2. Aiden
As team captain and center for the Savannah Rockets, I won’t be anyone’s favorite person tomorrow. After barely scraping out a win against the Trenton Tornados, one of the lowest-ranked teams, we are going to need all the help we can get if we stand any chance of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
I agree with Coach Dorn. Tomorrow should be a grueling day of practice instead of taking it easy since we looked like a bunch of amateurs on the ice this afternoon and not one of the top teams in our conference.
The plan is to arrive by 10:00 am and have a quick team meeting to start things off. That will be followed up by three separate dry-land training sessions of cardio, strength training, and agility. We’ll grab lunch and then be on the ice for at least 90 minutes doing nothing but drill work. While this is a typical day for us, the intensity won’t be. I’ll be helping the coach ensure everybody gives it their all—especially if they want more time on the ice during the next game.
Swanson Kristofferson, my best friend since the day we met in kindergarten, runs to catch up with me as I’m leaving the airport. It’s late, and all I want to do is get home to my little girl and sleep for eight hours before practice tomorrow, but I stop and turn around to see what he needs.
“Why are you in such a hurry? Do you have a hot date or something?” he asks when he finally gets close enough that he doesn’t have to shout.
“Only with my pillow top mattress and a cup of tea when I get home.”
He looks at me disappointedly. “Dude, you’re only 36 and in your prime. Why are you acting like such an old man? You don’t need sleep or flower water. You need to come out with some of the guys tonight and let loose.”
“You can’t be serious, Swank,” I say, using the nickname I gave him in middle school and the one our teammates use. The fans, on the other hand, have dubbed him “Swan Song” because he’s graceful and fluid on the ice. “Did you not hear a word the coach said on the plane? Tomorrow’s practice is going to be rough. Then we have back-to-back home games before we’ll finally get a day of rest.”
He slaps my back before saying, “Of course, I heard every word. I’m sure he meant that for the rookies on the team, not for his team captain and me—the best right winger in the league. If it weren’t for the two of us, we would have lost the game today.”
“You may be right, but as team captain, it’s my job to set the example. I won’t ask anyone to do what I’m unwilling to do myself. You can do what you want tonight, but I want to get enough sleep so that I can have breakfast with Penny before practice.” I start walking toward the exit in desperate need of a good night’s sleep.
I click the key fob for my truck at the end of the row, a metallic charcoal GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate. I may have inherited two billion dollars last year, but I haven’t used a dime of it for personal gain. I had no intention of doing so, knowing what it cost my grandparents to get it. Due to wise investments that have paid off tenfold, a multi-million-dollar salary, and at least ten endorsement deals, I make more than enough money to live comfortably for the rest of my life.
“Bro! Wait up!” Swank shouts, but I keep walking.
“I know you can hear me, Shaw!
“Aiden! Slow your roll! I need a lift! My car is parked in your garage!”
I finally reach my truck and throw my bag in the back seat. After starting the vehicle, I let it idle until he hops in the passenger seat. The last thing I need right now is for my friend to spend the next half-hour talking my ear off, trying to convince me to go out. I haven’t been on a date since Patricia left me a year after Penny was born, and I have no desire to start anytime soon. There’s only enough room for one woman in my life, and that’s my daughter. No amount of cajoling will change that, even if it comes from my best friend.
“I almost thought you were going to leave me behind. Do you know how much cab fare would have been to get to your house?” he asks.
“You make a cool ten million a year. You can afford it,” I tell him. “Why didn’t you drive yourself here instead of my house in the first place? Now, you’ll have to be on the road even longer before you get home.”
“Because I hoped you might let me stay in your guest house. You know how much I love Angela’s whole-grain pancakes on practice days.” Swank rubs his stomach and licks his lips, already dreaming about breakfast.
How do I tell him that Angela won’t be making pancakes for any of us anymore? “Um, about that. Angela quit, and my parents hired a new nanny for Penny. Her name is Anna, something or other.”
“Really? That’s a bummer. What happened?”
