“Ooof, really? That would be an absolute blow. Not to just him but the team morale.” She stares at the TV and smiles as they show Pacey warming up his legs. “He’s so bendy. Look at him go.”
I chuckle. “He is quite bendy. He’s been doing special stretches for as long as I can remember.”
“What was it like growing up with him? Was he a total douche?”
That makes me laugh out loud. “He had his douchey moments for sure. But he was actually a good big brother. He always included me, and when we weren’t playing hockey together, he’d ask me what I wanted to do, which was usually to see a movie in the theater. Those were some of my favorite memories because he made a day of it. We’d purchase two giant buckets of popcorn, Raisinets, and drinks, and then we’d spend the day movie-hopping.”
“What’s that?” Winnie asks while handing me a salad.
“It’s when you go see a different movie without paying. You just slip into another movie theater after the one you paid for is over. There was one day when we saw three movies in a row. And of course, we had unlimited popcorn and drinks. It’s one of my favorite memories with him.”
“That’s so sweet and illegal.”
I laugh and move my fork around the salad. “Yeah, probably not the best choice, but it was fun then. I’d probably never do that now because the feeling of being fearless, like we’d never get caught, doesn’t sit well with me.”
“For some reason, when I was ten, I didn’t think gravity existed, so I’d test it and fall off rocks to see if I was pulled down or not. After a dozen tries to float, I realized maybe gravity was real.”
“I really wish I knew you when you were little.”
“Trust me, you don’t.” She bites into her salad and asks, “So are things better with Hornsby?”
“Define better?”
“Have you spoken since the fight?”
“Barely,” I say.
“Barely? It’s been two weeks. What have you two been doing for two weeks?”
“Avoiding one another.” I twirl my fork around, never biting into my salad, just pushing the lettuce around. “I feel like we’re right back at where we started. But this time, it feels worse. He’s sleeping on the couch—”
“This couch?” she asks, surprised. “How on earth does he fit on it?”
“Not very well. His legs hang off, his neck is all scrunched, and I’ve heard him drop off the side a few times. He can’t possibly be comfortable. I told him he could sleep on the bed, but he refuses. So yeah, it’s been fun, to say the least.”
“Have you talked about the fight at all, or is it just the elephant in the room?”
“We talked about it that night, but ever since then, it’s been like he’s shut down. He only ever asks how I’m doing and if the baby has been bothering me. The other night, I was leaving to get a milkshake, and he stopped me before leaving and went and got it for me instead. But when he got home, he handed me the milkshake and went back to not talking. That is pretty much the extent of our interactions.”
“God, I’d be an absolute wreck. I don’t do well with confrontation. You must be happy that they’re away right now.”
“More than you know.” I finally take a bite of my salad just as the puck is dropped and the game begins.
“Are you going to throw him a bone and talk to him?”
“I’m not even sure what to talk to him about.”
“Well, what were you guys doing before the fight?”
I think back to two weeks ago and shake my head in disbelief. “I threw up in his shoe that morning. He was telling me it was okay. It was one of the first times I saw his compassion. He was sweet and kind and didn’t make me feel like a fool. Nor was he angry. I wish we were there again.”
“Then reach out to him. I’m sure he’s not saying anything to you because he’s the one who screwed up. He’s probably looking for forgiveness in some weird way. Maybe texting him might make him feel better and open up more. I’m pretty sure the last thing you want is to be fighting with the man who’s the father of your child. You want to keep things peaceful, so reach out to him.”
“You really think that will help?”
“Guaranteed. I’m sure you two will be back to normal in no time.”
“I’d really like that. I mean, I was really mad about the whole fight thing, but I don’t want it to drive us apart. I just wanted it to be a lesson.”