Page 94 of Penalty Shot

Randall unclasps my fingers digging into the armrests and opens his palm so we can hold hands.

He murmurs softly, his voice calm and soothing. “Have you decided what show you want to watch?”

I shake my head, tongue-tied by adrenaline as the aircraft climbs higher. The clouds make me woozy, so I focus on Randall instead: his firm hold, his reassuring smile, his clean smell.

“I downloaded the first full season ofOnce Upon a Time,”he says and pulls out an iPad. Offering one of his Bluetooth earbuds to me, he presses play.

I’m familiar enough with the show’s general premise. It’s about fairytale characters navigating the good and evil forces of their stories while stuck in current time. The story doesn’t interest me, but I’m paying attention to the setting since it’s his hometown. I use my observations to get him to talk about his life growing up.

“Do those shops really exist?”

“Yeah, there’s a hardware store and bank. And that’s actually a real diner,” he says when a character takes an “open” sign to the sidewalk. “I worked there for part of the summer.”

“Is that a beach?” I ask after seeing a small stretch of sand where a blonde woman and young boy sit on top of a wooden bench.

“Sort of, although it’s more driftwood than sandy shores. Garry Point is where families have picnics during the day and teenagers get in trouble a night,” he says with a wink.

He pauses during a character’s rant in the middle of the street and points to a yellow building.

“That top floor, do you see it? That’s the Haughland law offices that my grandfather opened more than fifty years ago.”

“Your dad runs it now.”

“Yup, along with James Jr., my oldest brother, and Charles, the middle kid who is smarter than the whole rest of the Haughland family combined.”

I shrug. “That’s a bold statement, considering there isn’t only one way to be smart.”

“Let just say he took Haughland and Associates from civil and administrative law to one of the most respected corporate law firms in British Columbia. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions, securities litigation, and intellectual property disputes which, in the age of AI, is a lucrative business.”

“Good for them,” I say only mildly impressed. “Still, the coolest thing about them is this charming yellow building and the fact that they’re related to a fantastic hockey player named Randall Haughland. That’s what they should put on their business cards,” I say with a grin.

Randall doesn’t match my cheerfulness. “You don’t have to do that,” he mutters.

“Do what?”

“Stroke my ego. I’ve had a lifetime of knowing my place as the jock in a family of geniuses. Made my peace with it.”

Wow, that was completely out of nowhere. What the hell kind of landmine did I step into?

“A bit defensive, aren’t we?” I say with a raised brow. “If I was going to stroke anything, it wouldn’t be your ego.”

“Thank god for that. I’m sorry if my comment was out of line.” Randall cranks his neck and runs a knuckle over his jaw. “Let’s keep watching.”

He presses play, but I pause the show. I turn my body to face him.

“What’s going on, Randall? Are you worried I’m going to see you differently because your dad and brothers are into law and you’re not? Don’t you know what I do for a living? If I gave a shit about being a social climber, I would not have dedicated my life to corrupting our youth through revolutionary theater for basically no pay.”

He gives me a half smile, knowing I’m exaggerating in order to lighten the mood. Except for the shitty pay grade. That’s no joke.

Leaning over to kiss his lips, I reassure him, “I get it. Going back home when you live so far away can’t be easy.”

“I’m giving you a terrible impression of them,” he says worriedly. “I love them, and I know they love me. It’s just that Mom was the one I was closest to. She was the one who encouraged my passion for hockey, not Dad. When she died, I realized I didn’t knowhowto be close to my father and brothers in the same way. My brothers are ten and twelve years older. And my dad has always prioritized work.”

My heart hurts for him, the boy who lost a parent and had no family to comfort him. I lost my father around the same age he lost his mom. But unlike Randall who was estranged fromhis surviving family members, Ma and I found comfort in each other.

I feel a sob coming but push it down. I empathize with Randall, but I don’t want him to think I feel sorry for him. In fact, I’m impressed. Even the complex relationship he has with his family is something he handles with humility instead of resentment.

“How often do you see them?”