Seeing Kinley off to the airport sucked. I tried to keep the sadness to a minimum to keep her from crying even more than she already was; it broke my fucking heart. I wish I could convince her to move here with me. Then we wouldn’t have to do this goodbye shit all the time. Yes, I would be gone for away games, but that is usually just a couple days at a time, not fucking weeks or months between seeing each other.

After leaving the airport, I head for the arena. I’ll be early, but I don’t feel like heading home, so some extra time in the weight room will do me some good.

I’ve already put in five miles on the treadmill when my phone dings with a new text from Kinley. She’s boarded her flight and will be taking off soon. She’s texted a selfie that she’s added some hearts to, and graphics that say, “I miss you already.”

Brian: Have a good flight, babe, get a nap in and text me when you land. I will probably be in practice, but I’ll see it once I’m done. Make sure to let me know when you’ve made it all the way home tonight and we’ll FaceTime. Can’t wait to see your beautiful face tonight, even if it is on my screen.

Knowing she might not reply, I go back to my workout until some of the other guys start to arrive for practice.

Coach runs us ragged today, which, on a day like today, I don’t mind. It keeps my mind off Kinley for a few hours. Tonight, I will be sore. Between the workout I put my body through this morning in the gym, the practice we just endured, and the number of times Kinley and I had sex over the last couple of days, my body has taken a beating.

When practice is over, I soak in an ice bath, soothing my sore and tired muscles, before I check in with the trainers. Once I’m cleared to leave, I head home, checking for any texts from Kinley as I walk out to my truck. She sent a couple; the first one, letting me know she’d made it to Seattle for her layover, and a second, letting me know she was on her flight out of Seattle to Anchorage.

Before pulling out of my parking spot, I shoot off a text to her, so she knows I’m done with practice when she gets home.

Arriving at home, I can feel the emptiness her absence creates. I’ve always enjoyed the quietness my condo provides, but now that I’ve had her in my space, and now that she’s gone, that peacefulness has been replaced by emptiness.

Rather than dwell on the feeling, I keep myself busy doing laundry, making sure I have enough clean suits for our road trip later this week, and setting out the ones I need to drop at the dry cleaners. I hit up Scott and Murph to see if either of them want to go out for dinner.

The next few hours pass slowly. I drop my suits off at the cleaners on my way to meet the guys for dinner. I’m hopeful Kinley will be home by the time I’m finished. I can’t wait to see her over FaceTime tonight.

I’m distracted at dinner, constantly checking my phone for any word from her. I should have asked her for her flight information, so I’d know for sure when she was due to get home. The guys call me out on my shit, and I’ve got no issues taking it. This girl has changed me and there isn’t any reason to deny it. I don’t know if I’d call it love at this point, but I imagine it will quickly get there; she’s just that amazing to me.

I make it home around 9:30, and as I’m walking in the door, my phone starts ringing. When I check it, my sister’s picture is filling the screen.

“Hey, Jenn,” I greet, as I put the phone to my ear.

“Hey, how’s it going? Haven’t heard from you in a while.”

“Sorry, been a little busy. How’s Isaiah?”

“He’s great, growing way too fast. He started sitting up on his own the other day! I’ll have to send you some videos of him.”

“How was your New Year’s?”

“It was good, we just stayed home. Boring parents and all. Drew and I could hardly even stay awake until midnight to watch the ball drop on TV. I think we were both asleep by 12:05,” she says, laughing. “How was yours?”

“It was good. There was a concert down at the arena that I went to with a bunch of the guys from the team. Scott proposed to Becca at it, and I was in charge of picking up her best friend Kinley from the airport to surprise her.”

“That sounds exciting! Make sure to congratulate them for me.”

“Will do, Jenn.”

“So, when do we get to see you again? I feel like it’s been months.”

“I don’t have any more games in Minneapolis, so anytime you guys want to come down here or meet me somewhere on the road, you know I’ll take care of the travel arrangements. Just let me know.”

“I wish you had small breaks in your schedule, so you could come home.”

“What’s going on? You’ve never had a problem with my schedule before.”

“I know. I’m sure it’s just my new mom hormones, but it feels like you’re missing Isaiah growing up, and I want him to know his uncle.”

“Sorry, sis. I will get back home, hopefully over the summer. You know I’d be there more if I could, but my job is here.”

“I just miss you,” she says, tears filling her voice.

“Jenn, don’t cry. Send me all the videos and pictures you want. I love seeing the ones you post on Facebook, and I promise I will always be the cool uncle. Isaiah will know me, not only because I’m memorable, but because you will tell him about me,” I tell her, trying to cheer her up.

