Filed to story: Luci Forrester and Easton Reed: Hockey Romance Story
“No. Like married people, moms and dads,” he clarified.
“All real love is very special, whether it’s between kids and their parents or moms and dads. Even brothers and sisters share that bond. It means that no matter what happens, you want them to be happy. You would make yourself sad if it meant they could smile. Your heart feels warm when they feel good, like your heart is smiling. Can you think of other times when your heart is smiling?”
“When he hugs me and says I’m something special,” he replied, a sweet smile spreading across his face.
“That’s real love, Coco. Sydney’s mom and dad have real love. You’ll see it when you go stay there on Friday. They make each other laugh because hearing that laugh makes them happy. They like to dance in their kitchen while they cook dinner because Mrs. Isabelle loves to dance, and Mr. Logan knows it makes her happy. They do nice things all the time, not just for Christmas. You can tell by how they look at each other, like the other person is their star in the sky that only they can see.”
“Like they are special just for them?” he asked, his eyes wide with understanding.
“Yes,” I replied, watching as he seemed satisfied with that answer. He had been asking questions like this more frequently lately, making me wonder what thoughts were swirling in that little mind of his.
I was seething with anger when I discovered that Vivienne had managed to get into the house and come close to Luci. For the next couple of days, my mother seemed to vanish, choosing to do so just as Dad conveniently left for a brief business trip to scout a potential new coach for his team. Thank goodness for Luci’s quick thinking; she had successfully hidden Cole from Vivienne’s reach.
When she explained her clever method of teaching Cole to use what she called “Jedi mind tricks,” I nearly laughed at the absurdity of it all. But then she elaborated, and I understood her reasoning. “Kids can panic when you tell them to run or hide. They want to ask questions, and that can waste precious time. So, I told him those words meant he had to run immediately because there was danger for him. Not for me, but for him. He needed to be safe.”
I couldn’t help but admire her ingenuity.
Now, it was Thursday night, and Cole’s sleepover was just around the corner. He had been counting down the days with an adorable little printed calendar that Luci had made for him. His excitement was palpable, not just for the sleepover but also for the upcoming Christmas holiday. The visual reminder seemed to help him manage his anticipation, keeping him from bouncing off the walls with excitement.
As we stepped into the house, I noticed Dad’s SUV parked in the driveway again, but my mother’s car was conspicuously absent. When we entered the kitchen, there he was-Dad, sitting at the table with a drink in hand. That was unusual; he rarely drank in front of us, especially not in front of Cole. “Hi boys,” he greeted us, his voice carrying an unusual weight.
Jackson stepped closer, concern etched on his face. “Trip not go well, Dad?”
“No, the trip was fine, but I need to talk to you boys. Right now. I’d like Cole to join us for dinner, and he doesn’t need to hear this.” His expression was somber, almost as if he were carrying a heavy burden.
We exchanged worried glances, instinctively crowding around him, sensing the gravity of the situation. “What’s going on, Dad?” I asked, my heart racing.
He swirled the drink in his glass, then drained it in one swift motion. “Your mother and I have had a lot of problems over the last few years. You both know that. Hell, you even asked me once if I was really happy. I wasn’t. But I loved your mother, and I always believed that as long as she was willing to be part of this marriage, I would stick around. No matter how distant we became or how she changed. For better or worse, that’s what I signed up for. People go through growing pains where they need space. Honestly, things seemed to improve for a bit after Vivienne left. But then they got worse again. I tried to brush it off, especially with everything you had going on, Easton. I was ashamed of how much I buried myself in work. I haven’t been around enough, and that’s going to change.”
His voice trembled slightly as he continued. “A decade ago, nothing I did was ever enough for your mother. She wanted more. She pushed me to expand the business, insisting I owed it to you four. You needed a big enough corporation to inherit and divide among you.”
I could see the pain etched in his features. “There was a time I would have jumped off a cliff if your mother asked me to. That’s how much I loved her. You know the story of how I defied your grandfather to marry her. I thought we would always be together, that nothing could separate us.” His gaze locked onto mine, and I instinctively placed my hand over his forearm, offering comfort. “I’m sorry. So sorry. Baker has been more of a father to you these past few years than I have. I owe him more than I can ever repay.” Tears glistened in his eyes, and I tightened my grip on his arm. “I don’t expect you to believe me or forgive me for that. But I’ll show you. You’ll know I mean it.”
