Well here you have it. Brand new, never before seen chapter. Not a lot of Ducks in it, but I hope you enjoy it anyway and let me know.
Chapter 20: Deals
When they got home from the trip, Lizzy was definitely walking on air. It had been a great trip and she loved every minute of it. After that, she spent every other day practicing her shots on a goal she had set in the backyard and the rest practicing her hitting and pitching. However she was missing her friends as much as she talked to them online.
"Daddy, I love you," Lizzy said in mid-July as she walked into his office.
"And you'll still love me when I tell you no to whatever question you're about to ask me," Rob answered, not even looking up from his paperwork.
"But Dad," Lizzy whined.
"Just ask." Rob looked up from the paperwork.
"I know we already talked about this but I want to know if I can change your mind."
"Every good lawyer likes to hear a well thought out argument, so let's hear it."
"About not being able to go to Minnesota until the 18th," Lizzy started.
"As much as I would love to hear your argument on this, you already have my verdict. You're not going until the 18th and that's final."
"That's not fair. I bet Mom would let me go," Lizzy snapped.
"Don't even go there. I know the minute I send you to Minnesota is the minute my summer with you comes to an end."
"But Dad, Fulton's birthday is on the 12th and I want to be there with him for that plus Matt is in Minnesota and he can help me with my hockey. I know that you prefer baseball but if I'm going to have a shot at varsity next year, I have to improve my game and Matt is the best way to do that."
"Lizzy," Robert warned.
"Come on, Dad, it's not like I got a boyfriend in Minnesota I'm going to go running to. Or even an ex-boyfriend for that matter. It's just friends and training."
"I said no and that's the last of it."
"But Daddy!"
"I said no." Her dad stared her down and she finally relented walking off to play video games in the basement.
Just before dinner, Seth appeared in the doorway, the home phone in his hand. "And it's back, back, and it's out of here!" Seth cheered as he watched Lizzy win the baseball video game she was playing.
"What do you want?" Lizzy snapped.
"Your brother would like to talk to you." Seth held out the phone to her.
Lizzy sighed but took the phone. "Hello?" Lizzy asked, pressing the phone to her ear.
"How's my sweet Fire-arm?" Chris asked.
"Chris? I didn't think you'd call today. Don't you have a game?"
"The team does but I don't pitch until next game. I wanted to talk to you about your birthday."
"My birthday isn't for two weeks and I'm only turning 17," Lizzy answered.
"17, 18, 21, or 25, the age isn't the important part. What's important is it's your birthday. Plus it's your first birthday that Matt will be there in ... how many years?"
"Okay, so you got a point but all I really want is dinner and cake at home like we used to do. Remember?"
"That all you want?"
"I want to be in Minnesota but I'll take dinner instead."
"Chocolate cake?"
"With chocolate frosting and cookies and cream ice cream," Lizzy answered.
"Sure, kid."
"Besides, it's not like Dad will remember without one of you telling him."
"That's not true and you know it."
"Do I really, Chris?"
"He's trying, okay? He did just buy four tickets to the Stanley Cup final and four airplane tickets. Give him a break, okay?"
"Fine."
Nearly two weeks later, Lizzy called Charlie on his birthday and found out he was in the middle of a party with the in-state Ducks, Bombay, his mom, Matt, and their grandma. "Thanks for calling, Lizzy," he said.
"Maybe I should call back later," Lizzy said nervously. She really didn't want to interrupt the party.
"It's fine, Lizzy. So Matt told me you were at the game."
"Yeah, it was awesome. I am so going to rub it in your face when I see you again."
"I expect no less." She could near the grin in his voice.
"Have you opened my gift yet?"
"Not yet. I was going to save that until you got here."
"That's another month, Charlie, just open it and when you do, make sure your mom gets a picture of your face, I want to see it."
"You really think I'll be that shocked?"
"I know you will be."
"You keep thinking that."
"Well then, go ahead and open it," Lizzy challenged. If she had been there she would have given him the stare down of a lifetime.
"Okay," he answered, smugly. "Hey guys," he called to get the attention of his party goers. "Lizzy says that I'm going to be so shocked by her present that I'll be speechless. I, naturally, don't believe her. Fulton, hold the phone would you?" Charlie handed the phone to Fulton then retrieved the large present Matt had brought in earlier.
