Chapter Twenty Eight
As many times as she had been to Pittsburgh, Trina still hated it. Why her son couldn't have been drafted by a Canadian team was beyond her. It would have made her life so much easier. It would have saved her from having to be padded down by security every time she wanted to visit, that's for sure.
"There's nothing there boys, keep moving!" Trina complained to the border security officer.
"Mom relax, they are just doing their jobs. You are so embarrassing!" Taylor stood at the end of the aisle, waiting for her mom.
"Oh enough! Where did your father go?"
"I don't know, he probably wandered off… he always wants to get a good spot, even in the lounge, like it matters! We are going to be here for like two minutes!"
"Whatever… is it worth complaining about? No, so move on…"
"Is it worth complaining about airport security? No… so move on…"
"Don't sass me young lady… my nerves are bad enough right now…"
"Why? Because of Sid's girlfriend?"
"No... Not because of Sid's girlfriend… I just… I just… don't like to fly." Trina heard the lie escape from her lips, and instantly felt bad. She was far from excited about meeting her son's first real girl friend. She was sure that he must have dated some girls here and there, but none had ever been serious enough to want to introduce to the family. She was exceptionally anxious about the whole scenario.
"Oh come on Mom, admit it! You already don't like her and you haven't even met her…"
"No, I am keeping an open mind."
"Liar."
"Nathalie said she is very sweet." It was true, Nathalie and Trina has talked yesterday and she had had nothing but lovely things to say about Sid's choice.
"Nathalie thinks Lindsay Lohan must be a nice girl. She wouldn't say anything nasty about anyone."
"Taylor that's enough. We are going to be nice."
"Maybe you are…" Taylor slung her bag over her shoulder and rolled her eyes.
"Taylor Crosby! This girl means something to your brother and we are going to be respectful of that."
"You assume I'm the one who is going to be mean to her? I would be more concerned about your husband."
"Your father has promised to be on his best behaviour and I expect the same from you."
"Fine, whatever. I'm going to go find Dad…"
Trina watched her daughter stride away to the waiting lounge and took a deep breath. She truly was going to try to be nice to her son's new friend. Well, at least she wasn't going to go out of the way to be mean to her…
-.-
"Grab your bag, you're brother is waiting," Troy stated, adjusting his ball cap.
"I doubt he's here… he probably just sent a car service… he's probably busy with his new girlfriend," Taylor argued back.
"That's enough. Your brother is busy. If he sent a car service, that's fine too," Troy cut her off. He didn't listen to criticism of his son from anybody, not even his daughter. Troy walked out to the main concourse where he was expecting to see a chauffeured driver holding a sign with their name on it. It was standard practice now and he was perfectly fine with it. He understood the obligations his son dealt with and for that he didn't envy him – but really only that. He would trade anything to live a day in the life of his son but instead he just lived with the benefits of having him. He scanned the crowd for the familiar sight but instead found his son, standing, leaning against a pillar busily texting.
"See," he turned to his daughter. "Your brother is never too busy for family."
"He's just buttering us up so we're nice to his girlfriend," Taylor muttered under her breath. Troy flashed her an angry look, warning her that she was skating on thin ice before greeting his son with a bear hug.
"So where is she? You didn't bring her with you?" Troy asked with genuine interest.
"No, she's helping Nathalie with dinner. I thought I would come get you guys on my own… I didn't think this would be the best place, if there was press or anything, you know…"
"Right, well we are very excited to meet her… all of us…" Troy shot her daughter a look and Taylor rolled her eyes.
"What was that look for?" Sid asked.
'Damn kid never missed a thing,' Troy thought to himself. "It was nothing. You're sister is just being a teenager."
"You better not pull anything tonight…" Sid warned her.
"Well hello to you too…" Taylor snapped back.
"I am dead serious," Sid reached out to hug his sister. "She has been through enough hazing already, I don't need any more reasons for her to… anyways… we should get going…"
"I can't wait to see the house… your dad said you were having the pool dug out…" Trina looped her arm through her son's and headed toward the airport exit. Troy watched as this family headed out and smiled to himself. He was eager to see his son happy and eager to make sure it was with someone up to his standards.
-.-
Amber listened from the kitchen as Nathalie greeted the Crosby family. She bit her bottom lip and looked around, as if she was looking for something to hide behind. She wasn't sure if she should have gone to the front entrance to greet Sid's parents there, or if she should wait and let him bring them to her, or...
"Wanna colour with me?" Alexi asked from the breakfast table.
"I sure do…" Amber looked over at the young girl, contently colouring a map of the world. "Is there any special instructions?"
