Still, she had a job to prepare for and no one else was going to do it for her.
“I guess you could say that,” she answered her mother. “Look, I have to go. Are we still on for dinner tonight?”
“Of course! I can’t wait to see you again. Good luck today!”
“Thanks, Mom. Love you.”
“Love you too, darling.”
Liz’s parents were playing babysitter with Bindi today while she set up her classroom for the upcoming schoolyear. The official start of the semester was still weeks away, but teachers were ‘encouraged’ to come in early so that everything would be ready by the time the kids finally showed up.
Liz appreciated how much her parents loved Bindi, but if she’d had her way, her daughter would’ve been spending the day at the Gold River Ranch daycare center, getting some last bits of much needed socialization before she was thrown into the deep end of 1st grade. Wyatt had been missing in action for the past couple of weeks though, and Liz didn’t feel comfortable setting foot on his property after how they’d ended things. She hoped he was alright, but she also had her own life to deal with.
She’d been spending her days with Bindi and her nights alone in an empty bed. Every once in a while, she’d call either Wyatt’s cellphone number or the administrator’s desk at Gold River Ranch, just to check up on him. No one had been able to provide her with any kind of update yet though, and she felt nauseous just thinking about the pain she must have caused him. It didn’t help that Bindi wouldn’t stop asking after him.
The little girl wanted to go skating, but not just at the local rink with Liz; she wanted the three of them to be together. It broke her heart, but there was nothing she could do about it except wait for Wyatt to figure things out for himself.
Still, the thought of disappointing her little girl made Liz’s soul ache. She’d been trying her best to fill Bindi’s life up with fun activities around Watford, but she knew full well that nothing she did alone could compare to having Wyatt around. They both missed him.
Liz pushed her way into the air-conditioned school and checked in at the front desk.
“How’s your summer going, Ms. Turk?” asked Mrs. Aster, the receptionist.
“I’m surviving it,” Liz sighed. “You?”
Mrs. Aster shrugged. “Can’t complain. Good to have you back.”
“Good to be back,” Liz forced a smile onto her face. Even this little interaction was draining to her. It was going to be a long year.
She made her way down the empty halls and waved hello to all the other teachers who were already there setting up their classrooms. The sound of her lonely footsteps echoing against the lockers made her sad. She’d been given a taste of what life could have been like if Wyatt and her were ‘normal’ and it had been the most delicious appetizer she’d ever had the privilege of experiencing. Even in the chaos and uncertainty that Alec had provided them, it had all felt so right—at least, it had until it all went so wrong.
“Knock, knock,” announced a voice from the doorway of Liz’s classroom. She shut a drawer at her desk and looked up. Mr. Peters, the teacher from across the hall, stood just outside the open door. “May I come in?” he asked sheepishly.
Liz nodded. Mr. Peters was a nice guy and a good teacher, but it was also no secret that he had been pining after her since she’d first started the job. She liked him, but not in that way. He just wasn’t her type.
“How was your summer, Michael?” she asked, standing up from her chair.
“Boring,” he shrugged. “How are you doing? I heard about...”
Liz let him trail off. She didn’t want to get into it. It wouldn’t surprise her if every teacher in the school was chomping at the bit to hear the juicy details of her ‘salacious’ summer with Wyatt. Bits and pieces of her story had been all over the tabloids, and the entire school faculty were known gossips.
“I’m fine,” Liz finally answered. “It’s been a long summer.”
“Ready to get back to work?” he asked, leaning against her chalkboard.
“Ready for some peace and quiet,” she smiled.
“You picked the wrong job then,” Michael smiled back.
That made her laugh. “So true.”
“Hey, are you going to the faculty meeting a little later? I know it’s not mandatory...” he asked, kicking invisible dust from the floor.
“Of course,” Liz nodded. She didn’t really want to, but she was more than willing to welcome any escape from her own thoughts.
“... Would you like to grab something to eat afterwards?” Michael asked.
Liz sighed. He was a sweet man, but, even if she was interested, she just wasn’t ready for a relationship with anyone but Wyatt. Plus, she already had plans. “I’m having dinner with my parents’ tonight, Michael, but thank you for the offer. We should all go out for something to eat before the school year starts again. It’s not like we’ll have much time after that!”
Michael chuckled nervously. “Yeah. You’re right. Sorry. Have fun with your parents tonight. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m right across the hall.”
Liz smiled and waved goodbye to the kind teacher. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty of each other this year.”
Michael nearly ran into the side of the door on his way out, he was so concentrated on waving back to her.
Liz rolled her eyes and kept the smile on her face. It was almost nice to be back in such a predictable routine. Michael had casually asked her out every first day back since she’d first started.
She mindlessly continued to tidy up her desk and took in a deep breath of the chalky scent of her classroom. She’d missed this little sanctuary. It wasn’t peaceful and it was rarely easy, but it was hers and she did her best to give every student who passed through her doors a good education and an even better environment to learn in.
