Page 27 of Fake Out Hearts

“Hey, Mom.”

“Hey, sweetie. How are you doing?”

“Pretty good, thanks. I actually just pulled in at home after an away game,” I say as I finish parking and climb out of my car to unload my bags. “How have you been?”

“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I just wanted to make sureyouwere okay. Is everything alright in your world?”

“Yeah, everything’s great. Why?” I ask, a flicker of worry lighting in my chest.

“Well, I read an article about you this morning…”

Her voice trails off, and I groan.

“Oh, come on, Mom! I’ve told you a million times to stay away from that tabloid crap. You know it’s all made up.”

“I know, I know, but this one wasn’t a tabloid piece! It was in a sports magazine I saw at the doctor’s office, and it was talking about how you’ve been having a rough season,” she says, and my stomach sinks.

Shit. Are the vultures already circling? Have I really been playingthatbadly?

“But the worst part was at the very end when the article said there’s speculation you might be dropped after your contract is up with the Aces if you can’t turn things around. And you know, Iamyour mother, so I worry. It’s what I do. Are you sure you’re okay?”

It’s her genuine concern that twists the knife even deeper in my chest. Because the truth is Ihavebeen playing like shit this season, and it doesn’t take a paid analyst to see it, either. The part that pisses me off the most about it though, is that I don’t even know what’s wrong or how to fix it. Or if I even can.

Are the Aces really thinking about dropping me?

I shake my head to clear the thought before it can even fully form. I can’t let that shit take root because it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. And it’s only going to make me play worse than I already am.

“I’m totally fine, Mom. I promise,” I insist. “And I don’t care where you find those articles, they’re all trash. If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times: the only person who knows a thing about my life is me. Everything else is sensationalized with some angle or another.”

“Okay. But you know if you need anything—anything at all—your father and I are here for you.”

“I know. And I appreciate it,” I say, even though there’s a bit of a knot in my stomach.

I’ve always been close with my parents, so it kills me not to be totally honest with my mom, especially when it’s clear she’sgenuinely concerned about me, but now isn’t the right time to have the ‘I just got married’ conversation with her.

“I’m okay though,” I reassure her. “Honestly. I’m just having a bit of a rough patch on the ice. You know, even Gretzky had a few sketchy seasons.”

“Good point.” She laughs, sounding less worried, which gives me enough breathing room to start hauling my bags inside.

“What’s going on with you and dad?” I ask, changing the subject. “What was the doctor’s appointment for this morning?”

“Oh, nothing to worry about, just my usual checkup. Apparently, my doctor is leaving to start his own practice soon, so I’ll probably be moving along with him, but that was probably the most exciting thing about the visit.”

“Then I’d say it was a pretty good visit,” I comment, drawing another laugh from her.

“What about you? Have you seen a doctor lately?”

“Of course I have, Mom,” I assure her as I lug my bags through the parking garage toward the elevator. There aren’t many other units in my building, which is nice because it means the elevator is almost always free, and that’s true today too. “I’m a professional hockey player, remember? I see doctors more than I see you at this point.”

“And isn’t that a shame?”

“It is. I miss you and Dad. Maybe we can get together sometime soon,” I say, and I almost tell her about the fact that I got married today but catch myself at the last second. I need to tell her, but I need to do it in the right way, and this isn’t it. It wouldn’t be fair to her or to Becca, especially without talking to my wife about it first.

“I’d love that. You’re always welcome, sweetie, anytime you have the time.” She clicks her tongue against her teeth. “Well, I should probably let you go so you can get settled in. I’m sure you have a lot to take care of now that you’re back home.”

“Yeah, I do. But it was great to hear from you. I love you.”

“Love you too. Take care.”

---