Crazy Beginnings and Happy Endings
forty-three
The next night, I sat between Tanya and Vero while we watched the game. Tanya cheered for Eric, Vero cheered for Marc-Andre and I cheered for Max, Kris, Eric, Marc-Andre, Jordan, Sidney, Tyler and Geno. I wasn't able to pick just one person to cheer for, so I cheered for them all.
"Hey, I'm going to grab something to eat," I told the two girls when the second intermission started. "Do you guys want to come? Or do you want anything?"
"No, it's ok," Tanya said.
"I don't want anything," Vero said, standing up. "But how about I come along?"
"There is no need," I told her. "If you don't want anything, it's pointless for you to come with me."
"Are you sure?" Vero gave me a look.
"Yea, I mean what's the worst that can happen?" I asked. "I'll be right back."
"Ok," Vero nodded and sat back down in her seat.
I made my way up the stairs and to the closest concession. I got in line and was waiting for the line up to continue toward the till when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to find a very familiar pair of brown eyes looking at me.
"Mom?" I asked. "What are you doing here?"
"When you told us that your were in North Carolina, your dad and I got a little bit worried about you," my mom explained.
"That was over a year ago, Mom," I reminded her.
"I know," my mom nodded. "I'm sorry. We just started looking for you a few months ago."
"You could have just called," I told her.
"Your father and I wanted to see you, Brylyn. To make sure you are ok."
"I'm great, Mom. Really I am."
"Honey, what happened to your face?"
I looked around to see a few people staring at us. "Never mind, it's over. It was just a crazy ex, so forget about it." I whispered.
"Oh, are you ok?" my mom asked.
"I'm great, my life couldn't be better," I told her. I finally made it to the till. "Just a bag of licorice," I told the cashier. "Do you want something Mom?"
"No, it's ok," my mom shook her head.
I paid for my licorice and started walking to my seat. My mom followed behind me. "Please talk to me, Brylyn," my mom said.
I turned to look at her. "Since when have you ever cared?" I hissed. "You decide after twenty-one years of my life that you finally give a shit about me? It doesn't work like that Mom." I turned and continued my way down the stairs to my seat.
"It's not like that, sweet heart," my mom continued to follow me.
"Not like what?" I asked.
"Your father and I have always cared," she replied.
"Really Mom?" I was trying to keep calm. I knew I was in the arena and I didn't want to make a huge scene. "You guys cared? What about all the holidays that we never celebrated as a family? What about the birthdays we never celebrated? What about the times when I needed you and Dad the most? You were never there. We've never been close and now you are trying to be? It doesn't work like that. You can't just come back into my life and expect me to forget about how we never did anything as a family and believe that you all of a sudden care about me."
"We always cared about you," my mom said.
"Well you sure as hell didn't show it," I said. "I'm going back to my seat to watch the game. I'll call you tomorrow and we can talk somewhere a little less crowded. Ok?"
My mom nodded before going back to find her seat.
I finally made it back to Tanya and Vero. I was fuming. I couldn't believe what my mom had done. I sat down and started chewing on the licorice I bought.
"You ok?" Tanya asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Yea," I nodded. "I'm great."
"Brylyn, seriously, what's up?" Vero asked.
"It's not a big deal," I shook my head. "Can we just watch the game? I'll tell everyone at the same time. It's easier that way."
"Ok," Tanya and Vero said in unison. We sat quietly for the rest of the game. The Penguins came out victorious, but I was too caught up in my own thoughts to be excited for them.
"Hey, I'm going to grab something to eat," I told the two girls when the second intermission started. "Do you guys want to come? Or do you want anything?"
"No, it's ok," Tanya said.
"I don't want anything," Vero said, standing up. "But how about I come along?"
"There is no need," I told her. "If you don't want anything, it's pointless for you to come with me."
"Are you sure?" Vero gave me a look.
"Yea, I mean what's the worst that can happen?" I asked. "I'll be right back."
"Ok," Vero nodded and sat back down in her seat.
I made my way up the stairs and to the closest concession. I got in line and was waiting for the line up to continue toward the till when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to find a very familiar pair of brown eyes looking at me.
"Mom?" I asked. "What are you doing here?"
"When you told us that your were in North Carolina, your dad and I got a little bit worried about you," my mom explained.
"That was over a year ago, Mom," I reminded her.
"I know," my mom nodded. "I'm sorry. We just started looking for you a few months ago."
"You could have just called," I told her.
"Your father and I wanted to see you, Brylyn. To make sure you are ok."
"I'm great, Mom. Really I am."
"Honey, what happened to your face?"
I looked around to see a few people staring at us. "Never mind, it's over. It was just a crazy ex, so forget about it." I whispered.
"Oh, are you ok?" my mom asked.
"I'm great, my life couldn't be better," I told her. I finally made it to the till. "Just a bag of licorice," I told the cashier. "Do you want something Mom?"
"No, it's ok," my mom shook her head.
I paid for my licorice and started walking to my seat. My mom followed behind me. "Please talk to me, Brylyn," my mom said.
I turned to look at her. "Since when have you ever cared?" I hissed. "You decide after twenty-one years of my life that you finally give a shit about me? It doesn't work like that Mom." I turned and continued my way down the stairs to my seat.
"It's not like that, sweet heart," my mom continued to follow me.
"Not like what?" I asked.
"Your father and I have always cared," she replied.
"Really Mom?" I was trying to keep calm. I knew I was in the arena and I didn't want to make a huge scene. "You guys cared? What about all the holidays that we never celebrated as a family? What about the birthdays we never celebrated? What about the times when I needed you and Dad the most? You were never there. We've never been close and now you are trying to be? It doesn't work like that. You can't just come back into my life and expect me to forget about how we never did anything as a family and believe that you all of a sudden care about me."
"We always cared about you," my mom said.
"Well you sure as hell didn't show it," I said. "I'm going back to my seat to watch the game. I'll call you tomorrow and we can talk somewhere a little less crowded. Ok?"
My mom nodded before going back to find her seat.
I finally made it back to Tanya and Vero. I was fuming. I couldn't believe what my mom had done. I sat down and started chewing on the licorice I bought.
"You ok?" Tanya asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Yea," I nodded. "I'm great."
"Brylyn, seriously, what's up?" Vero asked.
"It's not a big deal," I shook my head. "Can we just watch the game? I'll tell everyone at the same time. It's easier that way."
"Ok," Tanya and Vero said in unison. We sat quietly for the rest of the game. The Penguins came out victorious, but I was too caught up in my own thoughts to be excited for them.