Who Wouldn't Want To Be Me

As we’d expected our families were a little smothering; mom couldn’t stop hugging me, Becka was hugging me every time my mom let me go, and Mr. and Mrs. Staal had both hugged me, as well as Marc and Lindsay.

“Mom, Dad, this is Cam’s mom. Tracey, this is my mom, Linda, and my dad, Henry,” Jordan introduced them, and they both shook mom’s hand gladly. I was sure they’d went over this already – seeing as they’d sat together during the game – but he felt the need to formally introduce them anyway.

“It’s so nice to meet you – we were starting to wonder if your poor boy had anybody coming to watch,” Linda said, and mom laughed, although guiltily.

“I had issues with my work,” she explained, and they both nodded.

“Completely understandable, don’t worry. We were just starting to debate which of us would wear Jordan’s jersey and who would have to buy a Bates one for him,” she smiled, making mom laugh. Marc started pouting again, which I didn’t understand why until Lindsay turned around.

“I had it all covered,” she announced, and my mom laughed. Lindsay was wearing a Bates jersey, and Marc was grumbling about it.

“I swear some days she loves you more than me; she gets all excited to watch your hockey games, makes me buy her your jersey…”

“Aw come on Marc, we’re just besties,” she teased him, wrapping her arms around me.

“Yeah Marc; just ‘besties’,” I mimicked, making everybody laugh, even him.

“Okay, okay. If you say so,” he rolled his eyes and then Lindsay whispered in my ear.

“Thanks for the cooking lesson; I came home from a charity meeting to find he’d cooked me dinner,” she said, and finally a smile found my lips.

“No problem; he asked me to teach him,” I replied, and she grinned before going back to Marc’s side. Her pregnancy was very obvious now; she was due in three and a half months. Marc wrapped his arms around her, before pressing a loving kiss to his wife’s lips.

“So, do you two want to eat something?” Henry asked. I shook my head, but Jordan nodded. He was always hungry.

“Well, we’ll all have to meet up tomorrow; we better take Jordan out for something before he withers away,” Linda rolled her eyes as Jordan pretended to be offended.

“All right; see you guys tomorrow,” the goodbyes took a few more minutes before we went our separate ways. It was quiet in my car on the way back to our apartment; mom and Becka both weren’t sure of what to say.

“I’m so sorry honey; you guys really deserved that goal,” mom finally told me, and I shrugged.

“It’s over and done now. I just can’t understand why they would’ve ruled it a no goal – I mean, if I couldn’t see it and it wasn’t an intentional kicking motion it should’ve been good,”
“I think the ref was a Boston fan,” Becka decided, making me laugh.

“Must’ve been. What a jerk,” I agreed, and they both laughed at me. The silence in the car was comfortable then, and we all had a bowl of ice cream and watched a movie when we got back. I’d opted to sleep on the couch so my mom could have my bed, seeing as I didn’t have to worry about having a sore back or anything now.

“Night honey – I’m so proud of you,” mom whispered as she kissed my forehead.

“Thanks mom, that means a lot to me,” I replied, and she smiled at me before sitting down on the edge of the couch.

“Uncle Rob wanted to be here tonight too, but he wasn’t feeling well the past week or so,” she said, and I nodded. He’d texted me several times apologizing and wishing me luck; I knew he was watching the game on TV.

“I know, I just hope he feels better soon,”

“He will. He’s probably just overworking himself, that and worrying about his niece and her team’s playoff games,” she chuckled, playing with my hair.

“Are you going to let it grow out again?” she asked, and I shrugged. I was thinking about it, but wasn’t quite sure yet.

“Maybe… depends I guess,” I answered, and she nodded.

“I hope things work for you and that Staal boy, he seems to really care about you,” she said, and I grinned, now knowing her sudden urge to visit at one thirty in the morning.

“He’s amazing mom… I don’t even have words for it,” I gushed, and she hugged me.

“He looks at you the way every girl wants a boy to look at her; like you’re the only thing he sees. It’s so obvious honey, and you two seem so good together,” she sniffled, and I realized that there were tears in her eyes.

“Why are you crying mom?” I asked, sitting up to hug her properly.

“You’re just growing up on me, that’s all. Next thing I know you’ll have a big hockey contract and then you’ll get married,” she said, and I felt myself choking up a little bit too.

“Come on mom, either of those things might be a long time coming,” I reminded her, but she shrugged.

“I don’t know. Jordan seems pretty serious about you, and seeing as you finished third overall in the league in scoring I’m sure the Penguins won’t hesitate to resign you,”

“I hope you’re right mom,”

“I know I’m right honey,”

“I just hope you’ll still be right when they know I’m a girl,” I whispered, voicing my biggest fear. She hugged me tighter, and kissed my forehead.

“They’d be stupid not to,”