Of Dreams and Miracles
By Misha

Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue.

Part Eighteen: Moments

Elizabeth decided to hang out with the boys the next day, after practice. It was what she needed, probably what they needed too. Her father had been even harder than usual on them all at practical, but he'd been especially hard on Rizzo.

Besides, Elizabeth had go pick up their laundry. She had started doing the boys laundry for them about two months earlier, when she realised that when left on their own, it never got done and simply piled up becoming dirtier and dirtier.

She didn't do all their laundry, but enough so that they always had clean clothes. She drew the line at doing more than few extra loads a week, so they only gave her the stuff they really needed, and the rest piled up in their rooms--which meant that she occasionally caved in and did some extra loads.

Elizabeth hated catering to them, but she also hated the idea of laundry piling up all over the place--which she saw whenever she was there, visiting them. Besides, if they wore the same clothes over and over, they'd stink and she was the one who'd have to smell them. So it, suited her, besides she still didn't clean up after them or cook for them, though they were probably grateful for that.

She knocked on Rizzo's door, she decided to hang out with him first, see if she could cheer him up. "Hey, Rizzo."

"Hey, Liz." He said, stepping aside to let her enter.

"So how are you doing?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

"You mean after your father threatened to cut me?" He asked her ruefully. "I"m terrified."

"He'd be a fool to cut you." She said quietly.

"Other guys are scoring, I'm not." Rizzo pointed out.

"So?" She retorted. "Those other guys don't have your dedication, your passion. You're a very big part of this team, Rizzo, and if Dad cuts you, then it's his mistake."

Rizzo smiled at her. "Thank you." He said quietly. "Now I know why O.C likes you so much."

Elizabeth bit her lip. "About that..."

"Don't worry I'm not gonna say anything." Rizzo assured her. "I think the two of you are crazy for sneaking around like that, but it's your business."

"Thank you." She said softly, figuring that was the best she was going to get.

Rizzo just nodded and then looked her straight in the eye. "My only question is what about Mac?"

"What about him?" Elizabeth replied, looking down at her hands.

"O.C's not the only one who never takes his eyes off of you." Rizzo pointed out softly. "Liz, it'll be bad for the team if they start fighting over you."

"I know." She said quietly "I'm trying to avoid that. There isn't really anything between Robbie and I, not anymore."

"Anymore being the qualifying word." Rizzo pointed out quietly. "I don't know what happened and I don't see the point in asking, since I don't think either of you will tell me, but I do know that whatever there used to be between you, it's not completely dead."

"Is something like that ever dead?" Elizabeth retorted and then sighed. "Look Rizzo, I'll do my best to make sure that this doesn't blow up in everyone's faces, and I mean with both my dad and Robbie."

She wasn't sure it was something she was doing to be able to do, but as she had told Rizzo, she'd try her best.
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After her talk with Rizzo, she wasn't in the mood to socialize any longer, so she just picked up the laundry and then went home.

Her mother was pleasantly surprised to see her home at a decent time for once and she spent the evening spending quality time with her brother and sister.

Elizabeth realised after they went to bed, how much she'd missed them. She lived in the same house as them, but she never really saw them anymore. Just like she rarely saw Kathleen and never saw any of her other friends.

The only people she ever saw were her father and the boys on the team. Somehow, the team and the Olympics had taken over her whole life. Just like it had been doing with her dad for year.

For the second time in as many days, Elizabeth was filled with admiration for her mother. It couldn't be easy, being second fiddle to a game, certainly not for years.

Yet Herb had always put hockey first and his family second, except maybe Elizabeth, but that was because she was a part of both worlds, had been for years. Perhaps it dated back to when the two of them had been on their own...

Elizabeth had never noticed her father's single-mindedness until now, probably because until this point it hadn't been as bad. Yes, Herb was devoted to his teams at the U, but he still made time for his family, it wasn't like it had been the last few months. This was the fulfilment of years of ambition, he was driven in a way he never had been before and he didn't have time for anything else.

Elizabeth wasn't sure if was her husband that she'd be able to do it, especially if he took her oldest child too. She looked at her mother from across the room and then got up and walked over to her. She hugged her impulsively.

Patti looked at her. "What's that for?" She asked with a soft smile.

Elizabeth shrugged. "Just for being my mom. I love you."

"I love you too, honey." Patti told her fondly.

Elizabeth beamed at her and then stepped away. The two of them looked at each other for a long time, as a moment of understanding passed between them.

Yes, Elizabeth was more Herb's than Patti's, a result of personality, blood, and circumstance, but in that moment mother and daughter bonded in a way they never had been.

It had never mattered that Patti hadn't given birth to her, she had always been the only mother Elizabeth had ever known, but tonight some invisible barrier between them vanished.

After a moment, Elizabeth broke the gaze and the moment ended. But it had been there and the relationship between them would never be quite the same again...
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