Next, she went to the breakroom for a little pick-me up. Liz had passed by Mrs. Landowner’s class on her way in and seen that the kind old woman was already in her element, cheerly preparing for the new year. Liz could only hope that she’d have the same gusto for her job when she was her age. Mrs. Landowner was the most revered teacher at the school. All the students loved her, as did the faculty. She was always there to offer soft comfort and sage advice, not to mention she almost always brought fresh fruit to the breakroom.
Liz opened up the door to the teacher’s lounge and was greeted by Mr. Baker, Mrs. Johnson and a fresh basket of apples and bananas. Liz unwrapped a bright yellow banana and leaned against the kitchen counter.
“Busy summer, huh?” Mr. Baker teased immediately. He was a middle-aged gym teacher with a speckled moustache and a rotund demeanour. He was always joking around and trying to bring levity to an often stressed out staff.
“You don’t know the half of it,” Liz shot back.
“Oh, I think I know at least the half of it,” he replied with a big grin, waving his phone towards her.
Liz could clearly see a gossip site opened up on his screen. She shook her head and smiled. “You’re the last person I’d ever have expected to read that kind of stuff.”
“You’re the last person I’d ever have expected to be in this kind of stuff,” he laughed back.
“Oh, leave the poor girl alone,” scoffed Mrs. Johnson. The kind older woman turned to Liz and smiled. “We’re just glad to have you back. God knows we couldn’t afford to lose another teacher, especially not one as good as you!”
Liz blushed. “Thanks Mrs. Jo’. Don’t you worry about Alan over there though. I can handle him.”
“I believe it,” chuckled Mr. Baker. “You ever seen this girl skate?” he said, turning to Mrs. Johnson. “She’s a natural athlete, and still young enough to take advantage of it!”
The three teachers talked amongst themselves before the vice principle, Mr. Hodgson, entered the breakroom. He greeted everybody then grabbed a piece of fruit and sat down at the large round table in the middle of the room.
“Word is tha
t there’s big news coming out of the Sounder camp,” he said, just before taking a big bite of a crunchy green apple.
Liz tented her brows. She hadn’t heard any rumblings. No matter how many times she had called Wyatt or Gold River, she was never given anything resembling a straight answer. It had been so frustrating that she hadn’t even bothered to try over the past few days.
“What do you mean?” she asked the vice principle.
“Not sure just yet,” he replied. “But there’s a press conference scheduled in Toronto in just under 5 minutes now. I thought I’d come in here and check it out. Where’s that channel changer, by the way?”
Liz looked desperately around for the always elusive remote. Wyatt was in Toronto!? She couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief—at least that meant he was okay. The closest she had ever gotten to an answer about Wyatt when she called Gold River was that he had gone riding in the prairie. It made her nervous to think of him out in the wild, all alone. She knew he could handle himself, but she also couldn’t help but feel guilty for not helping him through a difficult time. They’d been through so many rough patches together that it just felt natural to want to let him lean on her for support. She felt her heart drop as she wondered if they’d ever get to lean on each other again.
“Found it!” Mr. Baker announced, proudly holding up the remote like a Neanderthal with a torch.
Mr. Hodgson gestured for the remote and Mr. Baker tossed it at him. The former football player easily caught it and swiftly clicked on the television in the upper corner of the breakroom.
Liz watched with bated breath as the vice principle landed on the sports channel. A press conference was clearly set up and a live feed was already recording, but no one graced the lone microphone just yet.
“Elizabeth,” Mr. Hodgson called to her.
Liz forced her eyes away from the screen. “Yes?”
“I don’t mean to pry, but you wouldn’t happen to know what this was about, huh? Mr. Romney is still taking bets. He says Wyatt’s going to announce that he’s requesting a trade. I say no way, Toronto’s too good of a team to want to leave. I put my money on him just announcing that he’s healthy and fully recovered for next season. I know that sounds like an excessive use of a press conference, but you know how crazy Canadians are about their hockey. So... am I right?”
Liz had to shake her head to break herself out of her daze. She hadn’t seen Wyatt since she told him the truth about Bindi and now, all of a sudden, she was about to watch him make an announcement on live TV in front of millions if people. “I honestly have no idea, sorry,” she finally managed to say.
“Ah, don’t worry about it,” Mr. Hodgson playfully waved her off. “I’m sure I’m right.”
Suddenly, a flurry of clicking cameras could be heard coming from the TV. Liz quickly turned back to the screen and watched as Wyatt sat down behind the sole microphone on the stage.
He looked as handsome as ever. A button up plaid shirt barely contained his muscular physique and his cheeks were bright and rosy underneath his stubble. He looked well rested and determined, but Liz could see a glint of heaviness in his steely blue eyes.
She held her breath.
