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)
They put on their sneakers at the door while I take the leather jacket and slip it on. I snap a picture of myself and send it to Dr. Mendes with the caption “You can take the widow to the game, but you can’t make her wear color.” I snort at my own joke before grabbing my keys and heading outside.
I try to control my breathing as I turn down to the parking garage where the families park. The girls are so excited they have been bouncing off the walls all afternoon long. They wouldn’t even take a nap. I’m hoping they want to crash in the second period so I can leave. I grab the badge I was sent on Wednesday before we make our way over to the family suite.
The team has three whole sections of suites that they have made into one big one. It always has food and drinks, but then there are about a hundred seats in front of the suite for people to sit and actually watch the game. My neck burns as I get closer and closer, the chatting of everyone around me fades away and all I can hear is my heart thumping in my chest. “This is it,” I say when I smile at the security guard at the door, who nods at me when he sees the badge.
As soon as I walk in, I want to turn around and walk right back out the door. Maybe this is too fast. Maybe I should have waited to come back. My eyes quickly fly around the room like a deer in headlights. I think my knees are about to give out when I hear my name being called. Looking over, I’m shocked to see it’s Christopher’s dad. “Dakota,” he says, the smile on his face beams, “hi.” When he gets close enough, he bends to kiss my cheek. “Hi.” He bends to kiss the girls on the top of their heads. “Look at how big you two got.”
“I skate,” Luna says.
“Do you?” Justin says. “How fun. Maybe you can come skate with me sometime.”
She nods before he stands back up to talk to me. “How have you been?”
“Good,” I answer as I look to the side and see Caroline, Christopher’s mom, talking to a beautiful woman with blond hair. She is deep in the conversation, but when she sees me, her eyes light up as she touches the girl’s hand to stop her from talking and walks to me.
“Oh my goodness,” she says softly, coming in to hug me. “I am so, so happy to see you.”
“It’s great to see you.” The nerves that I had in my body before somewhat fade away. I thought it would be awkward to see everyone, and everyone would somehow make me feel like a poor widow. The crowd claps, and the lights turn on and off.
“Who wants to go down to the glass and maybe get some pucks?” Justin asks the girls, who both jump up. Every single time he’s been at the game, which is pretty often in the past couple of years since he retired from coaching, he’s almost always taken the girls down to the glass for me.
“Me! Me!” they both say at the same time, clapping their hands.
“I want to, I want to!” Luna shrieks out, making Justin smile at her.
“Is it okay if I take them?” he asks, and they are already sliding their hands in his.
“I want Christopher to give me a puck,” Rain states as her eyes light up.
“Well, I think we can arrange that,” he says, walking out of the room with the girls. My eyes wait until the door closes behind them before I turn back around to talk to Caroline.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been rude.” She laughs. “Koda,” she says my name, “this is Christopher’s friend, Keely.” She points at the girl, and I try to hide the shock on my face.
“Oh, hi,” I say, holding out a hand to shake hers. “Nice to meet you, Keely.” My throat feels like it’s going to close in. The back of my head burns as if I just poured boiling water on it.
“Thank you.” She smiles at me. “So is your husband on the team?” she asks, and I swear I think Caroline is going to faint when she asks me that.
“He was,” I say. “He passed away this summer.” I wait to see if her eyes light up when I say it. But all she does is put her hand to her mouth.
“I’m so, so sorry.” Her voice is low, and I feel so bad for her.
“That’s okay.” I put my hand on her arm. “You didn’t know. It’s okay.” Wow, I didn’t think this would happen. It’s the first time that I’m okay with discussing my husband being dead. I mean, it’s not like I go walking around in the supermarket and say, “Excuse me, my husband died.”