You Can Let Go Now
The Cup
Max and Elizabeth watched on from the back of the hospital room as Sidney put on the birthday hat given to him from the patients. His cheeks turned red in a blush as he shyly laughed while the kids sang 'Happy Birthday'. “Thank you,” he said politely when they finished.
Elizabeth couldn't get over how perfect he was with his fans, and it was all genuine. He knew how much he meant to the fans and felt he had to give back to them because of all the support they've given him over his years.
Sidney made sure to put a smile on for each kid and try and make each conversation personal. The kids loved him. All the girls blushed when he came in the room and started giggling, the boys were all starstruck and it took a while for them to find words.
Once they left the hospital they headed for the parade. Elizabeth squeezed between Max and Sidney in the back of the Crosby's car. She couldn't help but to notice how good he smelled when he rested his arm on the back of the seat.
Elizabeth could hear the screaming from a mile away. “This is going to be insane,” she said as they pulled up to the beginning of the parade.
“I knew people loved you Sid, but holy shit. There's got to be fifty thousand people out there,” Max said awestruck as they got out of the car.
Sidney was quiet and seemed to be in deep thought. Max gave him a slap on the shoulder and whispered something in his ear, to which Sidney numbly nodded. Then Max said, “Elizabeth and I will be in the car behind you, see you after.”
The crowd was huge, people were everywhere. Kids with signs piled the curbs with their parents smiling behind them. Old couples, young couples, people with several different shirts supporting NHL teams covered the streets of Cole Harbour.
“This is unbelievable,” Max noted. Elizabeth could only nod as they sat next to each other on the back of the red convertible.
The ride was quiet for a while, taking in all the people here to see the cup and support Sidney. It was broken when Max said, “I heard about what happened.”
Elizabeth could have pretended she didn't hear what he said. The crowd was definitely loud enough. However, she said, “I'm surprised you didn't say anything at breakfast.”
Max shook his head, “Sidney would have gotten mad. He didn't want you to be embarrassed.”
“What'd he tell you about it?” Elizabeth asked curiously.
“That you were pretty drunk and you kissed him,” Max said.
“Yeah, I kind of felt like an idiot. I'm glad he doesn't think I'm in love with him,” Elizabeth said, taking a sip of her water, the ninety degree weather getting to her.
“But you do,” Max stated. Elizabeth snapped her head at him. She was glad her large sunglasses hid part of her face.
Before she could say anything, Max continued, “Look, I can see it. Plus, McKenzie and I might have talked about it-”
“What?” Elizabeth asked, she was going to have a talk with her friend later. Why would she tell Max, knowing that him and Sidney are best friends, that she was in love with him? Of course he's going to tell Sidney.
“Don't be mad at her. I kind of brought it up. Don't worry, I'm not going to tell Sidney. It'll only make him more confused.”
“Confused about what?”
“I'm only going to talk about this once because it's not really my place and this is stuff girls are supposed to talk about. But Sid is having a really tough time with this. He's not as over as Emily's death than he leads people to believe. I know because I talk to Sid a lot, he's my best friend. He also likes you, Elizabeth. He might not like you the way you love him, but he likes you as a friend. That's what he needs right now, just a friend. That might not be what you want to hear, but that's the truth,” Max explained.
Elizabeth could feel the ball in her throat grow with Max's words. She knew Max was trying to be her friend and explain what she already knew was true. But hearing from Sidney's best friend that he was not at all over Emily's death and he was not interested in her was a shot to the heart.
She was ashamed as a tear fell down her face. She turned away so Max wouldn't see it. Swallowing the lump, she asked, “I messed up last night, didn't I?”
Max frowned when he saw how upset she was. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and said, “No, he's not mad or anything. He's just not ready to move on yet.”
“I feel like an idiot,” Elizabeth admitted.
“Don't. Trust me, if Sid was weirded out or mad at you, he wouldn't have invited you today. You mean a lot to him, Liz,” Max reminded her.
She smiled, she gained a lot more respect for Max after their conversation. He had Sid's and her best intentions at heart. He had enormous heart under that womanizer mask he put on.
It wasn't until after five when Great Big Sea performed. She wasn't really a fan of them but enjoyed the convert over a drink with Max. They only got to talk to him for a few minutes, most of his time was spent with his family.
When they got back to Sidney's she saw a little more of him. All of his family and hometown friends were there to support him. She finally got a moment with him when he came and sat by her and McKenzie, who had arrived a few minutes before.
McKenzie left, giving her some privacy. “Hey, how's the big day so far?” she asked, smiling.
“Everything I could have asked for and more,” he said, a huge smile on his face.
“Good, I'm glad, you deserve it,” she told him truthfully.
There was a moment of silence that passed between them before out of nowhere Sidney pulled her into a hug. Not expecting it, Elizabeth froze but quickly recovered and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.
“Thanks for being here, Elizabeth, I don't know what I would have done without you this summer,” he confessed.
