Holding by Ariel Bishop

Author:Ariel Bishop
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Latte Literary

Second roadie of the season

“So yeah, Sam was great, but he didn’t want to be a hockey boyfriend,” Mikey says, a tinge of wistfulness coloring his other‐ wise matter-of-fact tone. Or maybe Tolya’s imagining things; the hotel room is dark, and it’s not like he can see Mikey’s face well enough to tell. “What about you?”

Tolya shrugs, realizing at the last moment that Mikey can’t see it, but the rustling of the sheets probably conveys the movement. “Nobody serious. I fooled around some in Juniors, you know, and there was a girl I hooked up with some last season, but—it’s hard. When you don’t know how long you’re gonna be there. I kept kind of holding myself at arm’s length. But she didn’t want anything serious either; I don’t think she really did relationships.”

“It’s hard,” Mikey says. “With hockey.” “Yeah.”

Silence hangs there between them for a moment, soft and sleepy. “Do you want that?” Mikey asks finally. “Like someday? Husband or wife, kids, the whole shebang?”

“Yeah,” Tolya admits. “I always wanted like, brothers or sisters, but my mom had such a hard time with me—I totally get why they didn’t. But I want like, a lot of kids. At least three.”

“If you think three is a lot, you’ll have to meet my cousins someday,” Mikey says with a soft laugh. “But yeah, me too. Someday. Probably after retirement, at this rate.”

Tolya smiles into the darkness. “Listen to you. Just your rookie season and you’re already giving up on relationships. One foot in the grave already.”

Mikey snorts. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. But I get it, you know, why a lot of these guys marry their high school sweethearts. It’s hard.”

“Yeah,” Tolya agrees again. It’s still as true as the last time Mikey said it. “But you’ll find somebody. When it’s right.”

“You, too,” Mikey says, his voice cracking on a yawn in the middle of the last word.

It’s the last thing Tolya hears before sliding down into sleep.

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