Aria

Aunty Kate and her husband arrive on Wednesday, showering Benn and I with a plethora of hugs and kisses. Dad and her exchange their usual, silly banter, burning each other like a marshmallow over the campfire whenever they see fit. Mom says she finds it immature, but we can all tell that she secretly likes it. Dad can be a bit of a dweeb, in my mom's words, and she likes it when someone is there to put him in his place. 

Over dinner, everyone tried to tell Aunty Kate and Uncle Adrian that they were welcome to stay at the house rather than rent out a cute little bungalow for two weeks, but they politely declined. Although I wanted to spend time with Aunty Kate, how can I blame her? With me, Benn, Jax, Mom and Dad, and Uncle Hainsey and Aunty Emyln, the house is extremely crowded. So crowded, in fact, that Benn and I have to share a bedroom and a bathroom. And, let me tell you, it's hellish to share such a compact space with him. He's like a teenage boy, leaving the seat up after he uses the bathroom and leaving a trail of disaster wherever he goes. That being said, I'm happy we don't have to share a bed as we did at Grandma's when we were kids. Having a twin-sized bed all to myself is perfectly fine with me. 

Now that dinner is over and the porch table has been cleared of any remaining dishes from dessert, we're all sitting out back, beneath strings of twinkling lights and the sweet air of a warm summer night. Against the streaks of orange and pink and purple from the sunset, the towering trees look like shadows. It's beautifully alluring. Just like the yard is with its lavender and black-eyed Susans, tall grasses that billow in the soft breeze, a dry riverbed cascading down the far side. It's no surprise that the yard looks like something you'd find on Pinterest – my aunt and uncle are stellar with their combined jobs. 

Uncle Hainsey, who is sitting to my left, nudges me. "Where's your head tonight, Aria?"

I tear my gaze away from a bumblebee that's resting on a rose. "I'm admiring the yard," I reply. I'm surprised with my own answer because normally I'm thinking about hockey or my captaincy or, now that we're dating, Leo. As much as I love thinking about those three things, I'm happy my mind is empty and relaxed tonight. It's been a while since everyone in my family has managed to find time to get together. The lack of time spent together is a price we've had to pay for associating ourselves with hockey, but we've all faired pretty well, finding time to spend together, be it meet-and-greets after games or brief coffee shop dates. The Maddens, Stones, and Martinezes always find a way to make things work. "You and Aunty Emyln are amazing at what you do."

"I know," he smiles, taking great pride in the work they accomplished together. The yard and the house look nothing like they did when the two of them first moved in. I don't know how they were able to balance renovations with their work, but they did it. "But enough about work. How's summer been so far? You're living in our house and Ems and I have barely seen you, or Benn for that matter."

I shrug, contemplating whether or not I should tell him about me and Leo. Technically, I still haven't told my parents, though I do believe that Dad has already put the pieces together judging by the way he oh so blatantly embarrassed me in front of Leo. Dad's always been good at reading people, and I'm positive I was an open book that night on the front porch. What is it with dads and embarrassing their daughters in front of their boyfriends? 

I decide not to say anything. Leo and I get along well and have been having a good time taking on this bucket list his father made, but we haven't been on an official date yet. Seeing how that goes is going to be what helps me decide when I tell my family that I'm dating him. 

"Not much," I shrug, leaning back in my chair and taking a deep breath. The air smells sweet; of freshly-cut grass, barbeque smoke, and fragrant roses. It smells like summer. "Training has really amped up since I arrived, and now that I've been made captain I've been spending a lot of time trying to figure out defensive plays and other techniques that are going to help us win gold in February." Out of the corner of my eye, I glance at Dad. He's talking to Aunty Kate, but I can tell his attention is only half-focused on whatever they're discussing. 

"Seems a bit early to be stressing out about that," Uncle Hainsey says.

I switch my gaze back to him. "It isn't if you're Luke Madden's daughter," I mutter, keeping my voice low so my dad can't hear. I know if Dad heard me say this, he would sit me down and tell me, until he was blue in the face, that I have nothing I need to live up to and all that kind of stuff. While that may be true to some effect, I know what Canada's expectations are. My country is going to want me to succeed, to lead the team to victory. They're going to expect me to. 

The look on my uncle's face softens. "Aria..."

I shake my head. I don't want to ruin the night by talking about my personal problems. I'm a Madden. I'm going to figure out this problem somehow. I've still got time to. 

So instead of delving deep into my inner thoughts and feelings with my uncle, I gesture to the large patch of grass and the small wooden box that sits near the curb of the patio. "Are you up for a game of bocce ball?"

Uncle Hainsey bites his bottom lip and sighs, accepting my avoidance of a specific topic. He stands up, stretching out his arms. "You're done, kid."

