One Night Becomes a Liftime

I laid in my bed enjoying the five minutes of peace and quiet I had left before Adam was supposed to bring Evan home from his hockey practice. I got home from work twenty minutes ago and this was what I called my mommy time before I had to be alert and ready for Evan. The beautiful California sun beamed right on my bed, the warmth of it bathed my skin and it felt wonderful. I was born and raised in Minnesota so to be able to lay in a summer dress in the beginning of January enjoying sunshine was one of the best things ever. I moved to San Jose California over three years ago when I decided I was overdue for a change and a new start for my son and I. Working two jobs and raising a five year old on my own isn’t the easiest thing to do but I manage to get things done.

Having a five year old son on ice skates was a little nerve wrecking for me and I felt like I was going to have a panic attack watching him especially when he was throwing his body into other players like a mini manic. So Adam started taking him for me whenever he was around giving me a little break. Evan was so much like his father from his looks to his love for the game of hockey and through his father I had gain a great friend. Adam Burish and I met each other when I lived in Minnesota and the team he played for at the time was there for a game against the Wild. When he got traded to San Jose last July we ran into each other again when he rented the apartment upstairs from me.

“Mommy, I’m home.” I heard Evan scream from the living room and I smiled hearing his voice as I slowly climbed out of the bed. “Mommy where are you?”

“Ang.” I heard Adam call out a lot lower than Evan was screaming.

“You two guys are so impatient.” I said coming out of my room and Adam smiled at me as Evan ran at me wrapping his arms around my waist. “How was practice little man?” I said brushing his hair back from his beautiful face so I could look into his hazel eyes that reminded me so much of his father, I also made a mental note of him needing a haircut very soon.

“Uncle Adam came on the ice with us today and taught us some cool tricks and he was helping me with my slap shot.” Evan said smiling up at me. “He said he is going to get the whole team tickets when they start playing again and Uncle Adam said we are going to be able to meet both teams.” Evan said in an excited voice.

“That is so cool.” I said bending down to kiss his forehead. “Go get your clean clothes off the bed and get ready for a bath you stink.” I said sending him to his room then looked up at Adam. “Adam you don’t have to do that.”

“Ang I want to do it.” He said as he dropped himself down on my couch. “Evan’s coach asked me if you sent the check for this month’s hockey fees.”

“Shit… I forgot those were due already.” I said running my fingers through my hair. “I’ll call him and make arrangements. I don’t even remember what I owed him.”

“I paid it.” He said looking over at me.

“Adam, why did you do that?” I said in voice that was between shocked and pissed, I didn’t want to be someone’s charity case especially Adam’s.

“I’ve been around since July and I see how much you struggle to stay afloat.” He said shaking his head as he turned away and began to rummage through my mail on the coffee table, probably to keep himself busy so he didn’t have to look at me knowing I was glaring at him. “Does he even help you with anything?” he asked me.

We had agreed to never refer to Evan’s father by his name because I didn’t want him mentioned around Evan. “Adam I don’t want his money or anything to do with him.” I said walking away and went to the bathroom to start Evan’s bath water. I sat on the edge of the tub checking the water temperature to make sure it was just right.

“Angela what is this?” Adam asked coming into the bathroom behind me and dropped a check on the sink counter and I shook my head wishing he didn’t find that. I didn’t have to look at the paper to know what it was. “Why are you struggling if you get this? I thought you said Sea… I mean… he didn’t know where you lived.”

“He doesn’t, my mom gets these checks every month in the mail and she sends them to me but I always give them back so she can send them back to him.” I said snatching the check off the counter. “How much do I owe you for his fees?” I asked as Evan came into the small bathroom with us. “Evan get yourself cleaned up then come to the kitchen for dinner.” I said softly as I ushered Adam out of the bathroom.

“You can pay me back if you cash that.” Adam said pointing at the check in my hand. “You don’t cash it, you don’t get to pay me back.”

I could tell that Adam and I were going to go at it over this fee issue for a while and I wasn’t going to win against him because I was not going to cash the check either. I knew very well Adam felt the need to step up thinking that his friend wasn’t helping me. I have tried many times to explain I didn’t want Brent Seabrook’s help and that I was going to do this on my own. I was being stubborn and I knew it but I didn’t care.

Brent and I were just what I like to call a two night stand that happened when they play the Wild in December of two thousand six, we saw each other both times he came to Minnesota that year because it was just a few days apart. There was no relationship and we weren’t in love with each other, it was just a couple nights of spontaneous fun for both of us. I found out I had gotten pregnant in the beginning of two thousand seven a couple of months after we slept together. When I told him I was pregnant and I was positive it was his he stopped calling me and wouldn’t take my calls thinking I was trying to trap him or I was after his money.

