Chapter 14 Yvonne
Yvonne
The Serbians played harder than I expected, but we were up for the challenge.
Mostly.
I winced as I saw a defender from the opposing team slam into Greta so hard she lost her balance, landing on her back with a thud.
We’d all taken hits like that over the years, and they hurt like a bitch.
I skated over, joining the rest of the team who circled her while we waited for the medics to get across the ice.
Greta started to sit up, but Toni stopped her with a hand to the shoulder.
“Wait for the medic, Heitz. You fell hard.”
After a brief check, she left under her own power, medics on either side, and another player rotated in to take her place.
Toni lined up across from the Serbian who’d hit her, and they must have had words, because the next thing I knew they were shoving each other.
The referee blew the whistle, sending them both to the penalty box for five minutes.
One of the assistant coaches went right over to chew her out as the rest of us continued playing, each team missing a player.
Returning my focus to the game, I flew across the ice, trying my best to keep the Serbians from scoring. By the time the penalty was over, and Toni and the Serbian returned to the ice, she was back to her calm self, giving us all a sunny smile and waving to the crowd like the fight never happened.
“That was a bad decision,” I told her as we walked through the tunnel after eking out a win during the last few seconds of the game. “You could get kicked off the team.”
Fights were a natural part of hockey, but our coaches for these games were stricter than most.
Toni threw her arm around my shoulder. “They won’t kick me off the team for defending myself. She started it, everyone saw that she pushed me first. Of course I dared her to and called her a filthy whore in Serbian, but it was still her choice to start a fight.”
I stopped walking. “What? Why would you do that? And how do you know Serbian?”
“I don’t,” she said. “But I’ve made it a point to learn how to cuss people out in multiple languages. It comes in handy in hockey. Fortunately, we have two Serbian girls on my team in Seattle who taught me some good insults.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re a weird one, you know that?”
“She hurt Greta,” Toni reminded me. “I take care of my own.”
Somehow that kind of made sense. After debriefing the game with the coaches – and getting a lecture about how they wouldn’t tolerate fighting no matter what the other person did or who started it – we were free to go.
“You’d think they could be happy that we won,” Toni muttered as we walked out. “An ‘atta girl’ would be nice.”
“No kidding,” someone agreed from behind us.
Toni and I went back to our room to change clothes, then we took an Uber to the place where Toni’s parents were staying.
Her mother met us at the door, wearing a USA hockey team jersey and a high ponytail.
With their matching blonde hair and light complexions, there was no mistaking that they were family.
“Hi sweetie,” she said, pulling Toni into a tight hug. “Nice job today, except for the fighting of course.”
“Fighting’s part of hockey, you know that Marta,” a voice boomed from behind her.
Toni turned to greet her father and to my surprise, Mrs. Lindstrom pulled me into a hug. I stood stiffly in her arms for a moment, not used to casual displays of affection – or any affection really -- but the moment felt so warm, so genuine, I couldn’t help but relax and hug her back.
“We’re so glad you could join us Yvonne,” Mrs. Lindstrom said as we pulled apart. “I hope you girls are hungry.”
The next few hours were almost surreal. The Lindstroms treated me like a long lost friend, friendly and welcoming.
Watching Toni joke around and laugh with her parents, seeing the genuine affection there, was sweet.
No one got drunk, no one criticized anyone, and strangely enough, they seemed to really enjoy spending time with each other.
I felt more welcome there with these two complete strangers than I ever did when I used to spend time with my own family.
“Have some more Greek chicken dear, you need to bulk up for the game against the Russians,” Mrs. Lindstrom told me. “They won’t go as easy on you as the Serbians did.”
Toni and I exchanged an amused look. Mrs. Lindstrom was a tiny little thing, and despite the fact that she was in her late fifties, she still had the slim but muscular frame of the competitive figure skater she used to be.
“So are you girls dating now?” Mrs. Lindstrom asked over dessert.
I paused with a forkful of apple crisp partway to my mouth, my eyes darting to Toni. If she was bothered by the question, she didn’t let on.
“We’re just friends, Mom.”
Mrs. Lindstrom looked unconvinced. “Hmm, I thought I sensed a vibe between you two.”
She wasn’t wrong but what, if anything, we were going to do about that vibe was still up for debate.
“Leave them alone honey,” Mr. Lindstrom told his wife. “They’ll figure it out themselves.”
Another look passed between me and Toni, though neither of us commented on her father’s prediction.
After dinner Toni and I did the dishes, working side by side, then it was time for us to head back to the athlete’s housing.
“We have a ten o’clock curfew,” Toni explained to her parents. “So Yvonne and I better head out now, just in case there’s traffic or something.”
It took a good ten minutes for us to make it outside, with all the hugging and ‘one more thing’ conversations. Mr. Lindstrom clapped me on the shoulder, telling me I was welcome anytime, then Mrs. Lindstrom gave me another hug, whispering, “You’re family now, you call us if you need anything.”
I hugged her back tightly, wishing for just a moment that I’d grown up with parents like this instead of the ones I’d had. No wonder Toni was so happy and sunshiney all the time.
The Uber came, and Toni and I slid into the backseat, waving to her parents like we’d never see them again, even though I knew that they’d be at our game in two days.
“Did you have fun?” Toni asked.
I nodded. “Your parents are the best.”
I wasn’t one for praise, but in this case it was true.
“I like them,” she agreed.
We smiled at each other, then somehow neither of us looked away. Our smiles fell, and the air between us grew heavy, electrically charged. I took a breath, and before I took another we were both moving, meeting in the middle of the back seat for a long, passionate kiss.