“Dad… you’ve been there for us, but you… haven’t. When you’re here, unless it’s about Mom, you’re fully present. But she’s what you’re blind to.” Jackson’s voice was steady, but I could hear the hurt beneath it.
He nodded, staring intently at us. “I know. And that’s going to change too.” He sniffed, wiping away the tears. “I asked your mother to go to counseling with me. To figure out what her real issues with me are. I also asked her to cut Vivienne Winters out of her life. That woman is a viper. You keep her away from Cole, Easton. You’re a much better dad than I am.”
“Dad, she was here the other night. Confronted Luci in the hallway. Thankfully, Luci heard Vivienne’s name and sent Cole to hide.” I couldn’t hold back the admission.
His expression darkened, and I caught a glimpse of the fierce Jason Reed that his rivals feared. Suddenly, I understood where my temper came from. “I think I owe Miss Luci an apology. I thought… I thought she might be using Cole to get at you, Easton. But the more I observe her, the more I doubt it. I heard… well, never mind what I heard about her. I’ll apologize to her later.” He reached out, and we all joined hands, forming a pile just like we used to when he coached our hockey team.
“Your mother basically responded to my request via text, extending her trip with Vivienne after I asked her to cut her out. She said she’s not interested in marriage counseling and doesn’t feel we have any issues. I’m going to give her one more ultimatum, and then we’ll separate if she refuses.” His voice was low, but the weight of his words hung heavily in the air.
Becker leaned in, resting his head on his arm. “We’re here, Dad. We’ll support you on that. She hasn’t been Mom in a long time.”
We all nodded in agreement. “I love you boys. You four… you’re all I need. And that little rascal of a grandson. Baker too. We’ll be okay if she chooses not to work at this.”
“We will,” I said quietly, my heart heavy. “Dad, I’ll need help, though. With the custody agreement for Cole.” I took a deep breath, bringing up a topic that had been weighing on me. I hadn’t even told Luci about that complicated part of my life-how my mother still had joint custody of Cole with me until May.
“Wait… did she not sign it over to you?” His eyes narrowed, anger flaring within them.
“No, she still retains joint custody of Cole with me until I graduate,” I explained, feeling the tension rise.
He stood up so abruptly that his stool toppled over. “She told me she took care of that. It was to protect you at first, and I agreed with it, but it’s beyond time you had sole custody of him. Easton, dammit… I’ll take care of that. She’ll find herself cut off permanently, regardless of her answer to me about our marriage. Don’t worry. Why didn’t you tell me?” He shook his head in frustration. “Never mind. I know why. I was almost never home.”
A sigh of relief escaped me. I had been treading carefully for so long to avoid any legal battles with her. She had only threatened me once, that night when she wanted Vivienne to see him. Thankfully, she hadn’t used that threat against me since, but I had always felt the unease lingering in the background. “That would be a relief. Thanks, Dad.”
“Don’t thank me for being a lousy father lately. I’ll fix that, though. How about you go grab Cole, and we can go out to eat? We can hit the diner and still be back in time for his bedtime. I’ll get Baker to join us too.”
I nodded, grabbing my bag as I headed toward the playroom. As I stepped through the door, the sound of Luci’s laughter caught my attention. She was playfully wrestling with Cole, who was standing on a little table, holding something above her head. “Cole Reed, what is that?” she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
He giggled, wriggling free from her grasp. “Daddy, come sit at the table! I have something to show you!”
I walked over, and Luci regarded Cole with a mixture of curiosity and caution. He stretched his little arm as high as he could, revealing a small bunch of greenery tied with a red ribbon. “It’s mistletoe, Daddy! Mrs. Hutchins said if you stand under it, you have to kiss the other person!”
“Oh,” Luci said slowly, her expression shifting. “Cole, did you bring that home from school?”
“Yes! Mrs. Hutchins said to have fun with it!” He beamed, his grin stretching from ear to ear. “You have to kiss Luci!”
“Cole, that’s not really how this works,” I began, but his face fell dramatically.
“You don’t want to kiss Luci, Daddy?” he asked, his voice tinged with disappointment.
Damn it, I absolutely did. It was a constant struggle to keep my hands to myself whenever she was around. “Cole, Luci is your nanny. It’s not right for me to do that. Other people…”