In the fall, he left for college in California, and I never heard from him again. I had just graduated that spring and stayed home after they died. I tried to move, but ended up leaving that November when my parents' house was foreclosed on. After paying for the funerals for three people, and various bills that came along with that, I didn't have enough money to pay what was left on their mortgage.
I had no money and no place to live. That was when I ended up in Chicago at Ballet Chicago looking for work. I had always loved to dance, ballet mostly, so it was the perfect gig for me to not only dance but earn some money and make a life for myself.
Then my life was turned upside down again. My mom always told me to make the best of the situation you were handed. Well, I was handed a really shitty situation and then shit on again. Now I was looking for less shit and maybe some water to wash away the other shit.
Evan was the water.
Game 63 – Edmonton Oilers
Wednesday, March 5, 2010
I got a text from him first thing the next morning before his morning skate. They were back in Chicago and set to play the Edmonton Oilers, a team he wasn't sure how they'd fair against. I distracted him by telling him that his sheets smelled like me now.
So you're still in my bed?
I had to laugh. He couldn't let it go.
Nope. In your shower.
There was no reply for a good forty-five minutes.
Eventually, I did get a response but he avoided the topic of the shower and his bed after that. I only gathered it was because he had a game that night and was trying to stay focused.
He continued to send me texts the rest of the day. Apparently, Leo had caught on to his texting and sent me a picture of Evan scowling, his arm stretched out like he was trying to get his phone back. It was adorable.
Leo got my number out of the phone and started with his own text messages, all thoroughly amusing because they were pictures of Evan with captions. In one of them he was hunched over on the plane reading a message on his phone.
Leo's caption read: Look at him all happy. He has no idea what's going on. Stupid fuck is clueless.
I couldn't wait to meet Leo. He seemed really cool and was already giving me loads of information about hockey and terms to use. The next text was: Your boy had a nice pole drag in the third period and stuffed the puck in the net to win it for us. I love him. Seriously, I think I'm in love with him.
Leo was a crack up. I had no idea what pole drag meant. I assumed it was a trick or something.
Evan ended up calling me before the game when they were in the locker room, laughter and loud catcalls rang throughout the room as the boys teased Evan about calling me. He didn't seem to mind at all and played along.
I never felt pressured around him. I felt comfortable, like I had known him my entire life. He seemed to know exactly what to say before I even knew I needed to hear it. His whole family was like that.
We were just sitting down to watch the game when Evan's grandmother came in. I only knew it was his grandmother because his dad told me. "Watch out for Granny B," he warned, giving me a soft smile. "The lady is off her fucking rocker."
I had to bite back a laugh by covering my mouth as his dad watched this feeble old woman scoot across the room to sit in the rocking chair near the window, her foamy Chicago Blackhawks finger in her hand and wearing her Masen #5 jersey. Before she sat down, she looked at me. "It's a great day for a ball game!"
Sam looked at me. "See what I mean?"
Again, I had to bite back a laugh.
It was nice seeing his family all gathered around the television watching him. Even a few of their neighbors came over.
Evan was more aggressive this game than he was the last. He was in a fight within the first two minutes of the game and then sat the rest of the first period in the penalty box all because one of the Oilers players checked Leo into the boards pretty hard.
"Evan is powerful, both physically and emotionally. You'll never meet another guy like him. He has a huge heart, always has." Judy laughed, explaining Evan's actions as to why he was defending Leo. "I always tell him he's that way because I had him on Valentine's Day."
I gave Judy a smile. "My brother was born on Valentine's Day, too. They were the same age."
She gave me a tender smile of her own, as if to apologize for bringing it up. "I'm sorry, dear."
"Don't be."
"You gotta make those catches!" Granny B yelled at the television, tossing her foamy finger.
Granny B was Judy's mom, and she lived in their basement. She was…interesting, to say the least. I understood completely why she was living with them because if not for them, someone would have had that woman committed to a mental hospital. She was entertaining.