days, we only have one more series to win before we’re in the Stanley Cup Finals.
