“Is he still there?” my sister Lacey asked on the other end of the phone.

“I don’t know hold on for a sec,” I replied, swinging my legs off the side of my bed and than walking towards the bedroom door.

Opening the door quietly I stuck my head out and listened for any sounds of life in the house. From somewhere downstairs I could hear the sound of footsteps walking around and the sound of the dogs nails hitting the wood floor, they followed around the other occupant of the house. Than the sound of a set of keys being picked up and shortly after the sound of the front door being shut loudly behind the person.

‘What a shock not even a goodbye or a see you later. God it’s like I’m not even here anymore. But it’s not like I make the effort anymore either.’ I think to myself.

“Hello…… Hello….. Hello Hello Hello,” the sound of Lacey’s voice comes through the phone still pressed to my ear.

“Sorry. Yeah he just left,” I responded, than sighed to myself.

“Seriously sis how much longer are you going to put up with this? How much longer are you going to let him put you through this?” Lacey asks, concern lacing her voice.

“Its not like I really have a choice Lace,” I sigh, tired of always having the same conversation time after time. “We both said we would make the effort to work this out.”

“Really and at what cost?” she scoffs at the other end.

“Lace please stop,” I sigh.

“Well I’m sorry sis but I’m concerned about you. I’m concerned about your mental wellbeing as well as your physical. Your not happy. He’s not happy. Your both not happy. When is enough going to be enough?” Lacey asks.

“He’s not going to hurt me physically Lace. He would never do that and you know that,” I replied.

“That’s not the point,” she huff’s, and I can just picture her rolling her eyes.

“Look Lace I know you mean well. But please just drop it. Look I have to go,” I tell her.

“Alright I’ll drop it for now. But at some point your going to have to stop avoiding the subject and face it,” she replies.

“Love you Lace,” I tell her.

“Yeah love you too,” Lacey responds, and than the sound of the dial tone hits my ear.

Shaking my head I walk back over to the bed and flop down on it on my back. I wasn’t avoiding anything. The fact of the matter was I faced my problems every day head on. I knew Lacey only meant well, but sometimes stubborn meddling siblings didn’t help anything. Sighing I got up off my bed and headed downstairs for a drink. Grabbing a glass out of the cabinet I walk over to the kitchen sink and fill the glass. Taking a drink out of the cup as I look out the window at the huge back yard, that’s starting to become shadowed.

[i]‘Lacey did have a point though how much longer would I go on living like this’[/i] I thought to myself. I set down my cup in the sink and made my way down through the hallway. Stopping at the doorway of the so called “Man Cave” I could only shake my head.

[i]‘God what a pig. How much mess could one man make on his own?’[/i] I asked myself as I took in the mess. There were empty cans and bottles, papers, hamburger wrappers and take-out containers laying all over the place. There was also empty dvd cases laying open and some clothes thrown around for good measure. I walked back into the kitchen and grabbed a bag, than walked back into the Man Cave. I started gathering up the trash and putting it in the trash bag. Only stopping a few times to push my hair out of my face.

I stopped picking up once I heard the doorbell ring. I looked at the clock over the flat screen TV on the wall. ‘Who the fuck is at the door?’ I asked myself. I slowly made my way to the door and unlocked it.

The shock must have been evident on my face as I saw who was standing there.

“Your not ready,” his mother said in a disapproving tone, looking my disheveled state.

“Uhhhhhh,” I responded dumbfounded.

“Well are you just going to stand there or are you going to go get ready?” she asked.

“Go where?” I asked, not understanding.

“To the game of course,” she replied, looking at me weirdly.

“Ummm I wasn’t planning on going,” I replied.

“What do you mean you weren’t planning on going? Of course you’re going. Now hurry up and go get ready,” his mother told me.

“Right well I’ll just go get ready,” I replied.

“Well hurry up. We’ll be waiting in the car,” she told me, giving me a once over again and shaking her head and walking back to the rental her husband was sitting in.

I closed the door behind her and took deep breath trying to settle my rattled nerves.[i] ‘What in the hell were his parents doing here? They usually let us know when they were going to be town. He usually let me know when they were going to be in town. That way we could get the house ready. So we could prepare ourselves for their visit. Did he not tell me intentionally? No he wouldn’t do that he’s in the same boat as me.’[/i] I thought to myself.