“I don’t know. She up and left a few days ago without giving any notice, leaving my parents scrambling to find someone to replace her. Fortunately, Anna comes highly recommended and is available. Or so I’m told.” My parents informed me that I would be meeting the new nanny tomorrow morning.
Swank stares out the window, lost in thought. It’s unlike him to be so quiet, and it has me a little worried. I’m about to ask if he’s okay when he turns to me, wearing a solemn expression. “Do you think Anna knows how to make pancakes?”
I laugh. Leave it to Swank to think about food first. “I would hope so since part of the job requirement is to cook nutritious meals for Penny. I pay extra if she cooks for me, too. But I’m not the one that needs to be taken care of, so I make it optional.”
“Is she pretty?”
I roll my eyes. “I haven’t met her yet, Swank, so I have no idea. When my mother interviewed her, she said she has the nicest personality and loves kids. That’s all I know.”
He scrunches his nose, and I stop him before he speaks whatever crude comment is about to spew from his mouth. “Whatever you’re about to say, don’t.”
“Fine. I’ll change the subject. Do you think Patricia will be at our home games this week? She’s been coming around more often. In the last home game, her seat was right beside the wives’ section. I don’t think that was on accident.”
I sigh. “Yeah. I noticed.”
“Do you think she’s trying to get back with you now that you’re a billionaire?”
“Knowing Patricia, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest. Unfortunately for her, it’s never going to happen. When she gave up all her rights to Penny and settled for one year of my salary, it ended any chance at reconciliation,” I tell him honestly.
“You know that people change. Look at you. You used to be so much fun before you became a father and started attending church. Now it’s bedtime stories and snack time. Speaking of which, what’s the last story Penny has read to you?” he asks, laughing.
I can’t help but smile. “She read me Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It took a while, and there were a few words she had trouble pronouncing, but considering she’s six, I’ll let it slide.”
My daughter is truly something special. The moment she picked up a book and learned to read, it was game over. She has a photographic memory and loves to have her nose in a book, magazine, or journal. Her brain power makes it difficult for me to win an argument against her, but I occasionally manage it using reasoning and logic.
“Are you kidding me? I didn’t have to read that until high school! She’s going to be smarter than you in no time.”
I chuckle. “She already is.”
A few minutes later, I pull into the driveway but don’t open the garage door. I don’t want the noise to wake Penny or my parents. With Swank’s car locked inside, I have little choice but to offer him the small cottage on the property.
“I’ll let you stay in the guest house tonight on one condition,” I tell him.
“Name it.”
“You give it your absolute best tomorrow in front of the guys. If they see us slacking, then they’ll think it’s okay for them to do it. Neither of us is a spring chicken anymore, but the other guys look up to us. The last thing I want to do is let the team down.”
Swank raises his hands in a placating gesture. “You have my word. At least tell me this. Is there beer in the fridge since I can’t convince you to go out?”
I wave him off. “Goodnight, Swank. Breakfast is at 8:00 am sharp. Angela might not be here to make her pancakes, but you know my mom’s cooking is even better. I’m not saving a plate for you if you sleep in.”
I don’t hear what he mumbles, but I know my friend. The way to his heart is through his stomach, and he’s never missed one of my mom’s meals.
The next morning comes far too early for me, but I wouldn’t miss breakfast with Penny for all the sleep in the world. I put on my fuzzy slippers—a gift from my daughter—and slip into my robe before heading downstairs. The aroma of fresh-brewed coffee is the first thing to tickle my senses, and I can’t wait to down a cup.
“Here you go, Sleepyhead,” my mother says, handing me a mug of pure heaven.
“Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.” I kiss her cheek and sit down at the table. “Where’s Penny? Is she with the new nanny?”
Mom places the homemade biscuits in the oven before grabbing her coffee and joining me. “No. Anna isn’t scheduled to arrive for another hour, and Penny is upstairs getting dressed for school.”
I look at my mom, confused.
“Why are you looking at me like that, Aiden? Anna will be here in…an…hour.” She says as if that’s the reason I’m perplexed.
