Page 7 of Project: FU (Longwood U #3)

TAVIS

“Hustle, Bobetski. Come on.”

“Heard, Coach,” he calls back as he digs his blades into the ice and practically sprints down to the other end of the rink.

Trenton Bobetski is probably one of the most promising players I’ve had on my team in the last couple of years. The last one I coached with this much raw talent was our goalie Lennox Laurel, who was drafted right into the NHL last summer after graduation.

But goalies are goalies. They’re wild all on their own.

I haven’t had an offensive player with this much promise in a long time. He reminds me of a water balloon. He needs to be carefully handled and gently shaped or he’s going to explode and make a mess. I have a feeling his previous coaches didn’t know how to handle him.

I’m not sure what happens in the next few seconds. Bobetski sends the puck down to the goal, and somehow Mario Roland lands on his face as if Bobetski had hit him with force instead of the puck, and he goes sliding into the goal as if he’s on a slip ‘n’ slide.

Our goalie, Ted Berenloud, literally jumps over him and somehow manages to catch the damn puck before he lands on his feet as if he’s a figure skater. My assistant coach, Raymond Dorsey, blows the whistle as the team whoops and cheers, commenting on the choreography of that save.

“Go, Teddy Bear!” Mo hollers from the bench. “That was magic.”

I grin at where our little mini coach is sitting, straddling the half wall. She stays there when the team is playing full contact so she’s not trampled. Her father, Edin, grins around his mouth guard and winks at her.

“You need to do that in a game,” Roland says. “That was magic.”

“I hope there isn’t someone making themselves into a human puck in a game,” Berenloud counters.

“Oh, come on, Teddy Bear. You’d make headlines. You’d be the next great goalie to come out of here! Just look at what Laurel is doing now. That could be you,” Bobetski says, shoving Berenloud playfully.

These three boys were here last year, Laurel’s last year at Longwood U. Since he graduated, Berenloud has been given his time to shine. My team has been fortunate to manage recruiting some really great goalies.

“Reset,” Raymond says. He claps Berenloud on the chest. “Nice save, Ted.”

Berenloud looks at me, giving me a big smile. I know his nickname is completely based on his actual name, but if there was ever a living teddy bear, this man is it. He personifies someone big, fuzzy, and filled with cuddles.

I watch my team as they play through another set, with Raymond taking the spot as ref while Mo yells directions.

Raymond doesn’t stop the game or send them to the bin, but he does call the penalties so they’re aware they’ve made them and that we’ve seen.

It’s crazy how on point Mo is most of the time.

The team loves it when she starts bossing them around.

When practice is over, I give them a brief pep talk about rest, proper nutrition, and getting themselves in the right headspace for our first game that’s just around the corner. It’ll be here sooner than they think.

Then I release them and watch as they move in a gaggle to the chute. They’re in good spirits. Thinking positively. They’re ready. Mo is on Berenloud’s shoulders as she gives them feedback on their practice tonight.

She’ll be dropped off in my office. The locker room isn’t an appropriate place for a little girl, but I think we all love her presence. She’s a bright spot for sure.

I skate around the ice slowly as my team vacates. Raymond follows. I wave him off when he pauses to wait for me. He accepts my dismissal and follows the team.

We’re looking good this year. We’ll have to see how that translates to games, but I’m happy about the talent on the ice. They’re good kids, too.

I raise my head and spot my kid hanging over the railing that overlooks the chute. “You’re going to fall,” I holler as I skate toward him.

Skye smiles and stands up. He meets me at the edge of the ice.

“You good?”

He nods. “Yep. Your guys look good this year.”

“I was just thinking that. We’ll see if that translates into the first game, but so far, I think we’re doing well. How were classes?”

Skye shrugs and steps onto the ice. I’ve had all my kids on the ice since they could walk. I was a little relieved that none of them wanted to play hockey since I’d have had to miss so many of their games as I focused on my own team.

“The usual. Nothing exciting.”

Skye has always been my quiet child. I think having two older and one younger sibling who were as loud as kids come had kind of trained him to be quiet.

