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The game was over. We won. It was a blowout. Coach was thrilled. So happy, in fact, that he canceled practice for tomorrow. I took a quick shower and I left the locker room with Cooper. We talked idly about the game and then I saw my mom and my twin waiting for me. I smiled and Cooper and I walked over to them.
"Hey," I said. I gave my mom a hug.
"You were great honey!" my mom exclaimed.
"I know I was," Cooper said, jokingly. "Hey Miss Miller, hey Sofia."
"She was talking to me, dumbass," I told him.
"Guess who we met?" Sofia asked as if she was holding something over my head, but in reality her 5' 7" frame couldn't measure up to my 6' 4" frame.
"Who?" I asked to humor her.
"Lili and Cami," she said.
My ears pricked up at the sound of Lili's name. Come to think of it, I had seen them together in the bleachers. I wonder what they thought of her, especially my mom. My mother's opinion meant everything to me. "What did you think?" I tried to ask nonchalantly.
"I think that Cami was wonderful," Sofia told me deliberately leaving out what she thought of Lili.
"Mom?" I turned to her.
"Cami was... open," mom said. "Even about things that weren't her business. Like your relationship with Lili."
"Relationship?" Cooper inquired.
Suddenly I felt as though we were on trial. "We aren't in a relationship," I said.
"She said the same thing," Sofia nodded. "After she turned bright red and got super tense in front of mom."
Cooper laughed, "that sounds like Lili."
"How do you know Lili?" Sofia asked Cooper.
"She is my partner in the newspaper," Cooper told her. "And we are friends wich annoys the fuck out of Mr. I'm-Too-Chicken-To-Make-A-Move."
"Shut up," I told him. Cooper smirked vicariously. "What did you think of Lili?" I asked my mom.
"I think that Lili is lovely, and polite, and smart, and too good for you," she told me.
Sofia and Cooper cackled. The only thing that gave me any inkling that she was joking was the shimmer in her eyes.
"But," she said to me more softly. "You're going to have to earn her, and you are going to have to be in it for the long haul. I have a feeling that she won't go for any of that "friends with benefits" crap. Cami even told us that Lili doesn't do one night stands. If you aren't going to date her, don't mess with her," she ended.
My mom was good at reading people. Especially after my dad left. I trusted her more than anyone.
Was I willing to date someone? It was my senior year of college, I should be focusing on hockey and getting into the NHL. But I also haven't had a serious girlfriend before. I had one that was almost serious my senior year of high school, but it didn't work out.
Was now really the time to be experimenting with the limits that I could balance my life to? Was Lili worth it? Would I regret it if I didn't try it with her? Would she even want to go out with me?
It didn't matter, I barely knew her and I wasn't looking for a serious relationship, which according to my mom was all Lili wanted. Right?
yeah.
"Guys," Danny said, coming up behind us. "Sadie called and I have to go pick up Mila before her friend comes over."
"Okay," Cooper agreed. "See ya later Miller Jr," Cooper said to my sister who gave him the middle finger. She was ninety seconds younger than me and it drove her off the wall insane. "Goodbye Ms Reyes," Cooper said, giving my mom a wink.
"Goodbye Cooper," my mom said very patiently because it had happened countless times before.
"Stop flirting with my mom," I told Cooper, frustratedly. He did it because it annoyed me and I knew that, but it still got on my nerves every time.
"I can't help it if we have this undeniable chemistry-" Cooper said. I shoved him away from us.
"I'll see you guys next time," I told my mom and my sister.
"Okay," Sofia said, indifferent.
"You played so well tonight," my mother raved. "We'll be at your next home game! I love you!" she said. She pulled Sofia and I close to her so that we were in a big hug. She kissed me on the cheek, as Sofia and I wriggled to get away from each other.
"I love you mom," I told her. "Bye Sof," I said as I followed Cooper and Danny out the door of the hockey rink and to my car.
We usually carpooled to games because Cooper refused to get his driver's license, because he was a 'city boy'. He was not a city boy; he was from Butler, New Jersey. He was a Jersey boy who complained about Pennsylvania bagels. His big plan was to move to NYC after graduation and some freelance photography if his hockey career never took off. I suppose that he wouldn't have much use of a license in NYC, but for now Danny and I could ridicule him mercilessly for not having one.
Danny never drove because he had a small car that's backseat was mostly taken over by a huge baby car seat. Danny was too careful a driver. He was like a grandmother, not my grandmother because my abuela always went thirty miles over the speed limit at all times. Danny went ten miles under the speed limit or more, because of Mila. He wanted to be as safe as possible, but eventually his slow driving with Mila changed into slow driving with everyone. I suppose it was always good to air on the side of caution, but for now Cooper and I could mock him mercilessly.
So I was the designated chauffeur.
We climbed into the car and all of the doors shut. I put the car in drive and we pulled out of the rink.
"So your mom met Lili," Cooper sang from the backseat.
"Yep," I agreed with my eyes still on the road.
"So are you going to make a move?" Danny asked.
"I'm not into her like that," I lied through my teeth. I was so into her like that.
"Okay," Danny and Cooper nodded. "So you wouldn't mind if I asked her out," Cooper said.
"Don't," I warned him. Granted, it was really fast and my grip on the steering wheel became much tighter.
"So you do like her," Cooper said as if he had just foiled me.
"Fuck off man," i told him.
"Swear jar," Danny and Cooper said at the same time.
"We aren't even in the goddamned house," I complained.
"Do you want my daughter to be unable to go to college?" Danny accused.
"Do you want Mila to become a stripper?" Cooper accused.
