Chapter 27
Daisy
When Connor never showed, Hazy had offered to go to the coach’s office and check in. He’d found the space empty, with no sign of where they had gone.
Daisy tried Connor’s phone with no luck. Hazy tried. Valentine tried. Roxie tried. They waited for another forty minutes, and when it became clear he’d left without saying goodbye, Daisy insisted Valentine drive her home.
He would let her sit and stew, not asking questions or providing unnecessary commentary.
Connor wouldn’t have left her there without a good reason; she just wasn’t important enough for him to tell her the reason.
Hopefully, Dylan was okay. His being hurt or in trouble seemed like the only plausible explanation.
When Valentine had dropped her off, she waited up for Connor to call, or at least text, letting her know what had happened.
Daisy had passed out on her couch, her phone in her hand.
When she woke, the answer sat at her fingertips.
A press release from early that morning announced Connor’s trade to Nashville, and he’d be starting with them that day.
He’d probably gone straight from the rink to the airport. He still could have called.
The article cut off when her phone rang with an unknown number. She didn’t usually answer unknown numbers, but it could be Connor trying to reach her.
“Hello?”
“Oh thank God, Daisy. It’s Sarah. Is Connor with you? His phone is going straight to voicemail.”
“Uh, no?” she asked, unsure why Sarah would think she’d have traveled to Tennessee with him.
“Fuck. Do you know where he is? He was supposed to be here to watch Dylan forty-five minutes ago, and I’m going to be late for work.”
Daisy rolled off the couch, going into fixer mode. She pulled on some shorts and tied her hair into a messy bun, slipping on her Birkenstocks and grabbing her keys.
“I’m on my way,” she told Sarah.
During her drive it dawned on her that Sarah and Dylan didn’t know about the trade. It wasn’t her place to tell them. This would rock their world.
Sarah ran out of the house when she arrived, giving Daisy a quick hug and saying, “Thank you so, so much,” as she passed, hustling to get to work on time.
Daisy shuffled into Sarah’s house, thankful it was a Saturday and she didn’t have to figure out school drop-off. Sadness tinged her affection for Dylan as he threw himself into her arms.
She feigned enthusiasm as he talked her ear off about all the new things he’d gotten to put in his slime recipes. The coffee machine worked nonstop. Daisy choked down cup after cup, hoping that if she consumed enough caffeine, she’d feel alive again.
In the afternoon, her phone rang, and she sprinted across the house to answer it. Hope died in her chest when she saw Hazy’s face on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Where are you?” Those words had been exciting when spoken by Roxie the previous morning. That day, they evoked dread.
“I’m at Sarah’s, watching Dylan. Connor was supposed to be here, but...” she trailed off, trying to avoid saying too much in front of Dylan.
“Gotcha. We’re coming over.”
“Okay, please bring food.”
Hazy and Valentine arrived soon after that, bearing burgers and milkshakes.
Daisy met them on the porch when they arrived, telling them to keep the trade a secret because she wasn’t sure if Sarah knew yet.
She sipped the thick vanilla shake Hazy handed her and forced back tears when Valentine hugged her.
Hazy followed Daisy’s instructions and helped Dylan make a big batch of purple slime.
Her boys played action figures with Connor’s nephew, and when evening came, they turned on a movie.
Dylan curled up on Daisy’s lap, and she rocked him like a baby until he fell asleep. It was more for her than for him.
After they put Dylan to bed, Hazy started their reality TV show.
Daisy didn’t have the heart to tell him she was four episodes ahead.
It didn’t matter; she wasn’t paying attention.
She should’ve spent the day recording a podcast episode.
This was big news. Roxie asked to meet, but Daisy told her the situation, and Roxie agreed to record an episode by herself.
Daisy wouldn’t be able to communicate the information without blubbering like a fool, anyway.
The three of them waited all day, checking their phones for a message from Connor that never came.
Daisy sent the boys home before Sarah returned, wanting to make sure Sarah knew the situation without a big audience.
She needn’t have worried. The second Sarah got home, she hugged Daisy, sobbing into her chest. Daisy stroked her hair and reassured her, offering babysitting services from her and the Connors whenever they could. Sarah had a village outside of Connor.
The next few days went by in a blur. Daisy watched Connor’s games, relieved to see him playing well with his new team. Yellow wasn’t his color, but nothing could be done. She held out hope he’d reach out. She didn’t expect his message to destroy her so thoroughly.