Page 76 of Boards & Betrayal

“Ally?” Her voice was gentle but filled with worry.

I tried to muster a smile, but it faltered halfway. "Hi Mom."

She stepped aside to let me in, her hand brushing my arm lightly as if to offer silent comfort. Inside, the house smelled of lavender and freshly baked cookies—scents that usually brought solace but now felt like a cruel reminder of simpler times.

"Wanna talk about it?" She led me into the living room where everything was immaculately in place—the knitted throws on the couch, the family photos lining the mantle.

I collapsed onto the sofa, feeling its familiar softness envelop me as I struggled to find words that wouldn't unravel me further.

I hugged a couch pillow to my chest, feeling the softness press against my racing heart. The words formed a lump in my throat, but I knew I had to say them.

"Mom, I'm in love with Nick's dad."

She blinked, absorbing the weight of my confession. "Okay," she said slowly, her voice careful.

"It's not like..." I took a deep breath. "Nick and I broke up. You know that. I went to work. His dad came in. I didn't know it was his dad at the time. We talked for hours."

A small smile crept onto my face as I remembered those conversations. Thomas had been so different from anyone I'd met before—steady, kind, and unexpectedly charming, even if he was rough around the edges.

"And then..." My mother's brow arched, a knowing look crossing her face.

I felt my cheeks flush. "We spent more time together," I said quickly. "I thought it wasn't going to be serious. I just got out of a relationship, but..."

"But he was that good?" Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Mom!" I exclaimed, but a reluctant laugh escaped me. "Well, yes, but it was more than that."

"It always is," she said with a smirk.

I sighed, squeezing the pillow tighter as if it could anchor me.

"But?" she prodded.

"It got complicated," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

She nodded, her expression softening into one of understanding and concern. She reached out and gently placed her hand on mine.

"He asked me to go to this event," I said, feeling the weight of my words settle between us. "It wasn't until he explained to me what it was that I realized he worked at Crestwood. And even then, it took a little longer for me to figure out he was Nick's dad."

My mother’s brow furrowed in confusion. "How did you figure it out?"

"I think I was in his office and saw a picture or something," I replied, wrinkling my nose at the memory. "I tried to end things, but Tom wouldn't hear of it. He wanted to make things work."

"And you?" she asked gently, her eyes searching mine.

"I… I wanted to be with him," I admitted, my voice cracking. "But Nick found out. I don't even know how. But he confronted his father at the Masquerade?—"

"And that was when the fight happened," she finished for me.

My eyes went wide in shock. "You knew about that?"

"Honey, everyone in Michigan knew about it," she said flatly. "It's not every day a college hockey coach and his NHL playerson get into a fistfight at a charity event." She paused, looking at me intently. "Why did they?"

I sighed, shaking my head as if trying to shake off the memories. "It doesn't matter," I said softly. "I didn't want Tom to do that for me. I didn't want to come between him and Nick. At least Nick's father is still around. I didn't want to be the reason Tom wasn't there."

The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken emotions and unresolved tensions. My mother squeezed my hand, offering a silent gesture of support.

"Ally," she began cautiously, "you can't carry the weight of their relationship on your shoulders."

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