Bridge over troubled waters

11| Family Fun

Corey

Now that we're into November and I'm into a good groove with hockey my family decides to come down for a little and catch a game and see the city. Since this is the first season I started in Chicago instead of down in Rockford I was going to try and have my parents come watch me as much as possible. I'm more sharing the net than being a backup nowadays which is pretty cool. I felt like I was doing pretty good and I was ready to take on whatever was ahead of me.

So I pick my parents up at the airport and drop them off at their hotel. They're going to get settled then we would meet for lunch at Portillos because they read all about it and that's where they wanted to go. So I head back to my place and knock on Baileys door to pick her up. She hates when I'm always bringing her places, says it feels like I'm her valet, but I'm just trying to make up for lost time.

"Are mom and dad here" she asks me as she opens the door causing me to laugh.

"Yeah mom and dad are here. We're meeting them at portillos" I explain.

"Oh yeah" she cheers as she jumps out of her apartment. She closes the door behind her and we were on our way.

As soon as we get to the restaurant Bailey spots my mom and dad and runs over to them. I think it's been a little over a year since she's seen them last and I know she missed them. They were her parents too for a while. Whenever her parents were out of town she was at my place eating my food and playing on my play station. When her dad was my coach and we would go to tournaments to save money my parents sent me with her parents and I was a part of their family for weekends at a time. In a lot of ways we lived a lot of the same life and we shared parents and siblings and memories. And I don't think that's going to be stopping any time soon.

"Oh my god you've gotten even more beautiful. How is that possible" my mom asks her and I shake my head. After all this time she still embarrassed me in front of my friends.

"Me? Look at you. You look younger each time I see you. Is it because Corey is out of your hair" Bailey teases.

"Hey" I gasp.

"Well it's not the only reason" my mom insist.

"HEY" I yell. "I'm right here" I pout.

"Oh hush it, you know we love you" Bailey says.

She freezes once she realized what she said and that it didn't mean what it used it. It meant more and she knew it, and I knew it too. But at the same time it couldn't mean anything at all.

"Well we should order now huh" my dad asks.

"Yeah, lets do that" my mom says as she grabs Bailey. But her eyes stay on me because this unspoken thing that keeps happening between us is happening right now, and like always we can't do anything about it.

We get in line and look over what they have. My mom hangs all over Bailey like she's the daughter she always wanted, because she is. "Oh you have to get the Chicago style hot dog" Bailey insists and I snicker. She turns her head sharply my way and I act like I wasn't just watching her. "I hear you laughing Corey" she accuses.

"It's just cute how much you love your fancy processed meat" I tease.

"What can I say? I know a good thing when I taste it. And this... is so good" she smiles.

So we all order hot dogs and cheese fries and a cake shake and I'm happy we don't have a game today. We get our food and sit down and my parents sit next to each other on purpose so I had to sit next to Bailey like we were on some double date. They never sit on the same side when we were out so I know this is all a plan and I kind of hate them for this. But I sit down quietly and she sits next to me and we eat our meal.

"So Bails" my mom starts, "I trust Corey has been good to you" she says and I roll my eyes. Here we go.

"He's always been good to me. I wouldn't move to a different country if I thought he wouldn't be" she insists.

"And how has work been" my dad asks her.

"It's been good" she shrugs.

"She's been doing amazing" I interject. I feel everyone's eyes on me and I retract a little. Not even I expected a outburst like that, but I hate when she doesn't give herself credit. She's an amazing artist and her being here proves that more. "I mean, she's being doing really good for herself. She got to do a art show and the art institute of Chicago wants to feature her" I say.

"Oh sweetie" my mom gasps. "That really is amazing."

Bailey just smiles to herself as she picks up a French fry. "It is pretty cool. To find success just a month into my journey here is kinda crazy. It all just feels like a dream. Being here doing what I love with Corey right by my side like we always said we would be" she says as she turns to me. That million dollar smile comes back and I couldn't help but smile too. "I couldn't have written a better start to my future."

I nudge her with my arm and she starts to giggle. She turns back to her food but my eyes stay on her. I watch as she continues to talk to my parents and I just admire her and her beautiful soul.

Eventually my dad excused himself to go to the bathroom and Bailey finds that now is a good time for her to go too. That leaves my mom at the table with me as I try to avoid her piercing eyes trying to read me like a Junior B Jones book.

"So you want to tell me what's going on between you and Bailey" she says and my face gets hot. I swallow some spit that gets stuck in my throat as I clear it.

"Nothing" I insist.

"Baby I've watched you two grow up together, I sent you guys off to prom and took her to your games, and just from watching you two for a hour I know something is happening between you two whether you know it or not" she accuses.

I let out a little laugh because of course she would be the one to call us on our bull shit. Always did. "I don't know what's going on and she doesn't either. Every time we're about to talk about it fate has a different idea and neither of us say anything. I'm scared to mess this up for her, I mean you should see her. This city is at her knees and she doesn't even notice it. Plus she's still with Mark and as far as she knows that's a forever thing" I sigh.

"And what about you? How do you feel" she asks.

I let out a long sigh as I stop picking up the trash on the table. I feel my eyes start to get watery as I think about how much she means to me and how she could mean even more if I wasn't so scared. "I feel like all this time we've been together has been beautiful. Every memory more precious than the last. But I feel like maybe, just maybe we can be more than best friends, like what we have is special. She always said we were soul mates and I think she's more right than she knows" I explain.

"Do you love her" she questions.

A small smile comes up on my face as I think about it. "I don't want to say it out loud because I can never take it back" I say.

"Just because you don't say it doesn't make it any less true" she assures me.

"I know momma. Trust me... I know."