Always Something There to Remind Me

A couple of hours later I sat on my couch bouncing my knee waiting for Colby. Becky was just going to go to the arena straight from work, and Brandon and Kim were just going to head straight to the arena too since it would have been out of their way to come pick me up, so Colby told me he would come get me since I was on his way. Normally I would be glad that I didn’t have to drive, but going with Colby meant that I had to be there early, and I didn’t know if I would be able to handle Carissa that long.

A few minutes later, I heard a knock at my door. My smile grew as Colby grabbed me into a bear hug when I opened the door.

“Hey, long time no see,” he said, laughing.

“You would think, the way you attacked me, or do you do that to everyone?” I teased him.

“Oh don’t worry, just my friends,” he smiled.

“Oh, Colby. Colby, Colby,” I sighed dramatically. “Well, now that you got that out of your system, come on in. I just have to go grab my jacket and shoes,” I told him as I turned around to go get my things from my room. When I came back down the stairs, Colby was looking at a picture of my son that I had on the end table.

“He looks just like you,” Colby said, having heard me come back into the room.”What’s his name?”

“Aiden.”

“You gonna tell him tonight?” Colby asks as he sets the picture down and walks outside.

“Probably not. I’m about to give him the shock of his life and I don’t think he would appreciate it too much if I told him in front of everyone.”

“I can always get you two a room,” he said, smirking.

“Ha ha, very funny. So where’s Mel? She doesn’t ride with you to the game?”

“No, she’s at work, so she’ll meet us there. I can’t wait for you to meet her. You two will get along great. You’re sitting next to her at the game today,” he said as we pulled into the parking lot. I got out of his car and followed him into the arena, down to the locker room, where Colby introduced me to all of the guys. A few of them did a double take, but I didn’t really think anything of it. I was standing there talking with Kris when Colby grabbed me and dragged me back out towards the lounge. “Mel’s here,” he said, a huge smile on his face.

“Hey, you must be Nicole. I’m Mel,” she introduced herself, smiling.”Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too! Now I can finally put a face to the girl Colby won’t shut up about,” I replied, teasing Colby.

Colby leaned down and gave Mel a kiss on the cheek. “I can’t help it if I’m in love!” he said, making everyone crack up. “I’ll see you two ladies after the game though. I have to go get ready before Therrien blows up.”

“See you later,” we both yelled at him as we went to go meet up with my friends before heading to our seats.

Watching the Penguins play the Kings, I realized just how much I had missed watching hockey. I grew up in Montreal, so hockey was my religion. It was the one thing (besides DNA) that my father and I had in common. He got us season tickets every year. It was our escape, especially from my mother. I could tell that my father never loved her, that he was just staying for my sake. He was the one that held our “family” together. When he died, my mom and I stopped talking, mostly because I was pissed at her that she seemed to move on so quickly. Hockey was what attracted me to Sidney. I had heard about him before I met him, but then again, you’d had to have been living under a rock to not know about him. But, to see him play in person was absolutely amazing, to say the least. To be there for him (well, in spirit) when he was drafted by the Penguins, seeing him achieve one of his dreams…I couldn’t have been prouder of him. When he left though, it felt like my dad leaving all over again. I knew it was coming, but it still hurt.

The final buzzer brought me back to reality. The Pens had won, 4-1, with Sidney getting a goal and an assist. I gathered up my stuff and followed Mel back to the locker room. She went to talk with some of the other wives and girlfriends when we got to the lounge while I sat on the couch. While I was waiting there for Colby, my phone started ringing. A smile came across my face when I saw who it was.

“Hey Aiden! What are you still doing up hunny?”

“I can’t sleep mommy.”

“Didn’t Tracy read to you?”

“Yeah, but I want you to. I miss you.”

“I miss you too hunny. I’ll see you soon enough though. Do you have your book?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay… The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind/and another/his mother called him "WILD THING!"/and Max said "I'LL EAT YOU UP!"/so he was sent to bed without eating anything/That very night in Max's room a forest grew/and grew--/and grew until his ceiling hung with vines/and the walls became the world all around/and an ocean tumbled by with a private boat for Max/and he sailed off through night and day/and in and out of weeks/and almost over a year/to where the wild things are/ And when he came to the place where the wild things are/they roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth/and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws/till Max said "BE STILL!"/and tamed them with a magic trick/of staring into all their yellow eyes without blinking once/and they were frightened and called him the most wild thing of all/ and made him king of all wild things/"And now," cried Max, "let the wild rumpus start!"/ "Now stop!" Max said and sent the wild things off to bed without their supper/and Max the king of all wild things was lonely/and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all/Then all around from far away across the world/he smelled good things to eat/so he gave up being king of where the wild things are/ But the wild things cried, "Oh please don't go--/we'll eat you up--we love you so!"/And Max said, "No!"/ The wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth/and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws/but Max stepped into his private boat and waved good-bye/ and sailed back over a year/and in and out of weeks/and through a day/ and into the night of his very own room/where he found his supper waiting for him/ and it was still hot.” As I finished reciting his favorite story, I heard Aiden yawn through the phone.

“Goodnight mommy, I love you.”

“Goodnight hunny, I’ll see you soon, and I love you too,” I told him. I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” Colby said. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah,” I answered, getting up and following him out to the parking lot. “I can see why you love Mel. She’s really nice.”

“Good, I’m glad you guys got along,” he smiled.

As we got to his car, we heard Sid yell at us. “Hey Colby,” he said. “Do you mind giving me a ride? My car won’t start.”

“What happened to Carissa? I’m sure she would LOVE to give you a ride,” Colby smirked, earning him a glare from Sid. “Ugh, hop in,” Colby sighed.

“Gee, thanks. I love the enthusiasm. I mean, we are only best buddies and all,” Sid said.

“Only because you’re the captain, so I get extra perks since I’m your road roomie,” Colby continued taunting Sid.

“Boys, boys,” I interjected. “As much as I’m enjoying this whole bromance thing you got going on, it’s late and I’m exhausted. If you’re going to continue, can you at least take me home first?”

“Fine, shotty!” Sid said.

The drive to my house was relatively quiet. The boys were talking with each other, but I just stared out the window at the city. When Colby pulled into my driveway, Sid finally turned around and looked at me.

“Hey Nic, want to go out to dinner with me tomorrow?”

“I have to work until five, and what about Carissa? She didn’t exactly seem thrilled the last time we had a meal together,” I answered, surprised that he would want to get together again. I hoped he didn't notice that it felt like I was having trouble breathing. God, the effect that he had on me, even after four years.

“Carissa’s out of town. She had to go to New York for something, and sounds great, I’ll pick you up at six thirty then.”