"Hi, Fulton," Lizzy said.
"Hey, Mav," Fulton said.
"Make sure my aunt gets a picture of his face. Speechless or not, he'll be shocked. I want to see how shocked," Lizzy said.
Just before he could, Matt beat him to it. "Aunt Casey, get your camera, the look on his face is going to be priceless," Matt said.
"You know what's in here?" Charlie asked.
"I'm the one that put it in that box." Lizzy could picture her brother rolling his eyes at their cousin.
"Okay, here we go," Charlie said. Fulton held the phone towards Charlie so Lizzy could better pick up his voice. Not that she or Fulton thought he'd be saying anything in the next few moments anyway. Lizzy could hear the tape ripping from the box and then the flaps being folded back. "You got me a hockey stick?" Charlie asked.
"Dude, it's signed," Goldberg said.
Charlie looked closer and that's when he saw the signature and was shocked into silence. Casey snapped a picture and Lizzy knew it'd be a good one. "Who signed it, son?" Casey asked.
When Charlie didn't answer Connie leaned in and looked at it. "Basil McRae. The North Star turned Dallas Star. Isn't he like your favorite player on that team, Charlie?"
"Basil McRae, Lizzy, I—" Charlie started. His voice was louder now so Lizzy figured he had taken the phone back.
"Told you that you'd be speechless," she taunted.
"You don't have to be a jerk. Anyway, this is great. Thanks," Charlie said. Lizzy could tell Casey was most likely glaring at him. "How'd you get it?"
"Friends in high places. Don't worry about it." Lizzy didn't want to let him know she had begged Matt for about a week straight to get him to get the stick signed. It made her feel a little bad to use her brother like that but he sounded happy to do it.
"Thank you. We'll see you next month, okay?"
"Yeah, bye Charlie," Lizzy answered.
"Later," Charlie said.
Lizzy woke up to a quiet house on her birthday and found an email box full of birthday wishes from all her friends. Downstairs she found an empty house and was only slightly disappointed. She figured Seth was with Natasha, Chris and Matt hadn't made it in yet, her dad was probably at work, and Ben was probably still in bed. She poured a bowl of her favorite cereal and plopped down on the couch to watch some cartoons. She was surprised when Seth plopped down beside her as the first cartoon ended. "Seth," Lizzy said shocked.
"Sorry, overslept. Happy birthday," Seth said, squeezing her tight.
"Thanks."
"Plans for today?"
"You're looking at it."
"Oh."
"Seth, are Mom's parents still alive?"
"Yeah, in Georgia. Bash tell you about his parents?"
"Only about his mom. She's a great photographer. Didn't say anything about his dad other than that's where he got his love of sports. His dad played hockey and baseball."
"He did. Died in a drunk driving accident. Was a few years back. He went to college on a hockey scholarship but like Jim preferred to be behind the camera. They want to meet you, you know? Get to know their only granddaughter."
"Oh," Lizzy said, rubbing her forehead.
"They aren't going to pressure you, Lizzy. They are like Nonna. They'll wait for you to come to them."
"Thanks, Seth. So where's Pops? No, don't tell me. It's Friday, he's at the office."
"He'll be home soon," Seth answered as Ben plopped down with a bowl of cereal.
"Okay," Lizzy sighed. Her dad showed up first followed shortly by Chris then Matt. After dinner of Lizzy's favorite foods, Rob brought out the cake Lizzy asked for.
"I apologize, Lizzy," Robert said as he sat the cake on the table in front of her. "I didn't get the cookies 'n cream ice cream you wanted."
"Oh, well that's okay. The cake's good enough," Lizzy answered, trying not to sound too disappointed.
"No, instead I got you this," Rob said, setting a carton of ice cream on the table.
"It's okay at least it's ice cream," Lizzy said. Ben grabbed the carton and spun it so Lizzy could see the full label. "Mud Pit Fudge Chunks Chocolate ice cream. Are you for real?"
"Nope, I'm a robot who has taken over your father's body," Rob said in a robot voice.
Lizzy and her brothers laughed. After cake and ice cream it came time for presents. Seth got her a few books, Ben gave her a few t-shirts, and then came Chris's gift. Lizzy pulled the paper off the gift and opened the box. She stared at it for a few moments until Seth nudged her. "Thanks, it's great," Lizzy said. She put on the best smile she could.
