Just Maybe

“You’ve got your hands up, you’re rocking in my truck…” Jon hummed along to the song playing on the radio as he drove to his parent’s house in Winnipeg. Another long summer was ahead of him; the Blackhawks had been eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, something that had nagged away at him since that last game. They’d been a solid team, they’d played hard, and yet somehow they just couldn’t get it done. He’d spend the entire summer brooding over the details, and he knew it.

Pulling up to the house he frowned, seeing a few unfamiliar cars parked in the driveway. His parents had told him it was just a family dinner, so unless David had invited a bunch of friends’ over he had no clue what was going on. He hadn’t really been in the mood for a big family dinner, not only a week after playoff elimination, but his parents had insisted, and to be honest he’d missed them. Granted it usually didn’t take long for the novelty of being home and around everyone to wear off – his parents reciprocated that notion – but he wouldn’t have passed up this dinner even if he’d been sick.

Hearing the slight click of the lock behind him Jon made his way up the front walk, letting himself in and immediately conversation hit his ears. His parents had definitely invited someone, and he wracked his brain for an explanation of who it was. His grandparents were out of town until the end of June, so it couldn’t be them. Maybe some friends from work?

“Jon! There you are sweetheart! How was the drive?” his mother’s voice suddenly exploded from beside him, making him jump and curse at his inability to focus. Jon was often lost in his own thoughts, but this was ridiculous.

“Hey mom; c’est bien. Comment ca va?” he slipped into the French easily, knowing his mother preferred to speak it most of the time.

Instead she surprised him by continuing on in English, her accent gently lilting the words as she herded him into the living room. At first he didn’t recognize the couple sitting on the love seat; time had a way of aging people, and whenever Jon returned it shocked him how much everybody in Winnipeg had changed, and the couple smiled knowingly. It was obvious they knew and remembered him, and he let his mother ramble while he tried to come up with their identity.

He whipped around at footsteps coming from the hall, and realization hit him like a brick wall.

The girl who he’d adored all through junior high and high school was standing before him. Tall, athletic build, long caramel colored hair that fell in soft waves, and hazel eyes that he’d always been certain were the color of gold. Her easy smile wrinkled her nose ever so slightly, and he felt the smile pulling at his lips, completely out of his control.

Shannon Lockby.

It was like he had complete and utter lack of control of himself – a position he hated being in. She’d done this to him all during high school; left him with an inability to speak or make himself seem slightly intelligent in any way shape or form. He’d struggled to focus or think straight and sometimes couldn’t even breathe around her, which the guys had all teased him about. Hockey had been the only way he’d been able to keep his head on straight through school, and that coupled with the fact he rarely dated – nobody could have compared to her anyway – had earned him his ‘Captain Serious’ status. It was a little-known fact, of course, but that was where it came from.

“H-hi, Mr. and Mrs. Lockby; it’s been a long time. It’s nice to see you again. You too, Shannon,” he nearly squeaked on her name, and felt his face begin to heat up at the fact. Just as she always had, Shannon seemed oblivious to his incompetence and merely smiled before walking over to give him a quick, friendly hug.

“You too Jon! It’s been forever,” she allowed, before taking a seat on the love seat. He was sure he hadn’t seen her since their graduation.

“Yeah, it has,”

“Shannon just got back from England; she’s been teaching there the past two years,” her mother explained. Jon’s eyes widened, as much from shock at the fact she was a teacher as from the fact she’d been out of the country. Shannon was one of those girls that was always seemed like they would get married and start a family, staying wherever they were. And she definitely could have done that – it wasn’t like there were any shortage of guys chasing after her.

“Wow, that’s incredible,” he said, and Shannon smiled shyly as his mother jumped in.

“She was just telling us all about it! You even brought some pictures, right dear?” of course his mother would have been getting every single detail out of it. She didn’t understand that she could sometimes be a little over the top and, if possible, too interested in what was going on in everybody’s lives.

“Of course; mom and dad wanted to see the school and everything. It’s going to be weird not going back in the fall,” Shannon nodded, pulling out a canvas bag, one that looked a lot like those LuLu Lemon bags you got when you bought a lot of stuff.

“You’re not going back?” he asked, and she nodded.

“I was there on a contract; and now the teacher who’d been on leave is returning and they don’t have any positions open. So I’m looking for a new job right now,” she explained, pulling out a large scrapbook.

“The kids made it for me and gave it to me my last day teaching,” she handed it over to Jon’s mother, who eagerly began flipping through the pages, and that was when Jon realized he was still standing awkwardly in the middle of his parents’ living room. He took a seat on the far end of the couch, between Shannon and her parents, and let the conversation flow around him as they talked about Brighton, where Shannon had been living and teaching, and everything else that had gone on during her stay overseas.

It wasn’t until the front door closed that Jon looked up, seeing his father and brother walk into the living room. David was playing hockey at university, and he looked like he’d bulked up a bit since the brothers had last seen each other.

“Hey loser,” David teased, a smirk on his face for Jon. Being the oldest Jon was used to David trying to get his shots in, and it didn’t bother him.

“Hey yourself – if I’m a loser where’s your championship ring and trophy?” was the smart remark he fired back, and David mocked him before squeezing himself between Jon and Shannon on the couch.

“Hey Shannon! Back from jolly old England are you?” David asked, forcing e rough English accent onto his words that had everybody else in the room laughing. Shannon nodded, before ruffling up the youngest Toew’s hair.

“Yessir; back in good old Canada,” she answered, piquing Jon’s interest. He didn’t know David really knew Shannon, or how he’d know what was going on in her life when Jon was so out of the loop.

That was unless David had somehow asked her out. If they’d somehow crossed paths during the summer and started something. Even the idea made Jon’s stomach twist and his heart sink. That would explain why the Lockby family was randomly over for dinner. He shook off the thought, however, because somebody would have said something, that much he was sure of.

“Good,” he grinned, before stretching out. “Mom, what time’s dinner? I’m starved!”

“Whenever you get off your derriere and help me,” mom retorted, getting up to, Jon assumed, check something in the kitchen. It only took moments before she was calling for Jon’s help, and he obliged as he got up and left for the kitchen.