I stand up so fast, my chair falls backward.
“Lizzy,” she keeps talking, calm as ever, “don’t freak out. I just wanted to let them know that it didn’t have to be all or nothing like they tried to make it.”
“How many times a year and for how long?” I grit. “What do they call them?
“Almost once a month since they were six months old,” she answers weakly. “They know them as Uncle Billy and Aunt Sherry, because we say they’re their great aunt and uncle.”
“What the fuck, Sylvia?” I shout. My parents have seen those kids, yet they haven’t talked to me? Sylvia has let them around my kids for five and a half years without telling me?
Except they aren’t mine.
“Lizzy,” she starts, but I shake my head.
“No. Don’t even try to explain this to me. That is wrong. How could you not tell me? And then to try to say it was only a few times when it’s not? That’s bullshit! God, I don’t want to deal with this. Tell the girls I’ll come play with them another time.” I walk out, ignoring her when she calls for me to come back and talk to her. My own parents, who refused to answer my calls when I finally got myself up off the floor, have been seeing the twins all this time? Why still ignore me? They are getting what they wanted! They aren’t grandparents to them, but they are in their lives, which is better than nothing.
Fuck, I’m pissed! I tried to offer that to them, with Scott and Sylvia’s permission, in the very beginning, and they would have none of it! What changed? Why still abandon me? My phone rings on the drive home and I swipe without looking.
“What?” I snap.
“You aren’t supposed to be angry if you’re hanging with Sylvia and the girls. And to think I almost didn’t call you. I’m glad I did. What’s wrong?”
“I’m not with them. I’m on my way home because apparently my parents have seen Stella and Stephanie every month since they were six months old, but heaven forbid they forgive me and talk to me! And Sylvia didn’t tell me! Then, she’s going to try to use the excuse that they are her kids now. Well, they are my parents! They stopped talking to me because they weren’t going to have grandkids, but apparently, they’ve had grandkids all this time! Well, nieces since they call them aunt and uncle, but still. What the ever-loving fuck!”
Marc is silent for all of three seconds. “Wow, you’re pissed.”
“No shit, Sherlock.”
He ignores my comment. “But are you pissed at Sylvia or your parents?”
“Both! My issue isn’t that she’s letting the girls have a relationship with them. It’s that she didn’t tell me that she’s letting my parents have a relationship with them. My parents who refuse to have a relationship with me! Yet, she thinks they want to talk to me. I call bullshit. If they did, they could call me. It’s bad enough that I had to work and beg and convince them to show up to my wedding, but now I’m supposed to be the one to reach out to them especially now that I know they’ve been seeing the girls? Hell no!”
“Okay, okay. Calm down, little lady.” He adds a terrible Southern accent on that last bit, and I can’t help but laugh. “Much better. Go home, relax, bake something good, watch the game tonight, and I’ll come over once I get back.”
I pull into my driveway and park. “Okay.” Staring at the house, I remember what Sylvia said about Marc moving in with me. “I can’t wait to see you,” I say instead of the question on the tip of my tongue. An idea hits me, and I know exactly what I want to do. “Play well tonight and I’ll wait up for you. I love you.” A smile pops onto my face automatically.
“I love you too, Elizabeth. See you soon.”
We hang up, and I get to work.
THE STORY OF yesterday’s events were told to Scott and Noah at the same time to prevent me from having to repeat it. Scott went on a roller coaster of emotions while Noah soaked it all in and stayed quiet. Then, Noah and I both had to assure him that she was fine. He pissed me off because if she wasn’t fine, I wouldn’t have been on the trip with the team. But for Elizabeth, I let it go and reminded myself that I probably would’ve reacted the same way.
The schedule has us playing the Liberty Eagles, and I think we’re going to win tonight. Thinking that is probably going to jinx us, but I hope not. There just seems to be a current of energy in the room, passing among all the players who are laughing and joking and in good spirits despite the five-game losing streak.
Our heads are held high and we’re ready to play.
Coach Mike clears his throat and the room quiets immediately. “The energy that’s in here right now? Carry it onto the ice. Forget about what we drilled into your head the past week. Go back to the basics. Play, enjoy yourselves, and let the game come to you.”
Basically, he doesn’t want us overthinking ourselves and our decisions. Sometimes, starting small and with the basics is exactly what’s needed.
Noah taps my leg with his stick as we line up on the ice for the anthem. “I heard you talking to Lizzy earlier. Just wanted to say, you’re a fucking sap, and it’s about time you told her you loved her.”
I laugh. I hadn’t considered he’d try to pay me back for any shit I said while he’s been with Meredith. But if he starts hugging, kissing her cheek, or anything else like that that I do, no laughs will be coming from me. Yes, there is a double standard and no, I don’t care that there is one. The lady comes out for the anthem, so I close my eyes, bow my head, and listen to her sing.
And then, it’s time for the game.
Brayden is up for the face-off at center ice. The puck drops, our captain wins the face-off, sending it back toward Nathan O’Donnell, and Donny takes off. He skates along the right side of the ice, does one of his seemingly effortless wrist shots, and I’ll be damned.
Twenty-eight seconds in and we’ve got a goal. I rush over and throw my arms around Donny.