Page 17 of Center Ice
“Not when you can read them yourself,” his older brother tells him.
“Well, I can’t read yet.”
“But you’ll learn,” Missy says with the gentle, patient voice she always uses with her boys. Ryan, in particular, is very high energy, while Finn is quieter and more independent. “I bet Finn could teach you some words, if you’d sit still long enough to listen.”
“I’d rather play,” Ryan says, holding up two action figures I didn’t even realize he was holding.
“That’s fine,” Missy says, “but don’t try to interrupt your brother while he’s reading to Uncle Drew, okay?”
Ryan groans. “Reading issoboring.”
Missy looks at me, widening her eyes, and I immediately know what she wants from me. “I bet you haven’t read enough books to really know what kinds of books you like yet,” I tell Ryan, squatting down to his level. “Reading lets you go on adventures in your imagination, and it’s awesome.”
“I don’t want adventures in my imagination. I wantrealadventures.”
“Yeah, but when you read, you can go places that don’t even exist—like a land with dragons, or an underwater castle, or a city where superheroes live.”
“Like in the movies?” Ryan asks, his interest visibly growing.
“Exactly.”
“This book has superheroes,” Finn tells him.
Ryan’s eyebrows raise and his lips press together in a suppressed smile that has all of us laughing. It’s the perfectI’m interested but pretending I’m notlook.
“Maaaaaaybe I’ll listen when you read it,” he says begrudgingly to Finn.
“First, though, are we going to eat this amazing-smelling food Uncle Drew brought, or what?” Missy asks, sending me a grateful look.
“Yes!” the boys yell as they run toward the table where aluminum containers full of BBQ are spread out.
“Thanks,” Missy mouths silently.
“Rusty working tonight?” I ask as we head into the kitchen.
“Yeah, there was a call right before closing about a hot water tank that’s not working.”
“That couldn’t wait until tomorrow? It’s not like it’s cold enough at night yet that they need it for heat.”
“Apparently, dishes and showers couldn’t wait, and you know how Rusty never says no to overtime.”
It’s true. He owns his own plumbing company, and has always set aside the overtime dispatch fees. He then used that money to buy their family boat, fittingly calledOvertime, that they keep on Lake Winnipesaukee all summer long. This summer made me realize how much I love being out on the lake, and as long as things pan out with the Rebels and I’m still around, I fully plan on buying myself a boat next summer.
“Good thing he doesn’t.” I smirk. “You and the kids reap the rewards of that.”
“Yeah,” she says, but she sounds resigned.
“Hey.” I elbow her. “What was that?”
“Just wish he was around a little bit more. Sometimes I feel like a single mom.”
That term hits me like a barb stuck right under my skin, poking in a way that’s annoyingly painful. What’s life been like for Audrey? She said she didn’t do it alone, that she had Jameson and Jules, but that can’t have been the same as if I’d been around to share in the parenting. Could it? Though with my travel schedule for road games, she’d still have been doing a lot of it without me.
“I’m glad you’re home now, though,” she says. “The boys love you and are looking forward to spending more time with their fun uncle.”
“Me too,” I say, and even while it’s true, I’m already doing the mental math, figuring out how I’m going to balance all these new draws on my time. It’s just been me, on my own, for so long. Now I’ve got my mom, my sisters and nephews, and Audrey and Graham in my life.
I’ve never had to prioritize other people into my schedule, and I’m already worried about how I’m going to manage it all in addition to hockey.