I quickly went upstairs and into my room and rummaged through my closet trying to find something presentable to wear. I finally settled on a pair of gray pinstriped pants and a nice half sleeved button up shirt. I also grabbed my black heeled ankle boots that I knew would look nice with my outfit. No matter what was happening with us I would always dress my best. I didn’t want to embarrass him, although I don’t think I would embarrass him. I’d probably more likely embarrass myself more.

After finding my outfit I went into the bathroom and quickly stripped of the clothes I was already in and dressed in the outfit I picked out. Than I threw my hair up in a twist and fastened it with a clip. Than quickly fixed my makeup. I didn’t want to keep his parents waiting any longer than I had to. After slipping my boots on I walked into my room and than headed downstairs. Grabbing my purse and keys I headed out the front door and locked it behind me.

I walked towards his parents rental and hopped into the backseat and shut the door behind me. His father pulled off as I buckled in my seat belt.

“Hey sweetheart how are you?” his father asked.

“I’m good,” I replied.

“Good….. Good…. So you weren’t ready, huh?” his father asked, with a chuckle.

“She was acting like she wasn’t going,” his mother answered for me.

“Well that can’t be true. You always make it to his games,” his father replied, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.

I shifted uncomfortably in the backseat and looked out the window, watching the city going by.

“Talon hun, is everything alright?” his father asked worriedly, glancing back quickly at me and than looked back at the road.

I wanted to answer his father true fully. I really didn’t like lying to his parents. They had been like my own parents for so many years. Looking down at my hands I spun my wedding band around on my finger.

“Talon?” his father asked again.
“Yeah everything’s great,” I replied, looking up and plastering a big smile on my face.

I was so happy when we finally arrived the arena. I could get out of the car fast enough after his father parked the car. I couldn’t take much more of his father giving me concerned looks in the rearview mirror. I could never lie very well to his father. His dad always seemed to know when I was lying to him. I waited for his parents to join me and we all walked into the arena together and headed to the family suite together.

I walked behind his parents as we got closer to the family suite and could feel my hands starting to turn clammy. I quickly wiped them off on my pant legs. I noticed his father glance back at me and give me a concerned look. When we got to the suite door I paused as his father held the door open for me. I really didn’t want to go in there, I really didn’t want to be here at all. I honestly hadn’t been to a home game in the shortened season due to the lockout, except for the first home game. I knew what and who was in that room and I wasn’t really looking forward to facing it again.

“Talon are you sure everything’s ok?” his father asked worriedly, stepping away from the door and pulling me off to the side.

“Yeah,” I replied shakily, with what I hopped was a smile and a nod of my head.

We both headed into the family suite and all eyes turned towards us. I could tell all of the girls were really happy to see me. I had luckily become fast friends with them all when we had come here. Well actually I had known most of them before we had moved here. When I used to travel with him and his team when they came here. So I knew the girls and the girls knew me.

Luckily for me his parents went and talked to some of the other guys parents that happened to be at the game and I went over and talked to the girls. I finally got to relax some when I didn’t feel like his parents were watching me. I had missed this, being here and watching the game.

Mid-way through the second I watched as he raced up the ice with a teammate on a breakaway. His teammate racing up the ice with the puck. I watched as he tapped his stick on the ice and yelled at his teammate for the puck. I could feel myself scooting to the edge of my seat watching the play intently. I watched as his teammate passed the puck over to him and him pull back his stick and fire the puck into the net. My natural instincts had me jumping up and cheering with everybody else in the room. I couldn’t help the big smile that formed on my face as I watched him smile and laugh as his teammates congratulated him on his goal. For the first time in a long time he looked really happy. I knew everything that was happening between us was getting to him, as it was getting to me.

Just than he happened to look up at where I was and even from there I could tell he looked shocked to see me there. He gave me a genuine smile and his special nod to me.

“Awwwww yay my baby scored,” a voice broke through my happiness.

It was than I noticed that someone else had joined us in the room. Or maybe she had been there the whole time, I wasn’t sure. I glanced around the room and some of the girls were giving me a pitying looks. Most of them knew what was going on. I didn’t want to, but I glanced over at his parents. They seemed confused as to who this girl was talking about being “her baby”.

I couldn’t believe she was actually there. [i]’What was she doing here in this city now? Did he actually invite her?’[/i] I thought to myself. The one woman who could tear my whole marriage apart with her being pregnant with my husbands child.