the bruise was
still dark purple and ugly. The cut on her lip was beginning to heal, but it
hurt if she didn’t keep it moisturized. Dom had bought her some lip balm, but
it was back at his apartment.
Suze had given her a new
toothbrush, toothpaste and a hair band so she could pull her hair back out of
her face. She washed up the best she could and then padded downstairs.
Suze was sitting at the
kitchen island working on her laptop. She looked up at Molly with a smile.
“Good morning! How did you
sleep?”
“Pretty well,” Molly said,
sitting on one of the stools.
“Would you like some coffee?
I kept it on for you.”
“That would be great.” Molly
gratefully accepted a steaming mug and took a sip.
“No cream or sugar?”
“Nope. I like it black.”
“Sugar is my weakness,” said
Suze. “I love sweets. Luckily, I exercise enough that I don’t have to watch
everything I put in my mouth.” She laughed.
“Is Dom working out?”
“Yeah, and then they had a
meeting because the two assistant coaches arrived, plus a new trainer. There’s
a big meeting with them and the GM and the owner.”
“I know close to nothing
about hockey,” Molly admitted. “It’s embarrassing.”
“We’ll watch some videos on
YouTube. I’ll show you Dom and Cody’s most shining moments. Watching Dom fight,
when he’s not angry, is actually a beautiful thing, because—”
“You think fighting is
beautiful?” Molly looked confused.
“You have to remember that
fighting is a tradition in hockey,” Suze said slowly. “Yes, sometimes it gets
out of control and guys do things they shouldn’t, but in general, when a couple
of guys drop the gloves and throw a few punches, it adds momentum, it boosts
morale on a team that’s struggling. It’s rare that anyone gets hurt. After the
game, a lot of these guys are friends, or at least acquaintances with respect
for each other. Fighting isn’t usually serious. Of course, there’s always a
jerk out there who goes after everyone and intentionally tries to hurt guys,
but that’s the exception, not the rule.”
“What does Dom do?”
“Sometimes he can’t stop
himself. He gets caught up in whatever it is that haunts him and then…” Suze’s
voice trailed off. “Anyway, hopefully this anger management stuff and us all
being together again will help.”
“It must have been a
terrible time.”
Suze glanced at her. “Did
Dom tell you our history?”
“Most of it. I know about
the night Brian died and how you and Cody got pregnant and all that. I know how
close you all were and how everything fell apart when Brian died.”
“It’s never been the same. I
thought I knew exactly how my life was going to go. Brian and I would get
married—he’d already been drafted—and we would have babies and a wonderful life
with our family and friends. But then…” She paused, biting her lip. “One freak
incident changed everything. I wound up married to a guy who was great but I
didn’t love, with a beautiful baby boy who became my whole world.”
“At least you’re married to
a man who cares about you,” Molly said after a moment. “It may not be perfect,
but it’s better than a man who can’t stand the sight of you, who drinks and
calls you names, then forces you to have sex night after night in the hope of
producing a son, but then beats you until the child is dead.” She looked away
sadly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No.” Suze reached out and
covered one of Molly’s hands with her own. “You’re right. I have a pretty great
life. Cody and I don’t have a perfect marriage, but he’s kind and gentle; he’s
a wonderful father and a great provider. He’s smart, funny and good-looking,
and it would never cross his mind to hit me. I can’t complain, although
sometimes I still do.” She shrugged sheepishly.
“Brian’s been gone a long
time,” Molly said. “Don’t you think you could ever love Cody?”
“Oh, but I do!” Suze
still dark purple and ugly. The cut on her lip was beginning to heal, but it
hurt if she didn’t keep it moisturized. Dom had bought her some lip balm, but
it was back at his apartment.
Suze had given her a new
toothbrush, toothpaste and a hair band so she could pull her hair back out of
her face. She washed up the best she could and then padded downstairs.
Suze was sitting at the
kitchen island working on her laptop. She looked up at Molly with a smile.
“Good morning! How did you
sleep?”
“Pretty well,” Molly said,
sitting on one of the stools.
“Would you like some coffee?
I kept it on for you.”
“That would be great.” Molly
gratefully accepted a steaming mug and took a sip.
“No cream or sugar?”
“Nope. I like it black.”
“Sugar is my weakness,” said
Suze. “I love sweets. Luckily, I exercise enough that I don’t have to watch
everything I put in my mouth.” She laughed.
“Is Dom working out?”
“Yeah, and then they had a
meeting because the two assistant coaches arrived, plus a new trainer. There’s
a big meeting with them and the GM and the owner.”
“I know close to nothing
about hockey,” Molly admitted. “It’s embarrassing.”
“We’ll watch some videos on
YouTube. I’ll show you Dom and Cody’s most shining moments. Watching Dom fight,
when he’s not angry, is actually a beautiful thing, because—”
“You think fighting is
beautiful?” Molly looked confused.
“You have to remember that
fighting is a tradition in hockey,” Suze said slowly. “Yes, sometimes it gets
out of control and guys do things they shouldn’t, but in general, when a couple
of guys drop the gloves and throw a few punches, it adds momentum, it boosts
morale on a team that’s struggling. It’s rare that anyone gets hurt. After the
game, a lot of these guys are friends, or at least acquaintances with respect
for each other. Fighting isn’t usually serious. Of course, there’s always a
jerk out there who goes after everyone and intentionally tries to hurt guys,
but that’s the exception, not the rule.”
“What does Dom do?”
“Sometimes he can’t stop
himself. He gets caught up in whatever it is that haunts him and then…” Suze’s
voice trailed off. “Anyway, hopefully this anger management stuff and us all
being together again will help.”
“It must have been a
terrible time.”
Suze glanced at her. “Did
Dom tell you our history?”
“Most of it. I know about
the night Brian died and how you and Cody got pregnant and all that. I know how
close you all were and how everything fell apart when Brian died.”
“It’s never been the same. I
thought I knew exactly how my life was going to go. Brian and I would get
married—he’d already been drafted—and we would have babies and a wonderful life
with our family and friends. But then…” She paused, biting her lip. “One freak
incident changed everything. I wound up married to a guy who was great but I
didn’t love, with a beautiful baby boy who became my whole world.”
“At least you’re married to
a man who cares about you,” Molly said after a moment. “It may not be perfect,
but it’s better than a man who can’t stand the sight of you, who drinks and
calls you names, then forces you to have sex night after night in the hope of
producing a son, but then beats you until the child is dead.” She looked away
sadly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No.” Suze reached out and
covered one of Molly’s hands with her own. “You’re right. I have a pretty great
life. Cody and I don’t have a perfect marriage, but he’s kind and gentle; he’s
a wonderful father and a great provider. He’s smart, funny and good-looking,
and it would never cross his mind to hit me. I can’t complain, although
sometimes I still do.” She shrugged sheepishly.
“Brian’s been gone a long
time,” Molly said. “Don’t you think you could ever love Cody?”
“Oh, but I do!” Suze
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