"Countries that were run by the British need to be red," she explained handing Amber a red marker. "It's going to take forever to colour Canada… that's why I started with the little countries…"
"Well, I can start with Canada," Amber offered, getting to work with her red crayon. Alexi rambled on about what she was learning in school, about different countries around the world, excited to have someone to talk to.
"Have you been to any of these countries?" Alexi asked.
Amber looked down at the map and pointed out all the countries that she had traveled to with work. It was an impressive list, especially to a nine year old.
"We went here on vacation last summer…" She continued on, pointing at a Caribbean island. "It smelt funny… Lauren got a sunburn and couldn't sit back on the plane ride home… mom said it suited her right for wearing such a teeny bikini."
"Well I hate to interrupt the arts and crafts session of today but…" Amber looked up to see Nathalie, standing in the kitchen beside a much shorter woman with a far less happy expression on her face. "Amber this is Sid's mom Trina, Trina this is Amber."
Amber stood up and walked over to where the women were standing. "Hi," She extended her hand towards Trina who cautiously extended it back.
"Colouring, are we?" Trina asked, and maybe Amber was being a little over sensitive but she thought she heard the faint hint of condescending in the tone.
"Um… yeah. I have been put in charge of colouring Canada," Amber offered.
"She's helping me with my project Mom!" Alexi yelled from the table.
"Well that's very nice of her, but you need to go get cleaned up for dinner," Nathalie instructed her.
"K! Will you help me later Amber?"
"Maybe, depends on time, okay?" Amber offered.
Alexi quickly bundled up her papers and rolled up her big map, then ran down the hall, leaving Amber alone with the two women.
"Would you like some tea, Trina?" Nathalie offered. "We could go sit outside… It's still pretty nice out."
"That sounds lovely," Trina agreed. "So Amber, Nathalie tells me you are helping Sid get his house in order. That's very nice of you."
"Ummm yeah, it's quite a project," Amber agreed quietly. Nathalie walked behind her and pulled her shoulders back, signaling her to remember the confident Amber that was inside.
"We met with a decorator this morning," Nathalie offered, as an ice breaker. "Did you and Sid make it to that store this afternoon?"
"Yes, we did." Amber responded with a more confident tone, trying to keep what Nathalie had told her earlier about confidence in mind. It wasn't easy as Trina was giving her looks that could freeze a volcano."I think we found a dining room table to fit that huge room. I think those built in cabinets that the contractor suggested will go really well with the table. Of course, we'll have to get something to fill all the shelves and Sid's afraid that means more shopping… after the ordeal at Bed, Bath and Beyond, I might leave him behind."
"Ordeal?" Trina asked sharply.
"It took him like a half an hour to decide on a face cloth… I ended up just picking one and putting it in the cart," Amber sighed. Nathalie laughed but Trina kept the same icy expression on her face.
"Well it is his house darling," Trina offered in defense of her son. "If he wants to be picky, he can."
"I just want to be able to wake up, have a shower and reach for a towel… I don't care what colour it is, what brand, or whatever…" Amber laughed uncomfortably.
"Reach for a towel? Why would you... oh... I was unaware that you were living there," Trina stood up straight and clenched her jaw. "You'll have to excuse me for a minute."
Amber watched with wide eyes as Sid's mom, quickly left the kitchen, then turned and stared at Nathalie, who had an equally shocked look on her face.
"I didn't know he didn't tell her…" Amber confessed in a panic.
"I didn't either… I am sure it will be fine…" Nathalie tried to reassure her. "If not, I'll mix some whiskey in with her tea. That'll help!"
-.-
"Sidney Patrick Crosby!"
Sid could hear his mom yelling from the door step of the house. She sounded pissed. He looked at his dad for assistance.
"That didn't take long… I thought she'd at least make it through dinner…" Troy laughed, putting up his hands in defeat. "Everyone thought it was going to be me that gave your girl a hard time but i should warn you... your mom is not handling this well..."
"Thanks for the warning..."Sid watched as his mom stomped over to the concrete shooting area that the boys had gathered around. Ever since he had arrived in Pittsburgh for the very first time after the draft, this was always the place that everyone seemed to gravitate towards. It was neutral territory. It helped ease everyone into conversation. Now it was like a tradition. When his family arrived, they all went and did some shooting drills and then went inside. His mom, of course, had been eager to meet Amber, so she went straight into the house but it hadn't taken her long to come back out here.
"You're living with her?" His mom yelled, stomping right up to him. "Why didn't you tell us?" his sister and Austin had stopped practicing and stood together watching the impending theatrics.