I hop to my feet, ready to prove my uncle wrong.

*  *  *

I hug my body against the chill of the air conditioning as I finish the dishes from tonight. Almost everyone has gone to bed already, leaving me with nothing but the chirping of crickets and the low hum of the dishwasher. The window above the sink doesn't have that great of a view, but I find myself staring out it anyway, trying to picture what it would be like to live next to your best friend and future partner. 

I've always been a fan of romance novels – I have a large amount back home in Calgary – and if you ask me, Uncle Hainsey and Aunty Emyln's story belongs in a romance novel. Two best friends are separated for years until the other returns to win him over again. He's stubborn at first, his perception clouded by the difficulties in his life. And then, slowly, as the time goes on, the walls he has built begin to crumble and they're suddenly back together. There's a lot more to their story, but my mind is too exhausted to bring up the details at the moment.

"It's been a long time since I saw that look on your face."

I snap out my thoughts, turning my attent to Mom, who is now standing next to me. She's wearing a fluffy housecoat that definitely wasn't made to use in the summer – she must be sweating. "Mom," I smile. "I thought you'd gone to bed."

Mom rolls her eyes. "Your father introduced me to another book and I haven't been able to put the damn thing down. He passed out hours ago, lucky bastard."

"Mom," I laugh, elbowing her lightly. "Don't be mean to Dad."

"Please," she replies, her voice potent with sarcasm. "Your father gets babied too much. I love that Kate is here."

Thinking back to all those times Aunty Kate babysat me when I was I kid, I can't prevent a nostalgic smile from spreading across my lips. Aunty Kate has always been the crazy one of the family: going on spontaneous trips to Bali with Uncle Adrian, allowing me to get drunk on my seventeenth birthday, not telling anyone she was pregnant with little Dante until she was seven months into her pregnancy. "Me too," I reply. "I wish Dante would have come, though. Sucks he got stuck working."

"Mhmm," Mom replies, picking up the cloth I was using to dry the dishes with. I finish washing the one in my hands and pass it to her. We do this for a couple of minutes, the sound of crickets and the dishwasher surrounding us. "So," Mom finally says. "Your Dad told me something interesting today."

Immediately, I tense up. He probably told her about Leo. But I decide to play along. "What did he say?"

"He thinks you have a boyfriend."

I can feel Mom's eyes on me as I try to prevent myself from blushing, but it's no use. Ever since I can remember, Mom's intense gaze has always been my downfall. With just one look, she has the ability to get the truth out of you.

"I do," I sigh. "Okay? I do have a boyfriend. But we haven't even gone on a date yet. We've just been spending some time together. His dad died in a car accident before he was born, and I've been helping him with this bucket list his dad left behind. We went to the top of Blackcomb Peak together, a burger diner, and even made some soap. Remember the stuff I brought home? And the bandage I was wearing? Yeah, that was from that night. The feelings just kind of developed...I never meant for it to escalate as it did, but here we are."

I've just spit out a shitload of random information, so I can't blame my mom for having a look of bewilderment on her face as she stares at me, processing what I've just said. After a few seconds pass, she begins to laugh.

I shoot her a bored look. "Are you finished laughing at your own daughter yet?"

Mom wipes at the tears in her eyes. "Aria, I've never seen you so out of character before," she replies. "I know it's not nice to laugh at someone when they're going through a major crisis, but, sweetheart, take a deep breath. What you're feeling, that sense of being overwhelmed and confused and scared is completely normal. No one ever means to fall in love with someone. It just happens. Do you think I meant to fall in love with my own client?"

Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth, I break eye contact with her and stare down at my painted toes. Last night, just for the fun of it, my agent and I went and got pedicures done at a local spa. We wanted to catch up, and for some reason, I picked hot pink as the colour. 

I hate hot pink.

"Aria," Mom says, tipping my chin up and forcing me to make eye contact with her. She tucks a strand of my dark hair behind my ear. "Love is scary. Especially when you're young. But don't be afraid to walk into the unknown. Sometimes, the risks you take end up being entirely worth it in the long-run." She smiles at me. "Look what Luke and I got out of it."

"Mom," I reply, my eyes burning. "When did you become so cheesy?"

She laughs, pulling me into a hug. "Perhaps I've been spending too much time with your father."

I begin to laugh along with her, hugging her tightly. I don't understand why moms don't get the credit they deserve in life. Especially my mom. She's the woman who taught me fear isn't an option; the one who vaccinated me against low self-esteem; the one who supported me in ways no other person ever could. 

"So," she says, stepping back to look at me. "Let's have a cup of tea and you can tell me all about Leo Sangster."