The Long Day Is Over

“So Harper’s visit is pretty soon.” Shea stated as he and Roman sat across from each other in a restaurant after a rather long practice.

Roman nodded his head as he looked over the menu and he said, “Yeah, eleven days, ten if you don’t include today.”

“Are you planning anything fun?” Shea asked him curiously, watching as Roman shrugged. Shea couldn’t help but point out, “You know, for someone who’s about to have their girlfriend, who lives on the other side of the country, visit them for a whole week you sure don’t seem too jazzed.”

Roman looked up and placed his menu on the table, and he told Shea with a shake of his head, “No, I am, I really am… it’s just that… I don’t know. I guess it’s making me realize that things are just not how I wish they were.”

“You wanna explain that one to me?” Shea asked him, and Roman let out a small chuckle when he added, “Apparently I’m not as well versed in the language of Roman as I thought.”

And so Roman explained to him, “This whole long distance thing. I guess I didn’t expect it to be this hard, and knowing that if she doesn’t get matched here things are just gonna probably get worse is making me a little anxious. Plus add in the fact that she finds out where she got matched in like a month… I don’t know I’m just trying not to think about it all.”

“You know, it’s partially your doing that Tessa and I cleared things up between us so I’m going to impart some wisdom free of charge.” Shea told him, and when Roman’s eyebrow lifted in amused curiosity he was told, “There are so many couples, especially in our hockey world, who do long distance. There are people with families that do it. Sure, it sucks and it’s rough and it’s not something I would ever want to do, but it is what it is. When her matches come out you just have to accept whatever it says, whatever happens, and deal with the future one day at a time. If you love her as much as I know you do, you’ll know she’s worth it.”

“I know she is… I just… it’s hard to see all of you guys; you and Tessa now, and Mike and Carrie, and Ryan and Liv and not hate you guys for having something that sure, I have, but it’s two thousand miles away.” Roman told Shea with a sigh, taking a large gulp from his glass of water before he ran a hand through his hair and added, “I really don’t know what we would do if she got matched in New York or Philly.”

- - -

“Alright, how are things with you and this boy of yours?” Harper looked over at her mother as they sat side by side in pedicure chairs at a local spa.

Harper hadn’t been exactly jazzed about spending half of her day off with her mother out and about but she was easily enticed when her mother offered a morning at the spa, massage included. She was exhausted but so incredibly tense.

With a smile she said, “They’re good. I fly out to Nashville for a week in like… a week and a half.”

“A whole week?” Maureen asked her in surprise, Harper was never one to opt to spend her days off, of any kind vacation or not, traveling. Maureen hadn’t been able to convince Harper to come home since she arrived in California to start her medical school journey.

“Yeah, I have a break in my schedule, they usually give it out to people so that they can catch up on hours but since I’ve worked so much extra time this year I don’t really need it.” Harper explained to her.

Her mother grinned, “So you’re flying out to spend some time with your boyfriend.”

“It’ll be the last time we get to see each other before matches come out next month, one last week together before the real world comes knocking on my door sounded far too good to turn down.” Harper stated with a smile as she picked up her phone from her lap as it buzzed.

Maureen, who had never been one for much privacy, asked Harper, “Is that him?”

“No, actually, it’s Bristol.” Harper told her, reading the text and looking at the picture before she held the picture out to her mother and relayed Bristol’s message, “She wants to know which hair piece, and whether we like cream accents with all of the floral arrangements and earthly vibe or if she should go with a color.”

“The second hair piece, and tell her cream, its classic.” Maureen told Harper, and once Harper had sent off the message she asked her, “Are you getting excited for the big wedding?”

“Yeah, it’s actually been a lot of fun to help her plan. It’s gonna be beautiful and I kinda can’t wait.” Harper told her mom with a grin.

Maureen asked her, “Helps that you also have a cute date now, doesn’t it?”

“What is with your obsession with my boyfriend?” Harper joked, making her mother laugh.

Placing a hand over Harper’s Maureen told her, “I’m just so incredibly happy that you’re happy, and that you have someone in your life who makes you happy, who loves you and treats you the way you deserve to be treated.”

“Mom stop.” Harper told her, rolling her eyes as they both reached up to wipe their cheeks. Harper put her hands back in her lap, and took a deep breath before she told her, “For the record, I’m really glad he came along too. I was beginning to think I was destined to be alone, honestly.”

“You were just waiting for the right one to come along.”

Two hours later when Harper and Maureen arrived back at the apartment to find the door hanging wide open for a second Harper thought someone had broken in. That was until a suitcase went sliding out into the hallway, followed by another one, and then two boxes, and when they stepped into the apartment to find her brother coming back from down the hall with a duffle bag Harper stated, “I know I’m messy but don’t you think this is a little extreme?”

Brad let out a laugh and told her, “I just can’t take it anymore.”

She rolled her eyes and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Well… when you told me that you didn’t put in for a match here in the city I applied for a couple of jobs, and I got one.” Brad explained to her, adding in, “The kicker is that I have to leave tonight.”

“You’re leaving now?” She asked him in surprise, she didn’t really know what else to ask him.

Nodding he motioned to his things and told her, “Most of this stuff is going into storage, I can’t take it all but I had to pack everything because I won’t be able to come back and pack it up when you leave because… well… this job is sort of in Japan.”

Harper whipped her head back to look at her brother, eyebrows raised as she asked, “I’m sorry, I must have misheard you. Did you just say you’re moving to Japan?”

“Yeah… I did… how ‘bout that?” Brad asked her with a laugh, adding in, “You’ve just been so busy lately that I haven’t really had the chance to tell you. But don’t worry, my half of the rent has been paid to the landlord in advance from now until when you move.”

