Evermore || Connor Bedard

Chapter Five: Cowboy Like Me

"That was not nice of you," I said firmly but calmly. "Tommy Rose, why did you say that to Iyker?"

Tommy hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "He was wearing Tyler's jersey, but we're going to a Chicago skate, so I told him he'd look stupid."

I could understand why Tommy might have thought that, but it wasn't a kind thing to say. Tyler, the oldest among us, played hockey for Vancouver, so his jersey held a special meaning for Iyker.

"That's not nice, Toms," I said, using Tommy's nickname. "If Iyker wants to wear Tyler's jersey, he can. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Tommy said with a nod.

"Good. Now I'm going to talk to Iyker, and when we come down, I want you to apologize," I said firmly.

Tommy looked down as I began to leave the room, but when I asked him to go get his hockey bag, he perked up and rushed upstairs. I followed him closely, heading towards Iyker's room.

As I knocked on Iyker's door, I couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension. I knew I had to be gentle in my approach, given the circumstances. Slowly opening the door, I saw Iyker sitting in the middle of his room, holding a jersey in his hands.

"Hey, bud," I said softly, trying to ease the tension in the room. "Hi," he replied, his voice barely audible.

Iyker was clearly upset, and I knew why. Toms had told him what had happened, and it had affected him deeply. I could see the tears falling down his face, and it broke my heart.

"If you want to wear his jersey, then you should wear his jersey," I said, trying to reassure him.

"But what if people think I'm weird?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"No one's going to think you're weird, bud," I replied, hoping to give him some peace of mind. "I would wear his jersey too, but I've got to work, so I'm required to wear this."

I could see the relief in his eyes, and I knew that I had done the right thing. "Okay. Can you help me get it back on, please?" he asked, just above a whisper.

I bent down to his level, and we worked together to get the jersey on. It was a small gesture, but it meant the world to him.

"Let's go before Tommy and Cylis burn down the house," I said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. I picked him up, and we headed down the stairs.

Cylis comes running up to us with the phone in his hand, saying, "Sage, your phone is ringing!" Without even looking at the contact, I answered the phone, "Hello?" It was Maelyn on the other end, asking if I was at my parents' house. When I confirmed that I was, she said she just wanted to make sure and asked if she'd see me there. I replied yes and ended the call with, "Bye, love you." Maelyn reciprocated the sentiment and we quickly left the house, hurrying to the arena.

As we walked into the arena, we were greeted by a sea of families. Connor approached us from behind and said, "Sage, hey!" I returned his greeting, and Tommy, recognizing Connor, yelled out his name and jumped into his arms. Iyker and Cylis both hugged him as well, and Connor's smile brightened the room.

Suggesting that they get dressed while I checked in, I motioned them towards a bench. As I was about to leave for the cameras, Maelyn approached us, "Sage, good morning." I asked if she was getting Connor mic'd up. "Yeah, your stuff is in the side office."

Connor joined the conversation, offering to take care of my younger siblings, and I hesitated, feeling guilty about him taking on that responsibility. But he insisted, saying he hadn't seen them in years and would love to hang out with them, and I finally relented, cautioning him, "Ok, but if they give you any trouble, just tell me."