He was always far more content observing their chaos than wanting to get involved.

He was cautious, curious, but reserved, too. That carried over into his adulthood.

However, he’s been even more quiet than usual. “Everything okay with you?”

He glances up at me. We’re roughly the same height when I’m not on skates. Those few inches make a difference.

“Yeah. Why?”

“You’ve been quieter than usual. Nothing’s bothering you?”

He shakes his head, turning his attention away.

“Is that the truth, or do you not want to talk to your dad about it?”

Skye’s lips quirk. “I don’t know. I don’t really know how to talk about it.”

“Do you want me to stay quiet and give you time? Ask questions? Talk about something else?”

He nods, chewing on his lip. We move slowly around the ice since he’s not on skates. “Questions.”

There’s nothing that means more to me than when my kids want to talk to me about something bothering them.

I’m not sure it’s possible to feel greater pride in knowing that they feel safe with you.

They trust you. And they’re comfortable enough in your presence to tell you something that’s bothering them.

We’ve played this game a lot as Skye grew up. He’s never been good about initiating conversation. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to talk about it. It just means he doesn’t know how to begin. I think that has a lot to do with having loud siblings. It feels as if your voice is never the one heard.

“Does it have to do with school?”

He shakes his head.

“So not classes, then.”

Another shake.

“Home? Your mom? Siblings?”

No.

“Me?”

He gives me an amused smile. “No.”

“Hey, I need to ask.”

Skye rolls his eyes, smiling.

“Okay, so… a friend?”

No.

“Is it at least a person? A living person?”

He snorts. “Yeah.”

“Good, okay. But not a person at school.”

“Uh… they go here, yes. But it has nothing to do with here.”

Process of elimination. Not a classmate, but someone who attends school. This has nothing to do with school, so it’s… oh. “A hookup?”

His cheeks pinken, and he nods.

“Did he hurt you?”

Skye sighs. “No, Dad.” His voice is soft now. Well, softer than usual since it’s always quiet.

“Is he ghosting you?”

He shakes his head and then stops. Frowns. “No? I don’t think so. I’ve only ever seen him in passing, and we don’t really have a lot of reasons to cross paths, so… I think it’s pretty normal that I haven’t seen him around.”

“Good. I’d have to take a hockey stick to his teeth.”

Skye flashes the ice a smile.

“We have a person. Is it the hooking up that’s bothering you?”

He doesn’t answer, and when he shakes his head, it’s not entirely convincing. I’m not sure he’s trying to hide that it’s bothering him. He’s maybe not sure if that’s the part that bothers him.

“Are you angry?”

Nope. His amused look says that’s very far off.

“You want to see him again?”

The pink is back. There’s no bigger tell on my kid than those pink cheeks. “I just… it’s not someone I’m supposed to be seeing.”

“Is he a teacher here? A member of faculty?”

Skye laughs again. “No.”

“One of my team?”

He shakes his head.

“Kiel’s boyfriend?”

The look of horror on his face makes me laugh. “No, Dad.”

Kiel is his best friend. I’ve always thought their relationship was… curious. They’re very alike, which is a little interesting, but they rarely talk and rarer still, hang out. Yet, they have insisted they’re besties for years now. I’ve never been able to figure it out.

“So you’re confused because you shouldn’t see him again, but you want to,” I guess.

He sighs. “Yeah.”

“Does he want to see you again?”

More hesitation. “I don’t know.”

“You could text him.”

“I don’t have his number.”

Okay, I’m dying to know who we’re talking about. I’ve never pushed when it comes to my kids telling me names of the people in their lives. Especially as they get older. They’re allowed private lives, even if I hate that they’re becoming more independent and don’t need me like they used to.

“You said he goes to school here. So put yourself in his path. See what happens.”

Skye gives another heavy sigh. He rubs his face and then shakes his head. “I don’t know.”

“Are you feeling more confused because you shouldn’t see him again or because of something else?”

“I think I’m using that as a bigger excuse than how I really feel about it,” Skye admits. “I think I’m maybe a little… overwhelmed.”

