Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95393 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95393 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
The week flies by with school and me trying to make sure I’m busy every hour of the day the kids are gone. My house is now ready for winter even though it’s only September. Most of the summer clothes are packed away, and the winter clothes are waiting to be worn.
It’s Friday night, and the girls are running into my room wearing blue jeans and their team jerseys with Benji’s name on them while I sit on the bed putting on my white sneakers. “I’m ready,” Rain announces, smiling at me. “Did you pack my skates?”
“I did,” I assure her. “I did that this morning after I dropped you off.”
“Mine too?” Luna asks, and I nod at her, wondering how the fuck she is going to go on the ice without Benji. I mean, I can skate a little bit, but not enough to make sure she doesn’t fall. Worst case, I’ll fall and she’ll fall on top of me.
“Yes, yours too,” I say, hoping she gets there and decides she’d rather play in the kids’ suite than go on the ice.
“Let’s go.” I get up, grab the light blue jean jacket, and put it on top of the white shirt I paired with my black leggings. I roll the sleeves to the jacket before walking out with the girls. Every second we get closer and closer to the arena, I feel like I’m going to throw up. I have to breathe in through my nose and out my mouth. The pressure on my chest is so tight I cough a couple of times to help with my breathing.
Pulling into the underground garage makes my hands shake when I hold up the parking pass. The door opens right away. I make my way down and turn the corner when I see Christopher getting out of his truck. His eyes automatically go to mine and his face fills with a smile as he points at what used to be Benji’s parking spot. I pull into the spot, seeing they have yet to take down his name. My heart jackhammers in my chest.
I don’t have a chance to even think twice about it when the girls yell his name, “Uncle Christopher!” Rain unbuckles her seat belt.
I turn off the car and unlock the doors right before he opens the back door. “Oh my goodness.” His voice is like butter. “Look at these girls,” he gasps, “they got so big.”
“Uncle Chrissy,” Luna announces, “I brought my skates.” The minute she says that, I inwardly cringe, knowing I will have no choice but to embarrass myself by getting on the ice with her.
“I hope so.” He grabs Rain by her waist and takes her out, kissing her cheek. “Did you bring yours?” She nods as he puts her down, closing the door and walking around the other side to do the same thing with Luna. “Someone got taller,” he croons when he kisses her cheek, “you are almost the same height as me.”
He puts her down as I get out of the SUV. “Hey,” he greets me, wrapping his arm around my waist and kissing my cheek. “It’s so good to see you.” I just nod at him, taking him in. He’s wearing light blue jeans with a white shirt and a black jacket on top. His black-and-white Vans finish the outfit. It’s a casual outfit, but the way it fits him, it’s more like he’s a model than anything else. I mean, his looks make all the girls go crazy for him, but it’s the way he cares about everyone and everything that makes him special. He’s always the first one to help if something happens to anyone. He goes above and beyond for his friends. He showed me time and time again when it was with Benji, whether it was to help build that tree house in the yard or he had to get a Santa Claus costume because he forgot. It was always Christopher as his backup guy. He lets me go and looks at me again. “I’m so happy you guys came. If I knew you were coming, I would have come picked you up.”
“We should get in there.” I avoid answering his statement and instead go to the trunk to grab the girls’ bags. I’m about to grab them when I feel him behind me. He reaches past me, our hands landing on the handles of the bags at the same time.
“I got it,” he says when all I can do is stare at his hand covering mine. I quickly slip my hand from under his, turning to the girls while he grabs the bags.
“Let’s go,” he invites, and we walk to the door. It’s a walk I’ve made hundreds of times before, but it’s so much different this time. I look over at the girls to make sure they are okay as we step into the hallway leading down to the locker room.