When I gave birth to Evan on October seventh of two thousand seven I called Brent to tell him but I only received his voicemail, I left him a message and he never called or showed up. I was beyond upset when I found out that Brent was in Minnesota three days before I gave birth to our son and he didn’t make an attempt to see or contact me. The next time I saw Brent Evan was just four days from turning five months old and he asked me for a paternity test saying his agent thought it was best for all of us, which I had no problem giving him. A few weeks later the test results showed what I had told him was true but by that point I was already done trying to involve him in our life, I stopped accepting his calls and was trying to move on with my own life.

The beginning of that summer he showed up at my apartment when his season was over and we fought about whether he could see Evan or not. “Angela he is my son too, you can’t keep him from me.” Brent snapped at me in a low voice because he knew Evan was sleeping in his room.

“You wanted nothing to do with us when I was pregnant and didn’t even come around when I gave birth to your son.” I growled at him in a low voice. “Evan and I don’t need you! You were so worried I was trapping you… now you know the truth. I don’t want the big hockey player’s money and I sure as hell don’t want you.”

“Don’t make me get a lawyer, I will take him from you.” He growled at me a little louder.

“How do you plan on raising a nine month old baby on your own?” I yelled at him. “You travel nine months out of the year and spend your summers in Canada, he needs a parent that is always there for him not one that will be around once in a while.”

“Angela please let me see him.” Brent said in a softer voice and I could see the desperation in his eyes.

I stood there looking at him in silence for a moment before I sighed giving in. “Fine but the first time you lie to us or don’t show up when you say you will be here this will be all over and I will move away. You will never see us again, I swear Brent don’t make me regret this.”

“Ok, I just want to be a part of my son’s life.” Brent said as he followed me to Evan’s room.

That was our agreement and as desperate as he had looked that day I thought he would be there for Evan but I was wrong. That following season started three days after Evan’s first birthday but yet Brent couldn’t come to his party, I had planned the whole thing to happen before the season was to start so he could be there. He did finally show up at the end of that month when his team played the Wild and then again a few days after Christmas when they played the Wild again. It had seemed to be a pattern that I wasn’t liking.

Brent had called me in May and said he would be in town the second week of June but he never showed up or called and he didn’t make another attempt to see us again until almost August, by then I had already moved to San Jose and didn’t tell him. So when he called my family looking for me he was surprised to find out I had moved. I had let the first lie go without complaint and when he didn’t come around for the holidays I still let it go but when he didn’t come during the off season to see his son I was done and stuck to my end of the agreement.

“Ang, what are you thinking about?” Adam asked snapping me from my memory and I looked over to see him standing there looking at me concerned.

“How did Brent react when he found out I moved away?” I asked ignoring his question and he shook his head. “I want to… no I have to know Adam.”

“I thought we agreed not to have this conversation.” He said shaking his head at me again.

“Ok then answer something else for me, why are you here and why do you feel the need to help me?”

“I help because you need the help and you refuse to ask for it and I’m here because I want to be.” Adam said in a concerned voice. “He sends you money and you send it back to him… he is still trying and you won’t tell him where you are.”

“Adam you promised me you wouldn’t tell him where I was.” I said in a worried voice as a tear slipped down my cheek. “I’m not going to lose my son, if he knows where I am he will take Evan from me.”

“Ang I would never break my promise to you or Evan. I love the little man… the two of you are like family to me now.” Adam said walking closer to me and pulled me into a tight hug. “I just wish you would at least let Seabrook know his son is alive and well… he at least deserves to know that much.”

“Mommy, why are you crying?” Evan asked causing me to quickly pull away from Adam and I wiped my face free of tears. I didn’t like crying in front of him.

“I stubbed my toe on the table.” I said forcing a smile to my face and Evan pouted at me. “It hurt a lot but I’m going to be ok.”

“She sure did little man but I made her feel better.” Adam said walking over and lifted Evan up into his arms. “Let’s go in the kitchen to check and see what mommy made for dinner. I’m starving and I know you gotta be too.”

Adam smiled at me as he walked towards the kitchen carrying Evan, I stood there pulling myself back together and listened as Evan talked about school and his hockey team with Adam. There were so many days that I did regret moving and they all came when Adam started coming around. Evan was so amazed and happy to find out I knew real hockey players. If he had known his own father IS a great hockey player himself he would probably be so happy. I walked in the kitchen and saw the smile across both their faces and it broke my heart when I thought about what Brent was missing because I took it away from him.