“Yeah, I know. It just got to me. Not seeing you over his first Christmas hit me the other day, and has made me really emotional about how much we don’t get to see you.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it home for the short break. I wish I could say that I could come home over the All-Star break, but I have to be in Vegas for the events.”

“That’s exciting. How’s everything else going?”

“Great.” Not sure if I’m ready to spill the beans about Kinley and me to her yet.

“How was it seeing Becca’s friend again? Wasn’t she the one you were texting with all the time after you left Alaska?”

Damn my sister for having a memory like a vault.

“Good. Great, really. She stayed here at my place, since Scott and Becca’s family were all in town. We’re dating.” I decide there’s no use hiding the news.

“Brian! Holy shit! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“It’s new. As in, days new. She had to fly home this morning, and we’re still figuring things out. Long distance, and all that.”

“I’m so happy for you! When do we get to meet her?”

“Slow down,” I laugh. “Probably not until the summer. I hope that she can come home with me for at least a week, but we’ve got a lot of time between then and now. I’m hopeful I can convince her to move down to Indy by the start of next season. This distance thing fucking sucks. Dropping her at the airport this morning sucked ass.”

“Have you told Mom yet?”

“No, so please don’t. I will call her tomorrow and fill her in.”

“Eek! Mom is going to flip her shit. In a good way. She’s been just waiting for some girl to win you over. I just wish I lived near you, so I could see it all go down.”

“You’re almost as bad as the guys,” I grumble.

“Because when the mighty fall, it’s fun to watch!” she exclaims.

In the background, I can hear my brother-in-law tell her to calm down and stop giving me such shit. Thank you, Drew. I knew I liked the man for a reason.

My sister and I talk for a few more minutes before I finally get her off the phone with the promise to keep her up-to-date on Kinley and me.

I’ve only been off the phone with my sister for a few minutes when my phone rings again. I grab it quickly, and see my girl’s smiling face fill the screen with a FaceTime call.

“Hey, sweetheart,” I say, seeing her once the video connects.

“Hey,” she says on a yawn.

“How were your flights?”

“Good, I slept some on both, but I’m still tired.”

“Well, you did have a late night last night, and early morning today,” I say, bouncing my eyebrows, getting a laugh and eye roll from her.

I lay back on the couch, getting comfortable.

“How was practice today?”

“It was good. Coach really ran us through the gauntlet. That, and I just headed to the arena after dropping you off. I got in some extra time in the gym and on the weights, so my body was a little extra tired once practice was over.”

“That’s good. What have you done since practice ended?”

“Packed a little for the road trip, dropped my suits off to get cleaned, went to dinner with the guys, and I just got off the phone with my sister. She about lost it when I told her we were together.”

“Lost it in a good way or bad?” There’s worry etched on her face.

“All good, I promise. She wanted to know when she gets to meet you.”

“Really?”

“Yep, I told her it probably wouldn’t be until this summer, as I don’t know when else I will be able to get home. So, unless she comes to visit me while you are, the summer will be the soonest I can get you back home with me.”

“I love that you have such a close relationship with your mom and sister. Have you told your mom about us yet?”

“Nope, but I promised my sister I would call her tomorrow. I made her promise me she wouldn’t tell my mom before I can call her. Have you told your parents yet?”

“I told my mom when she picked me up at the airport. She wasn’t surprised at all, after how much we clicked this past summer, and for how often we’ve talked since then,” Kinley says, yawning again.

“Babe, if you’re so tired, why don’t you go to bed?”

“I plan on it after I get off of here with you, and then shower. We stopped on the way home and picked up a bite to eat, so I’ve already eaten.”

“Well, then why don’t you just call me tomorrow. I don’t want to keep you up any longer. It looks like you can hardly keep your eyes open.”

“No argument from me. I’ll probably get up early, so that I can take a nap in the afternoon before heading into work. That way, I’m well rested for my first shift back at work.”

“Sounds good, babe. And start looking at tickets for your next trip back. I can text you a picture of my credit card, so you’ve got the number to charge it to.”

“You don’t have to pay for it. I can buy it.”

“No, I want to pay for it, babe. Let me do this for you,” I argue back.

“Fine.”

“And don’t try going all cheapest ticket. Get one with good times. Hell, book a first-class ticket, for all I care.”

“I’ll see what is available tomorrow, and we can go from there. I’ll check your schedule to see what dates you will be on the road while I can be down visiting. Becca already said she would go with me to those games, so I have someone around when you’ll be occupied.”

“Sounds good, sweetheart. I will talk to you tomorrow. Have a good night, and dream of me. I know I’ll be dreaming of you.”

“Night,” she says, before disconnecting the call.