From Far Away

He’s heard her crying for days on end. Making phone calls, pleading with whoever is on the other end. Her weeping has become a soundtrack for the emptiness now permeating every corner of the house. Bobby just watches hockey, throws shots against the wall of the basement, and tries hard to block it out. He knows if he asks, she’ll only fall apart completely.

Then one day, she dries her eyes. She starts to obsessively clean the house, top to bottom. The phone calls are less frequent. He realizes stuff has begun to go missing- not a lot, just pictures, certain books, some stuff from his own room. Her clothes aren’t in the closet anymore. Then she comes into his room while he’s still sleeping and tells him to pack a bag.

“Why…?” he murmurs, trying to clear the fog from his eyes.

“We’re taking a trip. Pack enough stuff, baby.”

“A trip where?”

“We’re going to Canada. Dad’s already up there. We’re going to meet him at his friend’s house. Just do what I say.”

“But…” I have school in the morning, he wants to say. I have a game this week. There are things going on. Why are we going to Canada? What’s Dad doing there?

“Robert, don’t ‘But’ me,” she snaps. “Just pack. Take as much as you can. We’re leaving in an hour.”

Sure enough, after an hour, the car is started and the bags are loaded in. Bobby makes sure to take his hockey bag and stick with him. Melody wants to tell him no, but after a second, she relents, knowing it’ll make it easier for her son. Maybe there will be some hockey programs for him- no, surely there will be. After all, this trip is as much for him as it is for her marriage. There’s no way he’ll survive without a father. No way.

“Bobby! ‘Sup?”

He grins as teammates shake his hand, hug him warmly. Ryan is at the grill. He smiles when Bobby walks up to him. “Hey, man, glad you could make it,” he says.

“Thanks. Hey, this is Ashley, a friend of mine,” Bobby replies. Ryan shakes her hand gently, impressed by her grip. She’s not a model by any means, but there’s something about her that impresses him, beauty-wise. Maybe it’s her easy smile, her confidence. The way she carries herself, straight backed, head held high. Interesting.

“Nice to meet you,” he tells her, with sincerity.

“You, too, thanks. Is there anywhere I can put this?” she asks, holding up a bottle of wine.
“My wife’s in the kitchen getting some stuff together. I’m sure she’ll be able to take it off your hands. It’s the doorway on the right hand wall when you walk in,” he replies. She nods and weaves through the people in the house to get to that area.

The kitchen is big, decked out with modern appliances and gorgeous wood cabinets. A slim, petite blonde is at the island arranging chips and salsa on a plate. She looks up when she sees Ashley cautiously enter. “Hi, there,” she says, smiling. “Don’t be shy. I’m Paige, Ryan’s wife.”

“Ashley,” she replies, shaking the woman’s hand. “I’m here with Bobby.”

“Oh, okay. I was about to ask ‘Which one are you?’” She laughs, a light musical sound. “How rude of me. But anyway, that’s wonderful. I didn’t know Bobby was dating someone new. How long has it been?”

“Oh, we’re not… it’s not really ‘dating.’ We met about a week ago. He returned my wallet.” Ashley smiles, recollecting the memory and omitting the context at the same time. “I thought he’d taken my money at first.”

Paige laughs again. “Well, he does have that poor-college-boy look, doesn’t he?”

“Just a bit.” Ash giggles, shifting the bottle to her other hand. “Oh, I brought this because I didn’t know what else to bring. It’s dessert wine, I think- I’m not a big drinker, so I’m not sure.”

“It’s great, thanks. I’ll just chill it for now.” Paige takes it from her and places it inside the door of their stainless-steel French door refrigerator. “Take a seat, hon. God knows the other girls make themselves scarce enough. Would you like a beer, or a wine cooler?”

“Um, water would actually work.”

“Bottom shelf on the right side of the fridge. Make yourself at home, hon.” Paige takes out another bowl from a bottom cabinet. “So, what do you think of Bobby so far? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“He’s… he’s sweet. He’s really different from the other guys I’ve met. He can be very charming.”

“Oh, yes, he can be. It’s a shame he hasn’t found much luck with girls.”

“Why not?”

“Well, I don’t know much about it, but the other girls love talking, so I heard a few things. He had been dating this one girl for the longest time. Not the friendliest of them, but she could party. She would drink to the point where she would literally fall face-first onto the floor.”
Ash winces. “That sounds like a few people I know.”