It had been a few weeks since Adam and I spoke about Brent, the both of us decided not to bring him up anymore because it wasn’t going to do either of us any good. The new hockey season had finally started after the whole lockout issue and Adam had a road game in Anaheim so I had no choice but to take Evan to practice that Monday myself. I was standing by the ice watching him practice while I was talking with a friend of mine.

“Evan and Bradley are making plans for the end of the week.” Sarah said smiling at me. “Evan was saying something about Uncle Adam and Joe Thornton taking them out.”

“Adam needs to stop spoiling Evan.” I said shaking my head as I watched him on the ice running drills. “Since the guys started practicing unofficially Adam has taken Evan to meet all the guys and they all have taken to spoiling him as much as Adam does and I can’t keep up with it.”

“Angie you never told me how you know Adam Burish, I’ve been friends with you since you moved here over three years ago and I never heard a thing about him until he got traded to the Sharks.”

“I met Adam when I lived in Minnesota and we lost touch until he moved in the same building as me.” I said smiling at her as I glanced over my shoulder to see a large group of men walking towards where we were standing. “It’s a long story Sarah.”

“Wow the kids are going to be so excited to see these guys watching them.” Sarah said as she looked at the guys walking towards us.

I looked over at her confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Angie do you even pay attention to hockey that doesn’t involve just our kids anymore?” she asked me with a raised eyebrow.

I shook my head no. “Sarah when am I supposed to have time to watch hockey anymore? The only hockey I get to watch are the games Evan plays in.”

“The Sharks are playing Chicago tomorrow and those are the players, they had practice before our kids got here. They hung around the rink to watch the kids, Coach Kevin told us about this the other day. Adam didn’t tell you about this before he left?”

When her mouth stopped moving I felt my heart drop into my stomach and my breathing became very shallow. “I need to get out of here.” I said trying to catch my breath again as I quickly turned to face the ice. “I can’t be in here Sarah.”

“Angie what is wrong… are you ok?” she asked quickly moving to stand next to me and placed her hand on my shoulder causing me to jump out of fear. “Holy shit Angela what’s wrong with you?”

When the guys were standing a few feet away from us I heard his voice and the familiar loud laughter, I looked over her shoulder to see them watching the kids on the ice. “Hey Tazer look there’s a little guy with nineteen out there.” Brent said smacking Jonathan Toews on the back and I was praying he wouldn’t look my way. “He probably plays better than you.”

“Well just by looking at number seven I can tell he definitely plays better than you Seabs, shit it almost looks like he skates like you.” Duncan Keith said pointing at Evan and I gasped loudly when I noticed they were watching him.

“Angela you’re starting to scare me.” Sarah said bringing my attention back to her. “Honey are you ok?”

I shushed her when I saw a couple of them looking towards us and I quickly looked down at my feet using my hair as a curtain to cover my face. “Sarah I’m going to go out and sit in my car can you bring Evan out to me when they are done?” I whispered to her and looked up enough to see her nod at me with a confused look on her face. “Thank you and I promise to explain this to you when we are alone.”

I quickly turned to walk away but ended up bumping into a very hard chest, I slowly looked up the chest until I locked eyes with a very pissed off Brent Seabrook. “How about you explain shit to me right now Angela?” He growled at me in a low voice, I could see the hurt in his eyes but his voice held nothing but anger. “Where is my son?”

I looked over to see all the guys looking at us, some were confused and the few that knew who I was looked concerned, Sarah was standing there with a look on her face that was a cross between scared and confused. I took a couple of steps back from Brent and he took a couple of steps forward.

“Brent can we please not do this here?” I asked in a low voice as I glanced over my shoulder to see Evan looking over at us from the middle of the ice, I smiled softly at him and he waved at me then I looked back at Brent to see he was also looking at Evan.

“Is that him… is that Evan?” Brent said in a soft low voice still keeping his eyes locked on Evan.

“You’re Evan’s father?” Sarah said in a shocked voice as she looked from Brent to me. “Angie, Brent Seabrook is Evan’s father?”

“Yes he is.” I said softly as I kept my eyes on Brent.

I was praying and hoping he wouldn’t do anything to cause a scene in front of everyone here. There were no emotions on his face as he stared at our son and that scared me more than anything. I wanted to know what was going through his head and I had to wait until he looked down at me because he held all his emotion in his eyes.