“It’s not that, Mom. Why is Penny getting dressed for school? She has a tutor; a tutor I pay good money for to come here and educate her, I might add.”
“Oh, that! Penny read an article and saw something about ‘dressing for the job you want, not the job you have.’ I guess she thought she should be dressed as if she is going to school.” She chuckles, but I don’t laugh with her.
“Hey, Mom. Do you think this is Penny’s way of saying she wants to go to a regular school?”
She places her hand over mine and squeezes it gently before giving me her honest opinion. “That would be my guess, but I understand your dilemma. Penny won’t be challenged in public school, or even private school for that matter. But I think what she craves most is interaction with other children. She needs to learn how to play and be a child, Aiden.”
I look toward the stairwell to make sure Penny isn’t in earshot. “I don’t know what to do. That last note I got was the first one to make me really nervous. Threats against me or my teammates are a dime a dozen from fans of other teams. But that was the first one to threaten my daughter. They called her ‘Penny,’ not ‘Penelope.’ I’ve never used her nickname outside this house. I’m not sure how safe it is to even let her out of our home, yet I don’t want this place to feel like a prison. What do I do?”
My mom looks at me with sad eyes. “You do the best you can, Aiden. You’ve hired security who are patrolling the grounds as we speak, but maybe let Anna take Penny to the zoo or the playground if that’s what she wants. The only way you’ll know is if you ask Penny directly. You’ll have plenty of people guarding her, and if they do their jobs right, no one should get close to that little angel.”
“Ask who, what?” Penny questions as she jumps the last three steps. My eyes widen when I see what she’s wearing. I almost burst out laughing, but I know she wouldn’t appreciate it. My daughter is dressed in green tights, a neon yellow sweater, a purple belt cinched around her waist, and pink sparkly tennis shoes. If that wasn’t bad enough, it looks like she got into my mom’s make-up because she also has ruby red lipstick painted on her mouth and rubbed into her cheeks. Penny’s eyes are caked in blue shadow all the way up to her eyebrows.
“Nothing, Pumpkin. What’s with the fancy get-up?” I ask instead.
“Don’t I look pretty, Dad?”
“You look…”
“Like a peacock in heat,” says Swank as he comes through the back door. I scowl at him, and so does my mother. Penny only smiles and twirls around. She walks the rest of the way into the kitchen, pretending to be a model.
“I know you meant that to be mean, Uncle Stanky. But peacocks are beautiful, and I’m going to take that as a compliment. Did you know that peacocks are only males and that females are called peahens? Or that the circles on the feathers are called ocelli?” she asks.
“Um. No. But did you know that peacocks use their feathers to make themselves bigger and more attractive? Or that the males can have more than one partner?” he asks.
I palm my face, seeing this getting out of control very quickly.
“I did. Does that make you the peacock then?” my daughter asks, well aware of Swank’s dating habits.
“Penny! That was rude!” I tell her.
“Well, Uncle Stanky started it! I’m just finishing it. Isn’t that what you always say when I need to defend myself?” she retorts.
This is precisely what I mean when you have a six-year-old with a genius IQ.
“She’s got you there, Dude. You’re outclassed and outgunned with that spitfire,” Swank says, ignoring my daughter’s nickname for him.
My mom, the peacemaker, reminds us that we have places to be. “Stop this nonsense. Don’t you boys have practice this morning? Eat breakfast, then get your butts into high gear.” She sets a plate loaded with fresh biscuits, corned beef hash, eggs, and strawberries in front of us.
I say grace before we dig in, but Swank and I are mowing through it like we haven’t eaten in a week. It isn’t so much that we’re hungry but that we’re running late. I’ve just finished my last bite when the chiming of bells rings through the house, letting me know someone is at the front door.
I pull out my phone and check the cameras to see who it is. Swank leans over and drops his fork. I’m left speechless by the beautiful woman on my front porch, but Swank doesn’t have the same problem.
He quickly gets to his feet and goes to let Anna in, announcing to anyone who will listen, “I call dibs!”