Chapter 23 & 24

Chapter 23


Lacy had been back in Montreal for just about two weeks. She had yet to do anything. She stopped crying all the time two days after she got back to Montreal and was just mad now; she hated everything and everyone including herself. She had fought for Max with everyone…lost everything she had for Max but when it came to her father she just sat down and didn’t say one word…it was like she rolled over and died.

She finally decided to go downstairs at least to get some air and maybe some medicine she had a queasy stomach the past few days and just wanted it to stop. On her way downstairs she heard her parents talking and they were talking about her…she stopped where she was and listened.

“Sweetheart she is miserable.”

“She brought this upon herself…She decided to go back with that Neanderthal and look what it did to her…fighting, losing her job, fighting with her brothers and sisters.”

“Love makes you do things…I agree with you that he is probably no the best person in the world for her. She could do so much better but….”

“NO BUTS. THAT UPSTAIRS IS NOT THE DAUGHTER I RAISED. I RAISED RESPECTABLE CHILDREN WHO DO AS THEIR PARENTS ASKED. SHE STOPPED DOING THAT THE DAY THAT BOY KISSED WAY BACK WHEN. I WONT HAVE IT….”

Lacy was shocked at what had come out of her father’s mouth but given the past two weeks and the last time he was talking she shouldn’t be…It hurt but it infuriated her even more. She finished her trip down the stairs trying not to completely lose it

“YOU WONT HAVE IT….THE LAST TIME I CHECKED I WAS A GROWN WOMAN AND I HAD THE RIGHT TO MAKE THE CHOICES THAT I WANT TO ME…I LOVE HIM..I ALWAYS HAVE. I’M SORRY….NO I’M NOT SORRY YOU DON’T LIKE IT OR WON’T HAVE IT…I AM DONE….BYE.”

“YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE”

“OH YES I AM…I’M NOT A CHILD..IF YOU CAN’T BE HAPPY FOR ME IN WHATEVER I CHOOSE TO DO THEN I DON’T NEED YOU…”

With that Lacy forgot about her stomach and made her way back upstairs and stated to pack all of her things…she didn’t know where she was going to go but it wasn’t going to be in this house. She took her bags down one by one…completely ignoring everything else that was going on around her.

“Tell she can’t take the car Landon” Landon looked at his dad and then at Lacy as she stopped in the doorway because she heard what her dad had said to..she just looked at her brother waiting for it.

“Lac….”but he stopped and looked at his dad “sorry dad…it was a gift, she can keep it” then walked off to the kitchen where his mother had disappeared.

Lacy stood there for a second looked at her father and then made her way out the door. She drove…she didn’t know where to but she did and for the first time since she lost her job she was smiling. She stood up for herself and for Max hopefully he was to. She started driving back to the neighborhood but not to her parents place but to Max’s hoping they would take her in and she could try to explain everything…but the closer she got the more queasy she got. When she pulled into the driveway she stopped and just put her head down on the steering wheel to settle everything…instead she ended up getting sick in a grocery bag she had sitting in the car before getting out and making her way to the door and knocking.

“Lacy?” Max’s mom asked as she opened the door.

“Ummm”

“Come in”

Lacy did as she was told the queasiness still present but she took a seat in the living room and waited. Soon after Lucy brought some tea and sat down. Lacy spilled everything about being with Max the past few months and what happened recently.

“I haven’t called him back or answered any of his messages…I don’t know…what..” she stopped because she felt the tears run down her face.

“You love him…and he has always loved you. Something I have always known even after.” She wrapped her arms around Lacy hoping to calm her down…but Lacy got up and ran to the bathroom and was sick again. When she came out she heard Lucy whispering to Sergei…

“That explains why he has been so quiet, Why he hasn’t wanted to talk much..”

“I know. I wish he would have told us more. I knew that he had found Lacy sometime back and I knew they were spending time together but this looks serious..our son is really in love.”

Lacy walked out but before she could say anything Sergei was over in front of Lacy and wrapping his arms around her.

“You are welcome to stay here with us as long as you want….”but stopped when he looked at how pale Lacy really was “Are you ok”

“Ummm yea..I’ve just been queasy the past week or so…I’m sure its nothing” Sarge looked over at his wife who was smiling like she had figured something out and then back at Lacy.