"I thought I had mentioned it…" Sid lied, trying to act like it wasn't a big deal. In reality, he just hadn't quite gotten up the nerve to break that to his parents yet.
"You thought you had, had you? Really? Do I look like I was born yesterday?"
"Trina… calm down…" Troy reached out and put his hands on his wife's shoulders.
"Calm down? Really? Our son is taking a huge step with a girl we've never even met… he couldn't even tell us the truth about her and you want me to calm down. I will NOT!"
"I have told you the truth about her mom. Where did you think she was going to live when she moved here?"
"In a place of her own… "
"She moved here to be with me, not for me to get her some crappy apartment."
"She could get her OWN apartment."
"No, mom… you're being ridiculous right now…"
"Oh, silly me, thinking my son was smart enough to see some gold digger when he saw one."
"Oh my GOD! That's enough mom. You sound just like Mario. You don't even know her…"
"Neither do you."
"YES, I do! Why does everyone keep saying that?" Sid could feel his blood pressure rising. He was tired of everyone saying the same thing about Amber – they had no freakin clue! "I KNOW HER! She's not some girl I picked up on the street corner, she's not some puck fuck and she is certainly not a fucking GOLD DIGGER! So deal with it!" Sid threw his hockey stick to the ground and stormed off. He was so fucking tired of people treating him like he was a fucking idiot. He knew what he was doing!
"Don't you storm away on me young man!" Trina yelled after him, putting her hands on her hips.
"I'll do what I want!" Sid yelled back at her.
"Sidney STOP!" Troy bellowed after his son. Sid stopped in his tracks and grit his teeth, turning back to his parents. This was not how he wanted things to go but he should have expected it. Protective was putting it lightly when it came to his parents.
"I didn't invite you here for your permission to be with her. I invited you here to meet the woman I have chosen to be with. It's not your decision to make," Sid growled.
"I think we can all agree that this is quite a shock and that we will need some time to process it…" Troy offered, trying to extinguish the brewing situation.
"I don't need time…" Trina began, before being cut off by her husband.
"We ALL need to take a moment…" Troy was not used to be being the voice of reason but he knew the Sid and Trina were the two most stubborn people on the planet and nothing would get done while they were upset. "Trin, maybe you should go lie down…"
"I'm fine." Trina glared at her husband, who glared right back, holding his ground. It was a battle of stubbornness now, who would back down first?
"Go lie down and I'll bring you up a cup of tea," Troy offered in a much softer voice. Sid watched as his father 'handled' his mother, much the same way as coaches used to handle him when he was younger… it was actually kind of amusing. His mother finally broke from her stance and began her stomp back to the house, not looking at her son.
"Well it looks like you've got yourself a challenge now…" Troy laughed, looking at his son, who was still clenching his jaw.
"I didn't think it would be such a big deal…" Sid began.
"Sure you did. You just hoped that your mother would have been sedated with a couple of drinks in her by the time she found out."
Sid shook his head in frustration. He hated that his dad was right. He also knew that Amber had the smallest hope in hell of winning over his mother now. The only chance of approval would come if she could win over his father. If his father liked her, he could make his mom come around. The chance of that was also slim unless Sid could keep his father away from Mario, so the two of them couldn't talk about her. Mario could convince his father of anything. This was becoming a freaking nightmare.
"Wanna go see the house? Amber and I have made some plans for it, we could show you…" Sid asked his dad, knowing that that would be the best plan for the time being. He didn't think dinner would be ready for a while and maybe, just maybe, this would be a good time for Troy to get to know Amber, without anyone else around.
"I have to bring your mom a cup of tea… calm her before dinner… but otherwise, I see no problem with that."
"Good, I'll grab Amber and we'll meet you at the front door."
-.-
Taylor watched as her dad and brother walked back towards the house and quickly pulled out her phone.
"What are you doing?" Austin asked, handling the puck around his feet.
"Texting your sister… she is missing the fun!"
"What fun?"
"Duh… my mom is going to eat Sid's girlfriend for dinner! It's been a while since she has yelled at him like that!"
"I get yelled at all the time…"
"That's because you're an idiot… Sid's the golden child that can do no wrong. It's kinda refreshing to be the one not giving my parents a hard time," Taylor admitted, quickly typing into her keyboard.
"Yeah, I think my dad's mad at him too… I guess there is a first time for everything…" Austin shrugged and shot the puck at the net.
"That doesn't count as a goal, if I'm over here…" Taylor pointed out. "I think dinner is going to be interesting…"
Austin shrugged again.
Taylor pressed send on her message "You are missing the first round of fireworks! Get home now!" and tucked her phone into her back pocket.