Her smile widened and she hugged him tighter. “I want to tell you about my dad, Sidney. Maybe then you'll understand why I never let you fall apart from grief."
Elizabeth couldn't get over how perfect he was with his fans, and it was all genuine. He knew how much he meant to the fans and felt he had to give back to them because of all the support they've given him over his years.
Sidney made sure to put a smile on for each kid and try and make each conversation personal. The kids loved him. All the girls blushed when he came in the room and started giggling, the boys were all starstruck and it took a while for them to find words.
Once they left the hospital they headed for the parade. Elizabeth squeezed between Max and Sidney in the back of the Crosby's car. She couldn't help but to notice how good he smelled when he rested his arm on the back of the seat.
Elizabeth could hear the screaming from a mile away. “This is going to be insane,” she said as they pulled up to the beginning of the parade.
“I knew people loved you Sid, but holy shit. There's got to be fifty thousand people out there,” Max said awestruck as they got out of the car.
Sidney was quiet and seemed to be in deep thought. Max gave him a slap on the shoulder and whispered something in his ear, to which Sidney numbly nodded. Then Max said, “Elizabeth and I will be in the car behind you, see you after.”
The crowd was huge, people were everywhere. Kids with signs piled the curbs with their parents smiling behind them. Old couples, young couples, people with several different shirts supporting NHL teams covered the streets of Cole Harbour.
“This is unbelievable,” Max noted. Elizabeth could only nod as they sat next to each other on the back of the red convertible.
The ride was quiet for a while, taking in all the people here to see the cup and support Sidney. It was broken when Max said, “I heard about what happened.”
Elizabeth could have pretended she didn't hear what he said. The crowd was definitely loud enough. However, she said, “I'm surprised you didn't say anything at breakfast.”
Max shook his head, “Sidney would have gotten mad. He didn't want you to be embarrassed.”
“What'd he tell you about it?” Elizabeth asked curiously.
“That you were pretty drunk and you kissed him,” Max said.
“Yeah, I kind of felt like an idiot. I'm glad he doesn't think I'm in love with him,” Elizabeth said, taking a sip of her water, the ninety degree weather getting to her.
“But you do,” Max stated. Elizabeth snapped her head at him. She was glad her large sunglasses hid part of her face.
Before she could say anything, Max continued, “Look, I can see it. Plus, McKenzie and I might have talked about it-”
“What?” Elizabeth asked, she was going to have a talk with her friend later. Why would she tell Max, knowing that him and Sidney are best friends, that she was in love with him? Of course he's going to tell Sidney.
“Don't be mad at her. I kind of brought it up. Don't worry, I'm not going to tell Sidney. It'll only make him more confused.”
“Confused about what?”
“I'm only going to talk about this once because it's not really my place and this is stuff girls are supposed to talk about. But Sid is having a really tough time with this. He's not as over as Emily's death than he leads people to believe. I know because I talk to Sid a lot, he's my best friend. He also likes you, Elizabeth. He might not like you the way you love him, but he likes you as a friend. That's what he needs right now, just a friend. That might not be what you want to hear, but that's the truth,” Max explained.
Elizabeth could feel the ball in her throat grow with Max's words. She knew Max was trying to be her friend and explain what she already knew was true. But hearing from Sidney's best friend that he was not at all over Emily's death and he was not interested in her was a shot to the heart.
She was ashamed as a tear fell down her face. She turned away so Max wouldn't see it. Swallowing the lump, she asked, “I messed up last night, didn't I?”
Max frowned when he saw how upset she was. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and said, “No, he's not mad or anything. He's just not ready to move on yet.”
“I feel like an idiot,” Elizabeth admitted.
“Don't. Trust me, if Sid was weirded out or mad at you, he wouldn't have invited you today. You mean a lot to him, Liz,” Max reminded her.
She smiled, she gained a lot more respect for Max after their conversation. He had Sid's and her best intentions at heart. He had enormous heart under that womanizer mask he put on.
It wasn't until after five when Great Big Sea performed. She wasn't really a fan of them but enjoyed the convert over a drink with Max. They only got to talk to him for a few minutes, most of his time was spent with his family.
When they got back to Sidney's she saw a little more of him. All of his family and hometown friends were there to support him. She finally got a moment with him when he came and sat by her and McKenzie, who had arrived a few minutes before.
McKenzie left, giving her some privacy. “Hey, how's the big day so far?” she asked, smiling.
“Everything I could have asked for and more,” he said, a huge smile on his face.
“Good, I'm glad, you deserve it,” she told him truthfully.
There was a moment of silence that passed between them before out of nowhere Sidney pulled her into a hug. Not expecting it, Elizabeth froze but quickly recovered and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.
“Thanks for being here, Elizabeth, I don't know what I would have done without you this summer,” he confessed.
Her smile widened and she hugged him tighter. “I want to tell you about my dad, Sidney. Maybe then you'll understand why I never let you fall apart from grief."