“Why don’t you go up to Max’s old room and rest I will get your bags and then we can figure everything out”

Lacy just nodded and made her way up to his old room…everything looked the same. She took her time to look around and was shocked to see all the old pictures of them still around. She thought that Max hadn’t kept them after all of these years. She made her way to the twin size bed laid down and fell asleep that Max really did love her and always had…just like he said.

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Max was miserable. Everyone knew it even his parents and brothers had taken to calling him every day to see if he ok…but he didn’t want to talk about it with them…he didn’t even want to talk about it with the guys and would just get pissed and walk off if one of them brought it up.

He never thought he could be this upset with the exception of losing the cup but that didn’t even matter anymore because they came back and won the cup this past season. He missed her…they had spent practically every waking moment with each other up until this road trip and he knew that was going to be a test because it was the first long road trip the team had since they had become official and serious with each other but he knew that she was going to be there and at least they had the phone…but that all went away…he didn’t have that anymore.

Lacy wouldn’t answer the phone…he lost count of how many voicemails that he had left her. He tried calling when he woke up, after morning skates, dinner time, after the game, and before he went to sleep…but nothing.

“This right here is why I never had a real relationship Flower” he said as he tossed his phone down on the bed of the hotel they were in and turned to look at Flower who was trying to keep himself busy and prepare for tonight’s game.

“What do you mean man…you love her” Flower said putting his book on the next team down He wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to try and see what Max was thinking and feeling. He had been so quiet and tight lipped since that day at his house.

“That is beside the point…She won’t answer…she won’t call back and it is all I can think about. I suck right now…I should be focused on helping the team but I can only think of Lacy and if she is ok and how much I hate this…”

“Because you love her…look she told V that she didn’t know when she would be able to talk…and V told you how upset she sounded no?...” when Max just nodded he continued “if you are having a hard time with this imagine what she is going through…”

“I tried that Flower I did really….but If she loved me wouldn’t she at least try it has been practically two weeks since she left. She couldn’t even say goodbye to me she called your girlfriend…and what’s worse she is 25 god damn years old and she couldn’t stand up to her dad about our relationship. She stood up to everyone else but him…”

Marc went to say something… “I’m not done flower…she told me she stood up to him about med school which never was an option for her or her siblings it was one of those understood things but she did it then, she stood up to her sister and both brothers for me…for us…hell she punched some girl I slept with after the cup and lost her job because of it…because she loves me…but not her dad…WHY FLOWER”

“I don’t know man I wasn’t there…you weren’t there. But from what you said her dad isn’t exactly the person you stand up to…and if you do…nothing good usually happens…So you think your shoulder will hold up…New Jersey is a tough one” Flower knew he was trying to change the subject but he didn’t know what else to do especially when Max just looked at him…he was at a loss at what to try next The one thing he knew was he needed Max back as a friend and as part of the team. Max was getting ready to continue his rant but at that moment Marc remembered the book of tendencies that he had been looking over for the next game…after tonight anyway…Montreal.

Right as he was going to say something he saw Max dive after his phone. For a second he prayed that it was Lacy but he knew the chances of that were slim…

“SHES WHERE?”

“NO I heard you…Is she ok?”

“What do you mean pale and weak…let me talk to her

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE CANT TALK TO ME RIGHT NOW….MOM COME ON…”

“Fine but please have her call me…I have to talk to her. I miss her.”

Max looked over at Marc defeated but slightly less than before…

“So…”

“She is at home….”

“Well you know she is ok and she got there safe then”

“FLOWER MY HOUSE…SHE SHOWED UP AT MY PARENTS HOUSE THIS AFTERNOON…PALE…WEAK…” Max had to stop because he felt the tears and his throat was dry..He may have been mad as hell that she hadn’t called him back and he had no clue what was going on but he loved her and wanted her to be ok which obviously she wasn’t…all of his trying to imagine what she was going through had instantly turned into nightmares…

The way everything sounded she was going back up home because that was what her dad said which meant her dad was going to control her and everything she did…so why did she just show up at his parents the way she did…he felt the anger coming back because of how she was described to him from his mom and there was nothing he could do about it now…he doubted he could have even stopped it..