"What is it?" Chris asked. Lizzy shook her head smiling. Chris grabbed the box and pulled it to him. "Well that makes sense."
"What?" Lizzy asked.
"This isn't yours, it's Charlie's," Chris said. "Must have put them in the wrong boxes."
Rob looked over Chris's shoulder to see a red Memphis Redbirds' hoodie. "What's wrong with the color red?" Rob asked his daughter.
"It's um ... I just don't like it."
"Your home jerseys are red."
"Our home jerseys are white. The away jerseys are black."
"Uh no, your baseball jerseys, Lizzy. The ones the school just bought you. The home jerseys are red."
"Yeah, forgot about that."
"This explains why Charlie didn't seem too happy about the powder blue hoodie you sent him," Matt said.
"Powder blue? That's awesome."
"When I go back up there I can—" Matt started.
"I'll just do it next month."
"Speaking of your return to Minnesota," Rob started, "I have a deal for you."
"What kind of deal?" Lizzy asked.
"I will let you go back to Minnesota on the 11th under the condition that the first week of September you go see your grandparents."
"As in plural?" Lizzy asked. Rob nodded. "But that's not fair; they're not even my grandparents anymore. Why do I have to keep seeing them?"
"What? Of course they're you're grandparents. They will always be your grandparents and they want to see you."
"If she's no longer my mom, they're no longer my grandparents."
"What? Just because she died—oh, no sweetheart, Becky's parents want to see you. Not Alicia's. Alicia's parents understand if you don't want to see them anymore but your mother's parents would like to get to know you. They live in Georgia."
"So I can go see Fulton on his birthday but then I have to visit my grandparents in Georgia or I miss Fulton's birthday but I don't have to go see my grandparents?"
"That's the deal. Either way you only get two and a half weeks in Minnesota this summer."
"But you'll still let me go to Texas on Labor Day weekend?"
"Texas?"
"The Friday and Saturday of Labor Day weekend the Ducks get together for one last big blowout before the end of summer. They call it the end-of-summer bonfire. Dwayne is hosting it this year."
"Okay. Think over my deal and let me know. In the meantime, I want you to have this," Rob said, handing over a square box. Lizzy opened the present and pulled out a book and a blanket. She set the book aside for a moment then pulled out the blanket. "The University of Georgia Bulldogs was your mom's favorite college team. She'd follow them every football season."
"And the book?"
"Just something I think she'd want you to have. You can look at it later," Rob said. Lizzy nodded and soon went to bed. As she curled up under a thin sheet, they were having a massive heat wave, she wondered about Matt and why he hadn't given her anything for her birthday. She decided that it was probably because he had been so busy with the Stanley Cup and had forgotten and just figured she'd appreciate him being there and that was all the present she'd need. It made sense and to tell the truth, she wasn't all that upset about it. About a week later after a lot of thinking, Lizzy agreed to go to Minnesota on the 11th and visit her grandparents in September. "Can you tell me why?" Rob asked when she told him.
"I can't really give you a valid reason as to why I wouldn't go visit them. They're my grandparents and I should at least attempt to see them right? If I do go and it goes badly then at least I know. Until I do, people will ask why I don't visit them and I don't have a reason why I don't, so this way I'll know why I don't visit them or maybe I'll love visiting them and have a new relationship," Lizzy explained.
"At times like this I see your mom in you so much," Rob said.
"Thanks Dad," Lizzy said. Later that night Lizzy called Portman.
"Hey, beautiful," Portman said when he picked up the phone.
"Well that's sweet, but how'd you know who it was? I could have been Fulton."
"Caller ID and I just got off the phone with Fulton," Portman answered.
"Thank you, are you going to Minnesota this summer?" Lizzy asked.
"For Fulton's birthday, yeah. You said you were coming up too, right?"
"I'll be there on the 12th. You?"
"I land on the 10th."
"How about we surprise him when I get there? He doesn't know I'm coming up on the 12th. He thinks I'm coming up on the 18th. You can have him outside and cover his eyes, I'll walk up and surprise him."
"Sounds good. What time?"
"After dinner? I'll call you when I get to Stillwater."
"Sounds like a plan," Portman said. Lizzy agreed and they talked a while longer before hanging up.
So? What do you think? Love it? Hate it? Let me know, please? Thanks.