Returning through the front door of his home in Etobicoke, Ontario, Owen pulled his hands from the pockets of his well worn dress pants and stopped dead in his tracks at two suitcases packed in the corner of the entrance way along with three labeled and concealed cardboard boxes. He wasn't surprised by them, he was well aware that this was what he would be coming home to after being away on a two week coaching seminar in Minnesota. It was the way the bags were waiting for him, how they looked cloaked in the darkness of the room, and exactly what they symbolized that really upset Owen.
His stomach sank while his blood boiled within and Owen hadn't known the two could happen at the same time before. While he and his wife had been struggling over the last year and worse so hockey season started, but he had expected her to at least be there and waiting when he returned. She had told him that she would pack his things and he could move out swiftly upon his return from The US, but Owen had still simply assumed that she would be waiting and they would be able to talk about the separation before they actually separated.
Sighing, he rubbed his hand over his mouth and felt the exhaustion from the flight take over his body. He could have fallen asleep against the door easily if he just shut his dark eyes. He may have been standing inside his own house, but he knew he wasn't supposed to be there right now, that he wasn't welcomed. So, he ignored his tired bones and went over to his corner of things, bending at the knees to pick up the top box marked 'Owen - Kitchen'. Even though he and his wife were going through their problems, he knew she would be kind enough to not leave him high and dry. They had been friends for so long and married for four and a half years, the least she could do was be civil. As soon as Owen turned to go back outside, he realized he wasn't alone. At the bottom step of the staircase stood Eva Mulligan, dressed in her two piece Miss Piggy pyjamas. A gift from her a uncle Tristan that were still just a smidgen too big for her tiny size.
"You're going already?" Her voice was a quiet squeak. The little girl knew she was supposed to be sleeping, but it was the day her Dad came home and she hadn't seen him off a computer screen in what felt like ages. Without a concept of time, two weeks felt like a year to Eva. It would be unreasonable for a girl of three to be able to not stay awake in anticipation. Besides, she had so many questions that her mother wasn't properly asking. Before Owen could answer his daughter, she continued, "You just got here." Eva held onto the rail with both of her miniature hands and helped herself down to the carpeted ground.
"I know, but…" Owe was so happy to see Eva again, his small partner in crime with dark fudge locks, and the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint his girl by leaving again. He didn't have much of a choice though. His wife was miserable in their marriage and Owenw anted to respect her enough to give her what she wanted - time and space apart. Eva might not understand it now, but Owen knew he and his wife needed that. The toddler would benefit from it, even if it was painful. Owen reminded himself that this was only temporary. It wasn't cast in stone. He could very well be back in his own home with the family he made even a short while.
"Mom says you have to go stay with Gram-na." She mispronounced and saved her father the trouble of having to come up with a child appropriate version of the truth. Owen had considered telling his little girl that he was going to coach elsewhere, but it didn't feel right to lie to his kid. He didn't want to teach her that. He was going to go stay at his Mom's for a while, and then, maybe, a hotel or at his little brother's. "Why?" Eva continued.
"Because…" Owen wasn't sure what to say next. Eva was standing there, looking up at him with huge blue eyes that could swallow someone whole, just waiting for her Dad to answer. Owen had coached a handful of hardheaded and smug hockey players, visited countries all over the world, trained broken bones, but answering his daughter felt like the most challenging thing yet.
"Because…" Once more, Owen reminded himself that this was only temporary and put down the box to his side before kneeling close to Eva and looking at her with intensity and sincerity. "Eva," Softly, he started and took both her hands in one of his. "Mommy and I are going to spend a little time away from each other." He hoped that if he kept his voice gentle, Eva would react better to the news. He didn't know exactly what his wife had told their daughter already. "Just for a little bit." Owen added at the end, but mostly for himself. He didn't like to think of it as a step towards divorce, it was only a separation. People could reunite from those.
"But you just got home." Eva whined. A trial separation was a foreign concept to someone Eva's age. All she understood was her Dad had gone away, come back, and was now leaving again.
"I'm going to see you, don't worry." He used his free hand to straighten out her pj top over her small belly as it threatened to roll up. "I'm going to take you to your skating lesson the day after tomorrow." Eva had yet to learn the order of the days of the week yet, so it was easier for Owen to say it that way. He was about to wrap his arms around his daughter, ask her how she was feeling, but Owen saw a light reflect from upstairs and he knew his wife must have heard Eva awake or his voice. That was the worst part about big houses, sound carried. "You need to go back to bed, though. It's late." It was 9 PM.
Eva was just about to turn around and battle the stairs again. Owen swallowed the growing lump in his throat and closed his eyes to bury any chance of tears even threatening to slip out.
"Wait, Eva," He called for his son to turn around. His arms were wide open and impatiently waiting to devour the little girl in a big bear hug. He held her tiny body in his grasp and for a moment, Owen actually considered trying to wrap her up and take her along with the boxes. Would his wife even notice? Of course she would. "I love you, Munchkin…" He whispered into each one of Eva's ears once and inhaled through his nose as the tears defeated him and fell down his face. He couldn't help, but feel like something of a failure.
"You don't have to go, Daddy." Eva managed to let slip from his pink lips, even though her dad was crushing her with his hug so strong. Owen leaned back for a moment to see his kid's pouting yet hopeful face. She thought, maybe, if she said it, her dad would stay. "I'll be good." She softly promised, thinking it could only help.
"I love you." Owen said once more, whispering it like a secret. "I'll call you tomorrow morning." He jet out his lips like he had been since Eva was a newborn and waited for her to kiss him, her warm hands flattening out over his stubble covered cheeks.
"Love you, Daddy." Eva started to pitter patter away. "Safe drive." She fumbled out before taking the railing again and helping herself up onto the first step.
Watching, Owen smiled at how precious his girl was and contemplated if he could really take any credit for that at all. His wife was the one who spent most of her time with Eva, she brought her to the day care she worked at everyday. Things had worked well when his wife didn't have a job, but she had a degree in education and refused to let it go to waste, so when Eva turned three, she decided to go to back. Of course, Owen supported his wife and it was time for her to pursue her own dream, but her hours weren't flexible and neither was his life. It made it impossible for them to spend any time together, quality or not. Eventually, Owen just stopped calling when he was away and just did when he felt like it and she wasn't going to stand idly by and accept that attitude.
As soon as he arrived home, he was completely punched in the stomach with how much he actually missed her and his family. He liked having his own family and he was proud of what he and his wife had accomplished together, but every success came with a failure. She knew things weren't working and she needed to figure out what was best. It didn't really make any sense to Owen at first, if they serene problem that required fixing, why was she so desperate for him to leave?
This is only temporary. He thought as he picked up the box by his feet and listened as upstairs his wife helped Eva back into bed and to sleep.