4. Grayson
Grayson
Holding onto the edge of the tub, I lower myself into the ice bath quickly.
Every single muscle on my body tightens as I grit my teeth through the freezing cold.
You’d think being a hockey player on ice all the time I’d be accustomed to the cold.
But it’s amazing how hot it actually can be while playing.
Between all the gear, and the sheer energy it takes to skate and play the game, I’m not cold for even a second.
Not like this. I breathe through my nose until I can’t take it anymore and pull myself out. I have such a love-hate relationship with that freaking ice bath. But apparently, it’s good for me so I’ll continue to do it.
I’m about to go thaw myself out when I hear my phone going off.
Looking at the screen, I’m not sure who I expect to see calling, but I’m not surprised at all to see it’s my mom.
I can’t help the pang of disappointment that it isn’t Rae.
She’s supposed to be coming back to Denver tomorrow for her final show, and I can’t wait to see her.
“Hey mom,” I greet, pulling on my clothes to stop my teeth from chattering, I know she’ll get on me and probably come over to turn up my heater herself and refuse to leave. I love my parents, but it’s no question that they can be a lot.
“Why are your teeth chattering?” she asks immediately and I roll my eyes at my failed attempt to hide it.
“I just did an ice bath, I’m fine.” I sigh.
“Do you need me to bring you some fuzzy socks?”
“Mom,” I groan. Brynn Wheeler, my mother, notoriously overbearing and loving.
“What?” she snaps playfully. “I grew your toes, I don’t want them falling off.”
I sigh. “Do you forget that I’m an adult?”
“I could never forget. You and your brother remind me way too often. Plus, you both have been taller than me since you were thirteen.”
I’m not surprised she gets a similar response from my twin brother, Easton. We may look alike since we’re identical, but we generally don’t act the same. Except when it comes to our parents apparently.
“Anyway,” I divert the conversation. “What’s up? I know you didn’t call to give me shit about my toes.”
“You’re right. I wanted to check that you’re coming to Rae’s show. I know you don’t have a game, though Easton does.”
My brother and I are both professional athletes, but he fell in love with football when I followed our dad’s footsteps and got into hockey. His season starts about a month before mine, though mine goes about four months longer than his.
And yes, I give him shit for that as often as possible because I stand by hockey being a more difficult sport than football. He disagrees. I say football is boring, and that’s led to a handful of brotherly fights over the years.
Though, I’ve always had our dad on my side because he was a professional hockey player as well and he makes it known. To everyone. All the time.
He’s also friends with my coach, along with my uncles who all also played for the Dragons back in the day.
“Of course I am,” I answer my mom. She shouldn’t even need to ask, she’s part of the reason Rae and I have grown up so close.
“Good, I figured you’d want to welcome her home but wanted to double check.”
I smile at the thought of Rae being back home after the summer being away on her tour. Despite talking every day, I’ve missed her. Which may seem ridiculous. We’re both busy and really always have been, but somehow, we’ve made sure to stay consistent in each other’s lives.
She makes everything better.
She’s my ray of sunshine, and that’s why I call her “Sunshine” even when she hates it.
“Is everyone else coming?” I ask because I know I won’t get Rae to myself.
“Yes, so no stealing her away,” my mom teases.
“I’ve never done that, if anything she’s kidnapped me.”
“I do believe that,” my mom agrees. “Okay, well I’ll see you tomorrow. My offer for the fuzzy socks still stands though if you—”
“Bye mom, love you.”
“I love you, talk soon.”
We hang up and I can’t wipe the smile from my face.
I really love my family, my mom, my dad, even my brother when he’s not being a total douchebag.
I have my aunts, uncles, and cousins who we are all close with.
Plus, Rae, her brothers and parents. It’s crazy to think that my life really is this perfect, but… it is. It always has been.
There’s always a small, minuscule niggling worry in the back of my mind with my one fear that I’m going to disappoint everyone. That I’m not going to live up to the hockey legacy that I come from. That I’m not good enough, but I try my best to push it aside.
