A Puck Between Us

The plane ascended into the air, as I stared out the window, letting the city I grew up in disappear behind me.

Never once had I left that town, not since I was born.

I embraced the feeling of my dropping stomach, breathing in the scent of airport inside the small plane.

The hums of people’s whispers were surrounded around us. I felt the buzz of the airplane taking off.

“Gulp down. It helps your ears.” Jeff whispered, lightly. I gulped and the tension bursting through my ears ceased just a little.

I glanced down at Emerson next to me, and I was instantly grateful that he was asleep. There was another crying baby, some where far up in the plane.

Lucky, as we floated into the clouds it seemed to stop. One by one, the rows occupied themselves with something else.

Some people read newspapers, others slept. One was even doodling on the crisp airline napkins.

I felt Jeff’s eyes on me, watching what I did, how I reacted, as he intertwined his chilled fingers with my own. I kept my eyes glued to the window, imagining what it would feel like to be out there flying.

I wondered how the puffy clouds would feel like as they wrapped around you. I wondered how it would have felt to burst through the tips of the clouds, letting the sunshine warmly on my face.

I closed my eyes, imagining floating in a sea of blue. I pictured myself floating above everyone, leaving the clouds to float carelessly under me.

I could nearly feel the weight lifting off me, leaving my thoughts and cares behind. Somewhere in this, I drifted into a sleep.

I tumbled around through the blue sea of sky and the white puffs of clouds.

I edged myself upward, not sure where I was going. I just floated, and soared. I only paused for a moment when the chill of the cloud brushed my face.

There was no sound in the flight, only my own feelings that seemed to shape themselves into words and bubble around me.

The surrounded me until the burst, shooting off tiny specks of white dust, almost sweet on my tongue.

Suddenly, the last cloud seemed to burst as the sky began getting dimmer and dimmer. Soon, the clouds molded with the sky, allowing me to drop.

Inch by inch, foot by foot, I fell. My stomach dropped, but this time I did not embrace it.

I wasn’t just falling. I was plummeting. The ground got closer and closer, just as I felt the impact, I expected pain.

“Addison?” A voice said, as it nudged me softly. I blinked my eyes open to find a whole shift in scenery.

I was no longer floating in empty space; I was in a small aircraft with people filing out.

“Addison, get up.” Jeff commanded, holding Jeff in his arms, which now looked at me curiously.

“What?” I asked, slightly confused with my surroundings.

“Add, the plane landed, come on.” He urged again, handing me my carry-on bag.

Lazily, I struggled behind him, occasionally bumping into people, before filing out into the airport.

We exited the terminal, etching down the long walkway that led our way to the baggage claim.

My eyes explored the small tourist shops and restaurants filled with hungry travelers.

Babies clung to their parents, and children ran around. People filed in and out of everywhere, to many eyes were on Jeff.

It was hard to imagine they’d know him as famous. He’d been on TV, and on interviews.

Now, they saw him coming back with his baby and girlfriend fiancé.

Who was I to them? What I’d give to hear their thoughts on this. I didn’t want to hear the sugarcoated lies that each one had to tell. I wanted to know what really thought of this mismatched Canadian couple, strolling through an American airport.

I watched the different colors of people’s eyes, as they stared back at me, then my son, then Jeff.

I felt them everywhere, some people pretended not too, but they were. Was hockey really that big here?

“Jeff…they’re staring.” I said, pointing out the obvious as he kissed my cheek lightly, as he walked.

“Just ignore them. I’d stare at some one this beautiful too.” He pointed out, passing more bystanders.

“They all know you?” I asked, awestruck at the growing number of stares.

“It’s not that bad, Addison. You’re imagining most of them.” He said, nearly side-tracked.

It wasn’t my imagination that caused the peoples eyes to stare.

“But Jeff-.” I’d started before he cut me off.

“It’s something we got to get used too. This is our current life.” He’d said, probably trying to be reassuring but the effect was just the opposite.

“Talk to me.” Jeff smiled, answering the call that buzzed in his pocket. I walked next to him, taking Emerson into my hands, as he stared up at me.

“Big.” He’d said, his voice still dripping with sleep. His eyes stared at the high wide-windowed ceiling.

“Yes it is.” I whispered back to him, as we walked to the baggage claim.

One by one, the bags reached us, but the stares never subsided.

“How are we going to get to the hotel?” I asked, curiously scanning the street, under the overhang.

“I’m having Tim bring it by my car.” He said, glancing anxiously at his phone.

“Whose Tim?” I questioned again, testing the name on my tongue.

“He’s an old pal, and he plays as a forward on the team.” He’d recited, busying himself with his shoelace.

Tim. Forward. I’d have to start learning the names soon enough.

Eventually, a large black S.U.V pulled up in front of us. I heard the door slam as some one jumped out.

“Jeff!” The man shouted, smiling, pulling Jeff into one of those awkward bro-mance sort of handshake hugs.

“Hey.” Jeff replied with a laugh.

“How have you been? How was the flight?” Tim asked, smiling.

“I’ve been good. Hey, Tim. I’d like you to meet my fiancé and my son, Emerson. Addison, I’d like you to meet Tim Brent” Jeff said.

I stared up at the tall man for a second, examining his features.

He was pretty tan, with a five o’clock shadow that seemed to belong there. His hair was gelled off his head, shining a dark blonde. His eyes took on a playful, childish glare. He couldn’t have been over 30.

His smile was incredibly white, and it was kind of humorous how his ears stuck out just a bit far from his head, pointing up like elf ears.

“Nice to meet you, Tim.” I said, politely smiling at him.

“Ah, Addison.” He smiled down at me. “I’ve heard so much about you. It’s almost like I know you already.” He laughed a booming chuckle, before assisting us with the bags.

“You talked about me?” I asked, facing him.

“It slipped a few.” He shrugged, sheepishly before busying himself helping Tim load up the truck.

I slipped in the passenger seat, after grabbing the car seat, adjusting it to fit properly.

I slid the tired boy into the seat, as he hummed the theme song to the cartoon that Jeff implanted into his head.

“Larose has got to understand that he has to stick on the right wing, instead of trying to do it all.” Tim commented, continuing their conversation as they got into the front seat.

“Still? No ones bothered to correct him?” Jeff questioned.

“Nah, but you know Chad. He never seems to listen.” Tim laughed as Jeff joined it. I didn’t see what was so funny, so instead I just stared out the window, watching the unknown places pass.