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)
We walk out of the rink with me holding the bags while Koda holds the girls’ hands. When she called me on the phone and asked where to take the girls skating, I knew exactly where to take them. I called up Guy, who owns the place, and he said to come right in, but I would have to leave by seven because the ice was rented. It’s the same arena I train at in the summer with my family. “Buckle in,” Koda states while I put the bags in the trunk. I slam the trunk at the same time as she closes the back door. We head back to her house, and Luna is practically sleeping by the time I unbuckle her.
“In the bath and then bed,” Koda says to her, and she just mumbles as she walks into the house, heading for the stairs. “Say thank you to Uncle Christopher.”
“Thank you, Uncle Chrissy,” Luna mumbles, not even looking over her shoulder as she holds the railing to the stairs, lifting the other hand to say goodbye.
“Thank you, Uncle Christopher,” Rain says to me, hugging me around the waist. I bend to kiss the top of her head before she skips off.
“Thank you again,” Koda adds, and I nod to her and walk out the door. I wait an hour before I text her to see if she’s up.
Me: Hey, are you up? I want to ask you something.
Koda: No.
I laugh at her dry humor, and instead of texting her, I call her. I don’t even know if she will answer me, and I’m more than a little surprised when she does. “Wow, she answers.”
“But did I?” She laughs, and I can hear the television in the background playing from her end, and I wonder if she’s watching another Sandra Bullock movie. “Maybe it’s your imagination.”
“Well, whatever it is, I’m not going to question it.” I get up and make my way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. “What do you think about putting Rain in hockey classes?”
“What?”
“Like, signing her up to be on a hockey team.” I walk out of the kitchen, turning off the lights and heading to my bedroom. “She’s really, really good, and she likes it.”
“You don’t think maybe she should do figure skating?”
“Wow, sexist much?” I put the glass of water down on the bedside table. “I have nieces who play hockey and are better than some of the guys.”
“Yeah, but—” she says. “I don’t know.”
“I can ask a couple of the guys,” I suggest. “Maybe call Guy and ask about a house league.”
“The only problem with that is, what about Luna?”
“Put her in also,” I quickly add. “It’ll do them good.”
“They’re already in gymnastics,” she counters, “and piano. I would have to see the schedule.”
“Piano?” I ask.
“Yeah, they started this summer. I needed something to keep them busy, you know, after all the Benji stuff, and piano it was.”
“How do they like it?” I ask, suddenly wanting to know all the details.
“I mean, it was rough at the beginning when they would practice at the same time.” She laughs. “But it’s getting a bit better.”
“How was the meeting?” I close my eyes, hoping she doesn’t shut down on me. I know I should just wait for her to tell me more instead of me just jumping in and asking her.
“It was different,” she states. “We sat around and told stories about how our lives were affected by drugs.”
“Did it help?”
“Yes and no.” She exhales. “Like, I was happy to hear I wasn’t the only one. But then I kind of felt jealous of the ones who still had their loved one there so they can try to help them.”
“I know it goes without saying,” I start softly, “but I never thought it was that bad.” She doesn’t say anything. “I knew something had to be done, but…” Neither of us says anything.
“Let me know about the skating and stuff, and I can decide,” she says after three minutes of us sitting on the phone in silence.
“Will do,” I confirm, hanging up the phone before I fuck up and say something else to her.
I pull up my uncle’s number and put it on speakerphone. “This is a late-night phone call,” he answers.
“Yeah, sorry, I took Luna and Rain skating,” I word vomit. “What do you think of me attending meetings?”
“I mean, nothing wrong with going to meetings and talking.” His voice is always so soft. “What brought this on?”
I could tell him about Koda, but I don’t want to take what she told me and tell someone. It’s hers, and she shared it with me, and I’m going to keep it close to my chest. “Just something I read online,” I lie.
“I can see if there are meetings near you. Ask around.”