The Brick Wall

Chapter 71

Curtis POV

  The bus pulls into the hotel in downtown D.C. at two o'clock in the morning. The majority of the guys are all beat, having gotten our butts handed to us just a few hours before. However, I can't really hold any blame in tonight's game. 

  Coach thought it would be an easy win, knowing that our next set up with the team in D.C. would be more trying, he benched me, letting our number two take it. 

  He's been cursing under his breath every time the guy walks past him. Can't really blame him though. He did let five pucks in, one even by his own fault. The other guys did their jobs the best they could, but once the puck gets past the defensive line, it's the goalie's job to knock it out, catch it or just freeze it. 

  Our idiot helped kick one in on himself.

  I'm choosing to call him an idiot for more reasons than just his lackluster coverage in net tonight. He's managing to be one of the only guys with a stupid grin on his face, going on and on about hitting up the hotel bar instead of crashing like the majority of us.

  I'm not one who normally speaks poorly of my teammates, but tonight should've been the easiest shut out of the season.  We will be all over ESPN Sports Center later today, but it won't be for the game of the night. Nah, we'll be on the bloopers reel for certain. 

  We climb off the bus, all headed in the same direction to unload our gear.  I don't bother texting Collins, not wanting to wake her up. She sent me a text during the game that said they'd made it and was in the process of checking in. Of course I didn't get it til after the game. My phone died shortly after and I forgot the portable charger I usually keep in my backpack for the bus ride. 

  As soon as Blake and I make it to the room we're sharing, I plug in the wall charger and connect my cell.  He's already flopped himself onto his bed like a starfish, sawing logs before I can even grab my sweats. My friend might not mind wearing suit pants to sleep in, but it's not on my list of enjoyable activities. 

  Once I'm prepared for bed I decide to set an alarm so I can see my girls before we're carted off to the arena for practice. Messages start lighting up my screen as soon as I power it on, the latest being just twenty minutes ago.

  I saw the bus pull in. Glad to know you're here, maybe now we can get some sleep.

  I'm already slipping the keycard into the pocket of my sweat pants, reminding myself of her room number.  She's two floors lower as the whole team has taken up this floor.   

  My body isn't nearly as exhausted as the other guys so I decide to take the stairs, figuring I'm less likely to be caught than if I'm standing in the hall waiting for the elevator. She said we which tells me Lennox must be giving her some trouble tonight. 

  I was afraid of that. 

  Just off the stairs I see her room, 232.  I knock lightly, hoping that she's actually dead to the world but if it's Lennox that's keeping her awake, she's probably not going be entering REM sleep at all tonight.   I press my ear to the door while I wait, praying I hear snoring, but instead it's sniffling.

  I knock once more, a little louder.  A few seconds later the latch on the door is being unhooked, along with the lock on the handle.  The door swings open, revealing my girlfriend whose face is wet with tears and red rimmed eyes.

  My heart is immediately in my throat as I step closer, pulling her into my arms. "Baby, what's wrong?"

  "Your mother snores!" she sobs into my chest.  

  Desperately I try not to laugh, but seeing how upset she is and the words she's spoken, I can't help it. The situation doesn't match her level of being upset. My shoulders begin to shake and the grip Collins has on my t-shirt becomes even tighter in her fists.

  "Are you really laughing at me right now?"    

  It continues to flow out. I'm not sure, maybe I'm feeling a bit delirious from exhaustion. "I'm sorry," I wheeze. "I'm not seeing the reason for tears, darlin."

  She pulls back, resting against the door just long enough to reach her arm around and grab the key card. Her hand is pushing against my chest now, shoving me out of the doorway while trying to keep the door from closing too loudly.

  "Your mom has been asleep since nine." The back of her hand comes across her cheeks to dry them. "I get Len to sleep, but then your mom's snore gets so loud that it wakes her up. It was back and forth every fifteen minutes until Len finally gave up even trying two hours ago. I finally put the playpen in the bathroom and turned the fan on, hoping it drowns out your mom enough that she can sleep. But now, I can't sleep."

  That's when I pay a bit closer attention, noticing that not only are her eyes puffy, but there are dark circles under her eyes. A darkness that tells me this isn't the first night my daughter has given her trouble while I've been on the road this week. 

  She's exhausted, and I'm a jerk for laughing.

  "Okay." I pull her back into my arms, soothing my hand over her back. "Come with me."

  Collins tries to put up an argument. "I can't go anywhere, Curtis. What about Len?"

  My hand slips easily into hers, gently pulling her down the hall towards the elevator. "She'll be okay, baby. Ma is in the room with her. Right now," I push the button for the lobby, "I'm more worried about you."  

  The ride down to the first floor is short, barely long enough for me to even kiss Collins on the top of her head.   

  "When last did you get a full night's sleep?"

  Her tired eyes look up at me through damp lashes. "When were you last home?"

  That's at least five days. "Yeah, then we're definitely doing this." I shuffle her across the lobby to the front desk.    

  It's the middle of the night, and even though the team checked in just a half hour ago, there's no reason for someone to be at the front desk at this time of night. I ring the bell and pull Collins into my side. It seems we're both welcoming the warmth as I feel her body relax further into me. With my hand rubbing up and down her back I'd guess she could probably fall asleep standing up within the next two minutes. 

  "Baby, how did you manage to even drive today?"

  It's a question that could be taken multiple ways, especially considering how tired she is acting. It could be that she thinks I'm questioning the safety of Lennox and my mom with her. Or, maybe she'll believe I'm genuinely worried about her well being and not jump to thinking I'm afraid of her putting them at risk.  

  "I have no idea," she answers, tucking her head into my chest further. "I've been getting a couple hours a night, and napping when Len falls asleep in the afternoon, but that's just been an hour lately. It was probably the karaoke she and I performed on the way to get your mom. Then your mom kept me awake while my angel slept."

  Just as she finishes, the same older gentleman that checked the team in strolls out from the back hallway.  After requesting a room, and handing over my credit card, he takes all the information before passing on a new keycard for a room just on the other side of my mom and Lennox. 

  "It's too much," she mutters into my chest. Her voice is getting raspy the more tired she becomes.

  She nearly staggers as I begin to pull her towards the elevator. I bend down a bit, scooping her up into my arms and make my way to the elevator as though carrying a beautiful woman through a hotel lobby at three in the morning is a normal past time.

  She doesn't even fight me, her head tucking against my neck like it belongs there.

  "We were gonna have two rooms in two days anyway," I remind her. "You're just gonna keep my bed warm for me til then."

  "Promises, promises," she mutters, the words coming out much slower than normal. 

  "One day, darlin," I whisper into the empty elevator cab. "One day you'll be keeping my bed warm for me for the rest of our lives."

  But I'm wondering to myself if tomorrow is too soon to start?

*Unedited