Chapter Forty-Four
Sofia
I’mbeyond excited that my mom is here for Ryan’s game, especially since we’re winning by four. Ryan even scored a goal. While Amelia says it was a lucky redirect off some guy’s skate, to me, it’s a goal, and I’m pretty giddy over it.
“It is freezing in here, bella. My goodness.”
I grin over at her as I cover her with the blanket I brought for myself. “It’s hockey.”
“I’ve never been to a hockey game,” she says, and her face is perplexed as she looks at the ice. “Why are they running, oh, sorry, I mean slamming into each other? Doesn’t that hurt?”
Amelia laughs from beside me. “No, they have so many pads on.”
“Oh well, that’s good, I guess,” Mom says, though her face is still full of confusion. I’m sure that’s how I looked at my first game.
When the ref’s hand comes up because of a trip on the Bullies, Amelia stands up. “You gotta be friggin’ kidding me! Are you blind? That wasn’t a trip! Dude can’t skate! How can you not tell the difference? Do you even know the difference between your ass and your elbow?”
“She’s allowed to do that?” my mom whispers to me, and I nod.
“Apparently.”
Amelia sits down, shaking her head. “Wack call.”
“I see.”
She flashes me a wide grin before she hooks her thumb to the left. “I’m gonna hit the concession stand. You guys want anything?”
“Yes, those fried Oreos. I love this state. They fry anything here.” Mom’s eyes are lit up with excitement.
I laugh as I shake my head. “I’m fine.”
As Amelia heads right for the concession since we’re sitting in the disabled accessible area, I glance at my mom. “So, what do you think?”
“I think this is a weird sport. It’s very angry and very violent, don’t you think?”
I shrug. “At first I did, but Ryan loves it. So does Amelia. Their aunt, Elli, she owns the pro team here. It’s a family affair kind of thing.”
She nods very slowly and dramatically. “So that’s why I rode in her personal jet. Have you ridden in it yet? It’s purple on the inside. It was odd.”
I laugh. “Not yet.”
“It was interesting, to say the least. And she says ‘Y’all’ a lot. Am I saying that right?”
I grin. She’s not, but it’s super cute. “She’s very country, but I adore her.”
“Yes, she is very sweet. She offered to fly me home, but I guess Ryan had already bought the ticket.”
My heart warms as I look out on the ice, watching Ryan line up for the face-off. “Yeah.”
“So you really had no clue?”
“None, I was so surprised,” I gush, and she grins, her eyes sparkling with happiness. “I think I’m still surprised. I can’t believe you’re here. I’ve missed you so much.”
“Oh, bella,” she says, wrapping her arms around me and kissing my temple. “I miss you, but I could tell you were shocked. You never cry, but you cried enough that you made me cry.”
We share a laugh as the buzzer sounds, ending the second period. She jumps beside me, looking around. “That buzzer is loud.”
“It is,” I agree as I re-cover her since she knocked off her blanket. “Are you having fun?”
“I’m cold,” she reminds me, and I smile.
“It’s a puck, and yes.”
“Jeez, this is hard.”
“But so much fun!” Amelia says then, handing my mom her tray of fried Oreos. Mom takes them happily as the buzzer sounds and the boys come back out on the ice. When Ryan skates to the bench, he reaches for a water bottle, squirting it in his mouth. I’m just captivated by him. He’s so big, so strong, and he makes me hotter with every passing second.
My mom wasn’t wrong when she said I was young. I am, but that seems like an advantage on my part.
I get longer with him.