There’s also my feelings for Rae that started shifting over the years. But just like my insecurities, I try to push them down. She’s never given me any indication that my feelings may be mutual, and I think it’s best to not find out.
Even though everyone around us tells me she does, I just can’t go through with it.
Easton has even tried to tell me some of her songs are about me.
I really don’t believe that. She’s had boyfriends and crushes she’s told me about so any love song she’s written is probably about them.
It’s much safer to stay like this. Just friends.
But the thought of seeing her again has me excited. Especially when I see her text telling me she feels the same.
My mom wraps her arms around me in a tight hug as soon as she sees me.
We’re all meeting at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre; the unique concert venue is built into the mountains of Denver.
I hug her back, and even though she’s tall for a woman at five-foot-nine, both Easton and I tower over her at six-foot-six.
An inch taller than our dad, and we make sure he remembers it.
“Hey Mom,” I greet, and she lets go of me with a smile on her face. I’ve always been told I have my mom’s eyes, but most people think I look more like my dad.
“Hey, Gray, how’s it going?” My dad greets, pulling me in for a side hug I reciprocate easily. We’re a hugging family, big time.
“Good, ready for the season to start and get back on the ice,” I tell him honestly.
“I miss those days.” He shakes his head, fondly.
“You going to come out of retirement, old man?” I goad and he shoves my shoulder.
“I could still beat you in a one-on-one game, don’t test me,” he challenges.
“Nah, you’re out of practice.”
“Okay, you two,” Mom interjects. “You can fight over hockey another time, we have people to see.”
My dad pulls my mom into him, dropping a kiss to the top of her head as we walk from the parking lot to the venue.
I watch them, admiring how in love they are.
That’s how it’s always been. I know some of my friends in school would talk about their parents fighting or getting divorced.
Not mine. I mean they’ve fought, but never seriously.
It’s always good-natured bickering. And then of course they’ve never been shy about their affection for each other, which has led to Easton and I complaining about how gross they are a few times.
As I’ve grown up, it can still be gross how all over each other they are, but I can appreciate the fact that my parents love each other. And I can only hope to have that one day too.
We meet up with Rae’s parents, Spencer and Jared, and her older brothers Steele and Nash. They’re with my aunt Chandler and uncles Brent, Matt and Vince.
Growing up, I also learned that not everyone has a family with a poly relationship.
I know there were times it was rough on my cousins Evie and Maya, their daughters.
Evie is the oldest out of all of us, and got the bullying the worst, but Steele isn’t much younger and was able to make sure the assholes kids didn’t mess with her too much.
“Hey!” my mom exclaims, drawing the attention of her friends. They all greet each other, and I do the same with my “cousins.” Technically, Evie and Maya are my only “real” cousins, but it’s always easier to call each other cousins regardless.
“The party has arrived,” someone calls out, and when I turn, I see my aunt Audrey and uncle Charlie. Again, not technically related.
Yes, it’s confusing.
I grew up with this being my life and it still confuses me sometimes.
Though, I also grew up with family being more than blood and I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world to have the family I do.
Audrey and Charlie join the rest of our group, and when they get to me, I’m tempted to ask if she’s heard from Asher after what Rae said the other night in Vegas. But I refrain for now.
We all walk into the venue and I feel Nash bump against me. He’s only eighteen months older than Rae and stands just below six feet. “You excited to see your girl again?”
I huff out a laugh. “Don’t tell me you’re going to start this too.”
“I’m on your side. And my sister’s. Which is why I want you both to stop denying your obvious feelings.”
I shake my head. “You all are ridiculous.”
“We are not the ridiculous ones,” he hedges.
I don’t know what else to say. Luckily, I don’t have to say anything because we’re approaching the VIP section, and the music playing for the preshow is loud.
My anticipation is heightened as I think of seeing her soon.
Not only that, I get to see her in her element, up on the stage doing what she loves.
All while I’m down here with my eyes locked, getting to stare at her uninterrupted the whole show.
Admiring everything about her, taking her all in.
Knowing in a way she’s mine, but at the same time knowing she never fully will be.