“Max…” Flower tried to get his attention…he had to tell him what had slipped his mind until just a second ago.

“WHAT FLOWER” he said and wiped the few tears that had slipped…

“We play Montreal Saturday…you are going to be in Montreal on Saturday”

Max fell back on the bed…he wanted to smile he had to figure out the details and fast…He got up and grabbed his computer he usually knew where and when they were playing the last two weeks of hell had changed that. He saw that they had a three day break. He got up and ran out of the room to Coach Dan’s room….

Dan opened the door to Max who looked like he was having a break down…

“ I need…need to talk to you.”

He waved Max in and closed the door.

About 20 minutes later a calmer Max walked back into his room and looked at Flower who had been staring at the door Max had run out of still trying to figure things out..

“I’m staying in Montreal after the game…I need to call my parents…they are going to come to the game and then I’m going home with them…Lacy can’t get away I have to talk to her…I have to see that she is ok and if I have my way…she will be coming back with me.

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Chapter 24

It was late and she was exhausted. The past day had taken so much out of her between her father and her standing up for herself and then driving around until she found herself in the Talbots driveway, getting sick in the driveway, explaining everything, getting sick again.

After all the talking and her latest trip to the bathroom Max’s mom sit and relax while she made dinner.

“I’ll just make you some chicken broth.” If she was right it wasn’t going to help Lacy but she needed food in her stomach. Lacy had pretty much dosed off while she was waiting for the food…she didn’t even see or hear Lucy walk over and call her son to let him know Lacy was in fact in Montreal like he had asked her to do if she heard anything but to let him know that she would be staying in their home.

Lucy walked back in after the short conversation which involved a lot of yelling because she wouldn’t let Max talk to Lacy…she honestly didn’t think Lacy could take anymore today. She was already fighting herself by not going to the store to get a test that she knew Lacy needed to take.

She walked over to her husband who was sitting on the other couch watching TV and taking looks at Lacy asleep on the couch.

“Max is playing in Montreal on Saturday”

“I know”

“He said he wants us to come to the game”

“Ok we can do that …Is Lacy going to come.”

“I don’t think so…he said about working it out so that he would be able to come back here…I really hope they can figure it out.”

“Lucy…I know and you know that Max and Lacy love each other but we can’t get in the middle”

“Sergei….they love each other and if my hunch it right I think there will be more at stake then just their love in 7 or 8 months”



This got her husband’s attention and he began looking back and forth between her and Lacy who was still sleeping on the couch.

“She is pregnant”

“I think so I am going to have Cassie bring a test over with her tomorrow hopefully she will take it.”

Lucy walked over to Lacy to wake her up because her soup was ready. Lacy didn’t eat much just enough to hopefully stop the subtle looked Lucy kept shooting her way.

“I think I am going to get some sleep. Today took a lot out of me.”

She slept late the Saturday morning but woke up to voices down stairs making her way downstairs she stopped for a minute when she saw Max’s brothers and Cassie Frank’s wife.

Lacy hadn’t felt herself for the past few days but it was off and on but her stomach decided that moment to flip again. She wasn’t sure what sure what was going on with her but when she went to make a move to go back upstairs until she could settle again but a voice stopped her.

“You sure have grown up.”

She took the last step and was engulfed by Frank and Will. “She came out of hiding all grown up… Where did you disappear to.”

“Ummm…places” being pressed this close to the older Talbot men only made her stomach flip more. She finally broke away and into the bathroom to empty her stomach…even though there really wasn’t much there. She walked back out to the group as they were all getting into coats.

“Where is everyone going”

“O I need to run into Montreal for awhile and I need my boys help but Cassie will be here with you.”

Lacy just nodded and sat down…trying to keep her stomach from flipping the way it was. With that they all made their way out and to Montreal to see Max play and bring him back so him and Lacy could work things out.

Cassie took this time to talk to Lacy. As Lacy was about to go upstairs and take a hot shower Cassie stopped her…

“Lacy I know we don’t each other that well so I hope you don’t mind me doing this. Lucy thought it would be better coming from someone closer to your age.” She handed Lacy a brown paper bag and looked at her hoping she would understand.

Lacy looking in the bag and back at Cassie….

“A pregnancy test….” The one possibility she hadn’t considered.