The Day Has Come (Counting on Hockey #4)

Epilogue pt. 2: 3 Years later

"Mommy, Mommy", I hear being yelled through the apartment. It's my youngest daughter, 5 year old, Leila Amber.

Leila Amber runs into the kitchen, coming home from school with her 8 year old sister, Lennon. 

I turn around just in time to catch Leila Amber in my arms. She wraps her legs around the side of waist, and I rest her on my hip. Leila Amber drops her backpack onto the floor behind her. Lennon sets her backpack next to her chair at the kitchen table, then walks over to the fridge and takes out the carton of strawberries.

I plant a kiss on Leila Amber's cheek. "How was school, my dear girls?"

"Mommy, Mommy", Leila Amber taps on my shoulder.

"Yes?"

"I have a class job day next week. I want Daddy to come in", Leila Amber answers me. 

Cole's been distant these past six months or so. He'll sleep on the couch or in one of the other bedrooms in the apartment. He's out a lot with his teammates, and I really only see him when we're both at Xcel. He just signed onto a four-year contract with the team, making seven million dollars, then he wants to retire, and I feel like that has had something to do with it.

I take a breath and smile again. "It's a career day", Lennon says to me. "We have it every year".

"Well, Daddy has a busy week next week. I will have to talk with him. Would I be able to go instead? I could tell about Daddy's job, too".

"Yay", Leila Amber giggles then squirms out of my grasp, dropping her feet onto the floor. She runs over to the table and starts on a strawberry, taking small bites. 

The girls finish their snacks and I have them start on their reading homework. Both girls are in accelerated reading classes at school. Lennon is reading a book meant for sixth grad reading, and Leila Amber is reading her second chapter book this year. 

I walk into my bedroom and shut the door so the girls can't hear whatever kind of conversation I'm about to become part of. I take my phone out and call Cole, knowing his practice ended about half an hour ago. 

"Hello", he says in monotone. 

"Hey, it's me", I start, trying to put a smile on my face.

"What's up", he asks, annoyance laced in his voice. I try to keep calm. Yelling at him now won't help anything.

"Leila was wondering when you were coming home tonight. She wants to ask you if you could go with her into school next week for a career day. I told her that I could go in if you weren't able to because you have that game against the Kings-".

"I'll go with her. I should be home soon. I also called Becca to watch the girls tonight. We need to talk".

"Oh", I say, partly stunned. "Okay. See you soon".

I walk back into the kitchen and tell the girls that Becca will be over soon. Becca lives downstairs on the sixth floor. She's seventeen and saving for college, and she's great with Lennon and Leila Amber. They cook together at night if they want to have a homemade dinner together, or sometimes Becca will have the girls make dinner for all of us if we're home in time for it.

I sit in the living room, hearing the girls whisper about something, and they go silent as the front door opens.

Cole walks in with his work backpack slung over his shoulder. He sets it down on the bench next to the girls backpacks. Cole gives me a small smile before walking into the kitchen.

Leila Amber starts to giggle and then Lennon starts too. "How are my lovely girls today? How was school?"

The girls answer him.