“You mean you’re leaving me all alone?” Harper asked him, and when he nodded she admitted sadly, “I’m actually gonna miss you.”

His brow raised, “You’re just gonna miss me taking care of you all the time.”

“Same thing.” Harper fired back, she then asked him, “Do you have time to go for dinner at least?”

He shook his head but told her, “I could do lunch though.”

Maureen piped in finally and said, “Well let’s go then.”

“So listen, Harp…” Brad told her as he loaded his things onto one of the moving carts from the landlord. Her brow raised as she slung his backpack and a duffle bag over her shoulder and he dug into his pocket and pulled out his keys, he told her, “I kind of have no use for her anymore and since she’s all paid off and you’ve finally got a big girl job to afford the insurance and gas… take her off my hands?”

He placed the keys in her hand and her eyebrows raised, “Just like that? You’re giving me your car and you want absolutely nothing in return?”

He grinned, “I’m feeling sentimental. It’s a onetime offer, no strings attached.”

“At least I’ll have something to remember you by.” Harper joked, making him laugh.

Lunch with Brad and her mother had been eventful to say the least, her mother had cried the whole way back from the airport to the apartment, not to Harper’s surprise. She figured she was still in shock over the news herself and it hadn’t really hit her that, even for the small amount of time left here in San Francisco she was about to be alone for the first time really ever. She had always had a roommate one way or another, family or friends.

With Maureen watching TV in the living room Harper ran herself a bath, tossing a bath bomb in as well as a little bit of bubble bath before she hooked her phone up to the little Bluetooth speaker on the counter by the sink. She hadn’t been in the bath more than ten minutes when her music cut out and her phone lit up with a FaceTime call from Roman.

Disconnecting her phone from the speaker Harper hit accept and the first thing Roman asked her was, “Are you in the bath?”

“Yup.” She told him, leaning over the edge of the tub to pull the bath caddy up and onto the edges so that she could rest her phone on it and relax again. She informed him, “I’m trying to get used to quiet in my apartment.”

“Oh?” He asked her, eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Nodding her head Harper rested it against the back of the tub, where she had laid a towel for comfort and she closed her eyes as she told him, “Brad took a job in Japan.”

“And how does that make you feel?” He asked her.

“Only slightly bitter that he didn’t tell me until four hours before his flight out of here.” Harper informed him, opening her eyes again and shifting so that she could see his face on the phone screen.

He had propped his phone up against something in his bedroom, both nightstand lights were on and judging by the background noise he had a window or two open. He wasn’t wearing a shirt that much was obvious, and he had bedhead hair, at least more than he usually did.

She couldn’t help but ask him, “What did you do, wake up from a cat nap and call me?”

“It’s possible.” Roman told her, and when her eyebrow raised he added and explanation, “Pre-game nap that didn’t go so well.”

“Oh, right. Hey, I don’t have to work until noon tomorrow so I can actually watch your game tonight!” Harper told him with excitement evident in her voice and it made him smile. Curiously she asked him, “So is that all you’ve done today? Practice and a pre-game nap?”

“I went shopping, because I don’t know that I’ll have time to before you get here.” Roman told her with a smile.

She asked him, “Shopping for what?”

“Food mostly, I’ve been eating out a lot lately honestly. But I also got some more hangers, in case you brought something fancy that needs to be hung to avoid wrinkles.” Roman told her.

She asked him with a raised eyebrow, “Am I supposed to bring something fancy that needs to be hung to avoid wrinkles?”

“It might be a good idea.” He said, and when she nodded he added, “Also, I have a jersey here for you to wear to my games, you know, if you want.”

“I already have a jersey.” Harper told him, eyebrow quirked.

He was quick to inform her, “Yeah, and All-Star game jersey which doesn’t count because it doesn’t have our team logo on it.”

“Oh, well excuse me.” She said with a laugh. Curiously she asked him, “You’re not gonna like stick me in the wives room for those games are you?”

“I can get you tickets, actually, Tessa refuses to sit in the wives room so I’ll talk to Shea and see if we can get you guys seats in the lower bowl.”

“You’re far too good to me.” Harper told him.

“Nah, you’re just easy to please.” Roman told her, making her let out a laugh at him.

She stated, “That’s probably definitely true.”

“I definitely take advantage of it when I can.” Roman said, adding in, “How else would you put up with me?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea myself.” She told him, covering her mouth as she yawned.

With a smile he told her, “Get out of that bath and go to bed, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Good luck tonight, I think I’m gonna take your advice and have a little nap before your game.” She told him as she reached out with her foot and pushed the plug at the bottom of the tub down, when it popped up the water began to drain.

He told her, “Ten more days.”

“Ten more days.” She mimicked.

“Talk to you tomorrow, love you.” He told her, watching as she smiled gently at him through the screen.

“Love you too.”

When Maureen woke Harper up from her nap it was two minutes to puck drop, and when Harper came out of her bedroom to find the coffee table in the living room covered in food and snacks she asked her mother, “What’s all this?”

“I had a craving.” Maureen told her, and when Harper shot her a look to say she didn’t believe her she sighed and said, “Alright, so I miss those nights when we used to veg out on the couch with garbage food and watch Stars games. I thought, it might not be the Stars but maybe we could recreate those nights for once.”

“I am more than okay with that idea.” Harper told her as she hopped onto the couch and covered herself with a blanket, her mother taking the other end of the couch and the second blanket.

“He doesn’t fight does he? Roman that is.” Maureen asked her curiously.

“Very, very rarely… in fact… now that you mention it I don’t think I’ve ever seen him fight before. I know he has because he’s told me so but I’ve never seen it.” Harper told her as the puck was dropped and the game started.

She laughed when Maureen let out a sigh of relief and said, “Oh good. I don’t know that my heart could handle watching my future son-in-law get beat up.”