I’m not sure what to do with that. Overwhelmed?

“By how you feel?” I hedge.

He laughs nervously. “Dad, I liked it. A lot more than I imagined liking it. I guess maybe I’m scared, but I don’t know why I’m scared.

He’s not someone I talk to a lot, and maybe he didn’t like it as much as I did, and I don’t know what to do with that.

I want to do it again, but I don’t want to ask him.

I want to hide and make sure he sees me at the same time.

I want to keep the good memory in case it was only on my end.

I don’t want to know if I’m bad, but maybe I am, and that’s why he hasn’t found me on campus? ”

The last sentence is definitely a question. He wants the answer, but he’s afraid to find it out.

I wrap my arm around his shoulders and give him a sideways hug. Insecurities are difficult to carry around.

“Sorry. You probably didn’t want to know that,” he murmurs.

I kiss the side of his head. “You know what assures me I did all right by you kids?” Skye looks up at me.

“That you’re comfortable talking to me about anything, including the hard stuff or the embarrassing things.

Sex isn’t a shameful subject, and I never want you to think it is.

We can talk about it in whatever detail you want to, Skye. ”

He releases another breath, and I feel his shoulders relax under my arm. “Thanks,” he says. “I don’t know that I need to talk about sex itself, though I appreciate the offer.”

I’m glad that a hint of amusement is back in his voice.

“I guess I just don’t like not knowing how he feels about it and whether it’s a one-time thing.

I think it is, and… it’s not like we committed to more than that.

There was no ‘ call you later ’ promise after.

It was just… good. Really good. You hear a lot of horror stories about hookups, and I don’t want to be one of them.

Maybe I’d find peace if I knew I wasn’t awful, and that’s why he’s stayed away? Not that I think he’s staying away.”

Skye lets his head fall back. I can feel the frustration radiating off him.

“I think maybe you’re focusing on your fears and maybe not what actually happened.

Think about your interaction. Was he into it?

Did he appear to enjoy it? I’m sure you know by now that you can tell when someone isn’t into it, whether from experience or vibe.

How did you leave things? Was it awkward? ”

He’s quiet as he thinks about my questions. I know he’s come to some positive conclusion when he relaxes a bit. “I think he enjoyed it,” he confides. “He…” Skye turns his face away and I catch his skin burn red before he finishes. “He said so a lot, uh, while we were… hooking up.”

I grin. “Good to know.”

He huffs. “Okay, so. Maybe only my fear of insecurity is what’s bothering me.”

“Sounds like that might be it.”

This time when he sighs, there’s a small smile on his lips. “Thanks, Dad,” he says.

“Anytime, Skye.”

“There you are!”

We look up into the stands to find Orion. I swear, his smile can be seen from space. He just exudes happiness. He comes down the stairs fast enough, skipping steps, that my heart races. I keep imagining him falling on his face.

Somehow, he has ice picks on his feet because he comes flying across the ice and collides with Skye.

They go skidding away, and my reflexes are tested as I dig my blades in to catch them.

Neither of them are wearing anything that will protect them from injury, and I don’t want them falling on their heads.

“You’re a barbarian,” Skye mutters as he shoves Orion off him.

Orion winks at his brother and then looks at me. “Why are you still out here? I’m hungry. Let’s get something to eat.”

“Did you have class tonight?” I ask.

Orion shakes his head. “I was studying for a while. The library seems to be one of the few places where there are the least number of distractions.”

Skye nods in agreement.

“I need to get out of these skates, then we can go. You have a place in mind?”

My boys look at each other with smiles, and for just a second, I see them ten years younger. As if they’re conspiring about something. Orion always tried to include Skye in his shenanigans, and while Skye could rarely be convinced, he was always there. Always watching and rooting for his brother.

I love their friendship.

“Indian Jewel,” they say together.

I should have known. It’s been their favorite restaurant since our very first visit for Hannah’s eighth birthday. Hannah decided she didn’t like Indian food after that, but my boys did.

“Give me ten minutes.”