She’s not coming to the game.
My parents agreed it would be best if she didn’t. Hockey is my dad’s thing, and she didn’t want to ruin my first game by them getting into something.
“Mom,” I sigh, “you’ve never missed a game.”
“I know, baby.” Her voice is distant. Things are getting worse. She sounds exhausted. “But your dad and I are—”
“Fighting, I know. You’ve been fighting for months, so I’m prepared for whatever—”
“That’s the thing, Declan; I don’t want to ruin tonight for you.” She pauses as if she’s contemplating her choice of words. “I know you and your sister know something is happening between us. We haven’t done our best to hide it, but baby, tonight isn’t about us. It’s about you.”
“And I want you there, Mom.”
My mom has always been my safety blanket. After every hockey game, whether we won or not, my dad would be ready with a list of critiques. My mom, on the other hand, would pull me into her arms and tell me how proud she was.
“I will be at the next one. I promise.”
“Maybe you can come instead of Dad,” I respond. “He doesn’t need to come to every game and—”
“He’s going, Declan. We’ve already talked about it.”
“If I get him to change his mind—”
“You won’t.”
“And I won’t get you to change yours?”
I pray for the answer I want. The answer I need.
“No.”
“But you can sit with Brinley,” I respond. “Dad never sits with Brin anyways. He won’t even know you’re there.”
“Next game,” she says. “I promise. Now call me after tonight’s game, okay? I want to hear all about it.”
“Okay, Mom.”
“I love you, sweet boy.”
“I love you too,” I hang up as I park in front of my dad’s office building.
Brinley and I have to be missing something. My mom's never missed one of my games, and things have been falling apart with my dad for years. I need answers.
“Hey, Marco,” I say, walking through the front doors. “Is dad upstairs.”
Marco is the security guard at my dad’s firm. He’s been here for as long as I can remember. I’ve probably seen him more over the years than I have my own dad.
“I’m not sure,” Marco begins. “Don’t you have a game tonight, kid?”
“I do.”
“So, what are you doing here?” he wonders. “Pretty sure this isn’t on the way.”
“Needed to talk to the old man.”
“And you drove all the way out here to do it?”
“Somethings are worth the drive.” I shrug. “You mind if I head up?”