“Oh, it was awful. I’d witnessed a few instances, and heard about so many more from the girls. And Bobby, he’s a laid-back guy. He’ll drink, he may get tipsy, but he knows his limits. And she would just throw herself all over the place. It took her coming on to Corey Perry and then onto Ryan for him to say enough was enough.”

“Whoa. Your own husband?”

“In front of me.” Paige shrugs. “I didn’t think much of it- I know my husband would be a fool to go through with it. But Bobby was so angry I didn’t stop him.”

Ashley tries to imagine Bobby angry. It’s not natural on him- his face is too sweet, his smile too friendly. “God.”

“Yeah. So… I guess now’s a good time to say that anyone other than her is a step up.”
Is that a compliment? Or an insult? Ash can’t be sure. Paige finishes and picks up the plate of chips and salsa. “Do you mind carrying that bowl for me? It’s fruit salad.”

“Sure.”

They make their way outside, where the players and “girls” Paige mentioned are intermingling. Paige leads Ashley to a table where other food has been set up. “Just right there is good,” she says. Bobby has wandered inside. He waves to Ashley, and she smiles, making her way to him.

“So you met Paige?” he asks.

“Yep. She’s nice.”

“Let’s get you acquainted with some of the others, then.”

She meets Corey Perry, the object of Bobby’s ex’s drunken affections, and his new “girl toy” (as Bobby calls her later), Shannon; Joffrey Lupul, whose eyes startled Ashley as she shook his hand; Andy Sutton, who’d just been traded to Edmonton but was spending some time in California before leaving, and his wife; Jonas Hiller and his girlfriend Angelina; other players, other wives and girlfriends, some of whom are really friendly and others who look at her and already brew together a verdict in their eyes. Ashley realizes at once how relationships in professional sports can be at once a paradise and a snake pit. There’s plenty of beauty everywhere, plenty of nice chit-chat and good food, but in the air there hangs a slight scent of judgment, and it covers everyone- even sweet Paige, who gossips merrily with two other wives in a corner. One of them glances Ashley’s way before Paige gets her attention. Typical.

“You okay?” Bobby asks as they sit down to eat. “You seem quiet.”

“Oh, I’m fine,” she answers quickly. “Just worried about Mom.”

It’s only half a lie, but Bobby doesn’t question her. He takes her hand in his, rubbing her knuckles gently with his thumb. “She’ll come around,” he murmurs. “Trust me.”

The gesture is so sweet, so intimate, that she feels her entire body tremble with it. “Okay.”
Don’t move, she wants to tell him, but he’s already pulled away, squeezing her hand before removing it. In her twenty-one years of life, she can’t remember a guy ever doing that to her.

The food is delicious; the conversation light, pleasant, teasing Andy about being a “rival” once October comes, asking people about their summers, how the kids are doing, any trips planned. People on Ashley’s side of the table ask her what she does for a living or if she goes to school; she replies she’s entering her senior year of college this coming semester, that she’s interning part-time at an advertising agency and she has the option to take a full-time position once she graduates. “And will you?” Shannon asks.

“I think so. It’s a lot of fun, actually. I do arts and graphic design, so it’s not that bad.”

Shannon nods politely, though Ashley can already tell these women aren’t used to having a working girl in their midst. She’s usually the odd girl out, but now it’s magnified, as if there’s a huge microscope pointed directly to the chair and everyone has a view. Whatever. She could be a junkie and a whore like so many other girls in her old neighborhood.

During dessert, her phone goes off. Her mother. “I have to take this,” she whispers to Bobby, and he nods. She finds a bathroom by pure chance. “Hey, what is it?” she asks Emily.

It’s not her mother. It’s Alex. And suddenly her night has become hell-bound.

***************************************
“What’s wrong?” Ryan asks, having left the table to find them.

Ashley is shaking, eyes tearing with anger. “It’s… family issues,” Bobby says for her. “We have to go, I’m sorry-“

“No, no apologies. I’ll tell everyone you said goodbye. I hope everything is okay,” he remarks, looking worried.

“I hope so too.” Bobby gives him an apologetic smile and follows Ashley out the door, back to Anaheim. To their mother, who is currently dealing with the mother of all drunken explosions with her husband.