Holiday Hockey Tale The Icebreaker's Impasse (By Ivory Row) novel Chapter 121

Luci

Six months later:

“I’ll be back to pick you up after school.” I hug Cole after eating lunch with him. It’s February and hard to believe I’ve been teaching for almost six months. We took a mini–group trip over the winter holiday with Barrett. We spent three days at the Star Wars theme park and came home with almost everything the gift shop had once Grandpappy took them shopping. Between him, Baker and Grampy, those two will never want for anything.

“Ok Mommy. Are we picking Barrett up today?”

“Yes we are. We’re going to skate today. Daddy said you guys can come to the rink and skate while they practice.”

His face lights up. “Yes! I love going to skate with Daddy and the kings.”

“Go back to Mrs. Paulson. Love you Coco.”

“Love you Mommy. Bye!” He rejoins his class line.

I leave the school waving to a few of my kids that are staying for the after care program. They are on the playground and will soon head in for their naps.

I’m running through my errand list I hope to accomplish before picking Cole and Barrett up when I spot someone leaning against my car. I freeze in my tracks for once wishing Vince was still my shadow. Strawberry blonde hair blowing in the cold wind. I pull out my phone and unlock it. Easton’s in a meeting right now as I check our shared calendar. I can handle this but will be safe. He’ll just lose his mind and storm here.

I call Syd and Stormi. “Hey Luci Lou.” Stormi calls out.

“Stay on the phone with me. Lorelei is here.”

“Ratchet toad returns. Switch to video chat now and we’re recording our screens.” Stormi says darkly.

“Yep. Otherwise call the cops, Luci.” Sydney adds fiercely.

I hurry to change it and her head turns my way. She stands up straight and I walk to the passenger side to drop my school bag first. She doesn’t move to approach me. As I step around, I hold the phone up. “I’m recording this.” I warn her quietly.

She rolls her eyes. “Of course, because you’re without all your little security lapdogs.”

I observe her for a minute. She spent six months in mandated therapy from her studio. When I petitioned to adopt Cole, she contested it. He legally became mine three months ago when she suddenly gave up. Her outward appearance is the same. Her eyes however tell a different story. She isn’t calculating or crazy right now. More…..resigned and tired from what I see there.

The look I saw in Janet’s eyes sometimes when she lost a kid back into the system that she attempted to keep with her for longer.

“Why are you here, Lorelei?” She’s staring at my left hand as I hold the phone.

“You know I once thought I’d have him forever. That I’d be the one called Mrs. Easton Reed.”

Her eyes slowly drift up to mine.

I say nothing and wait. She slowly nods. “I don’t like you. I freely and fully admit that. I think you aren’t worth his time and that one day he’ll realize it. But that’s not why I’m here.” She pulls

a small box out of her coat pocket. “I dropped the adoption contest after I met with my father.”

She scoffs. “If there’s anyone that could use a diatribe of yours, it’s that sorry excuse for an asshole.”

Stormi snorts. “Funny that’s almost what I called him too.”

“Luci laid into him already, don’t worry. A few of us did.” Sydney adds with old anger.

“I don’t think my words made much of a difference to him.” I tell her honestly.

“Shocking. The great Lloyd Winters doesn’t listen to any he believes beneath him.” She takes a deep breath. “This is for Cole. It was…it was my grandfather’s and I would like him to have it.

He actually loved me and cared about me. I lost him when I was nine. I wrote him a note inside talking about Grandpa and what that meant to him. Don’t worry, the note is straightforward and doesn’t deviate from my grandfather and what he meant to me. He’d have loved Cole.”

She holds the box out and I take it from her. “I will give it to him. Do you want it done on any certain occasion or just now?”

She blinks a few times. “You really are too nice. It can be anytime. Not like I’ll know.” She sounds bitter.

“Actually, I was going to offer to video it and send it to you. That way you could see it.” I add sincerely.

She’s taken aback by my offer. “You would really send it to me?”

“Yes. I adopted him, but you will always be his biological mother. The goal wasn’t to replace you with the adoption. And one day he might want to reach out to you. We’ve always said this is up to him. His relationship with you will be on his terms and timeline if he ever wants one.”

She looks away for a minute. “I would really like to see him open it.” She says lowly and then turns to leave.

“Lorelei, is your number still the same?” I call after her.

She turns and nods. “Yes.” Her hands clench and unclench a few times before she speaks as if pained. “You….I hope you stick around for him. You’re the kind of mom most kids should get.”

She climbs into her SUV and drives away without looking my way again.

“That was not what I expected to happen.” Stormi finally speaks up softly.

“Me either.” I admit staring down at them.

“The ratchet toad might have found her humanity in therapy.” Sydney adds thoughtfully.

“I hope so. She deserves a chance at a real life now that her mother is gone. And with her father….well she might need more grace than she was given before.” I give them a wry smile.

“Thanks ladies. Girls night tomorrow?”

“Yep. Someone else choose. Just no serious hanging plant life like the last place we tried.” Stormi makes a nauseated face.

“Luci chooses.” Sydney throws out fast.

“Sure. I’ll think about it.” I chuckle as we hang up. Maybe we could go to Baker’s restaurant.

Sydney likes the Cajun pasta with shrimp. My stomach turns at the thought and I swallow back a wave of nausea. Weird, maybe I shouldn’t have eaten so much for lunch.

When I pick the boys up, I don’t feel much better and really hope I’m not getting sick. I’ve learned that teaching exposes you to germs scientists haven’t identified yet.

At the rink, I watch them skate with the pros taking time to play with them at times. It always makes me smile to see hockey players with kids. They are just bigger ones, I swear. When Easton gets home, I hold my phone out silently to him with the video ready and show him the box. “Lorelei was waiting for me.”

His face darkens and I shake my head. “Watch it first.”

He does and blows out a breath at the end. “Wow. You are still too generous, sweetness.

That’s not how I thought it would end.

“Me either. I thought this weekend we’d give it to Cole. We can talk to him about it first and make sure he’s ok with opening it.”

“Sounds like a plan. You know you could have called me.” He pulls me into his lap.

“I know but I figured I could call in the mini volcanoes first and save you from storming over and leaving your meeting. And remember, I can handle people like her.”

“They are not mini volcanoes. Those two are your flaming sirens. Yes you can. Even better than me. You made an impression sweetness and I think that might be the best thing that has come about. For Cole’s sake one day.”

The next night, I meet Stormi and Sydney at Honor Always, which was what Baker decided to name the restaurant. Our other girls couldn’t make it since this was on short notice. We’re sitting talking when they pass me with some kind of fish dish and I wrinkle my nose. I take a slow sip of water and fan my face.

“Luci Lou, you alright?” Sydney asks with concern.

“Yeah that fish….ugh the smell. I think I might have caught something like a stomach bug.

Been having some nausea at weird smells and times.” I admit as the air seems to finally clear of it.

Stormi rubs her lips together slowly. “Hmm maybe you caught a case of ‘growing a mini

Easton Reed‘.” She tries to hide her grin.

My mind processes that slowly. “Well I….you could…be right.” I admit slowly. We started trying before Christmas and honestly I didn’t think about it since my doctor said it could take a few months for my body to accept me stopping the shots. Seeing Lorelei yesterday preoccupied my mind too much.

“Someone’s stopping at the pharmacy on the way home.” Sydney teases.

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