“First off, I’d just like to thank everybody for coming out today. I thought it was important to make this announcement as directly and as clearly as possible. You, the media, and this organization have meant so much to me over the course of my career. Hockey has always been my great escape, my reason for being, my sole passion—or, at least, so I thought. I know now that I can dare to hope for more. My story doesn’t have to end when I leave the ice, in fact, today feels more like a new beginning that it does a grand finale. A new chapter awaits all of us, and I, for one, can’t wait to start reading. With that in mind, I have come before you today to officially announce my retirement from the National Hockey League.”
Gasps filled the room, followed quickly by a second wave of clicking cameras.
Liz was shocked. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting to hear, but it wasn’t that. The eyes in the breakroom slowly turned away from the television and towards her.
What did this mean for Bindi and her? Was Wyatt coming home or leaving forever?
Liz ignored the stares and looked deep inside herself. Slowly, her heart started to beat again. She hadn’t even realized it had stopped, but with the sudden rush of blood came a certain clarity that snapped her awake from a daze she’d been in since Wyatt and her had last talked.
She didn’t want to be here, she realized. Life wasn’t meant to be lived through a series of monotonous distractions. She had loving parents and a beautiful daughter waiting for her on the other side of the walls she’d been trying to build up around herself; she couldn’t ignore those who loved her just because she had once found pain in passion. Work could wait, family was forever.
Liz quietly excused herself from the breakroom and began to run, not away from the school, mind you, but towards her family.
Liz snuggled up beside Bindi in their little living room. Together, they watched the second part of a nature documentary about deep-sea creatures. It didn’t matter that the movie reminded Liz of Toronto and Wyatt—Bindi had wanted to finish watching it and Liz was done with straying away from her bad memories.
The memories weren’t all bad, though...
Liz looked out her open back window. The hazy, late-summer sun was making its final descent in the sky. Crickets chirped and a soft breeze blew the window curtain up ever so slightly. It was a beautiful evening.
Suddenly, a knock came from the front door.
Bindi didn’t stir but Liz tented her eyebrows. She wasn’t expecting any visitors. Who could it be?
Slowly, she finagled her way out from underneath her little girl and made her way to the door. She took a quick peak at her reflection in the front hall mirror. She looked wild. It had been raining earlier and so Bindi and her had spent most of the day inside. Liz hadn’t done her hair or makeup and she was wearing her old drab pyjamas that had been worn grey after years of use.
She shrugged at her reflection. If someone important was at the door, they’d just have to take her as she was. The sounds from the television back in the living room sawed in and out of Liz’s ears as she opened up.
Her heart stopped when she saw who was waiting for her.
It was Wyatt.
“Hey,” he smiled. His grin was reserved but just as charming as ever.
Liz’s heart quickly fluttered alive again. “Hey,” she answered, pursing her lips together, trying her best to hide her elation at his arrival.
A silence filled the air between them. The television played gently in the background.
Wyatt gazed deep into Liz’s eyes and it took all her willpower not to jump into his arms. “Look, I’m sorry,” she started, breaking the stalemate between them. “You have a right to be mad at me.”
Wyatt took off his Stetson and held it to his heart. “I’m not mad, Lizzy. It was just a lot to handle, you know?”
“I know,” Liz said, twiddling her thumbs. “I feel awful about not telling you sooner.”
Wyatt took a deep breath. “We can’t change our pasts, Liz. All we can do is take what we’ve learned and try to build a better future. I’ve learned a lot from you over the years; just in the past two months alone you’ve made me re-think my entire life, and that’s before I even found out about Bindi... I’m sorry for running off on you like that, it won’t ever happen again.”
Liz furrowed her brow; her breaths were heavy but she felt calm. “Would you like to come inside?” she asked, stepping aside.
Before Wyatt could answer, a new voice entered their conversation. “Wyatt!?” Bindi shouted from the other end of the hallway.
“Hey there, little lady,” Wyatt called to her.
Bindi made a beeline for the big cowboy standing in their doorway. Wyatt crouched down and the little girl rushed by Liz, right into his arms. Liz felt tears swell up in her eyes as she watched pure hap
piness come over Wyatt’s face. He closed his eyes and buried himself into Bindi’s arms, then he lifted her with him as he stood back up.
“Where have you been?” Bindi asked, finally leaning back from his hug for long enough to look him in the eyes.
“Trying to find you!” Wyatt smiled, softly bopping her little nose with his finger.
“We’ve been right here the whole time!” Bindi announced, hardly believing the prodigal cowboy’s glaring oversight.
“Oh, I know that now,” grinned Wyatt. He wrapped Bindi back into his arms and the little girl hugged him again.
“Does that mean you’re here to stay?” Liz asked, barely keeping her tears back.
“If you’ll have me?”
Liz laughed and shook her head. “Of course.”
And with that, she joined their hug. Liz sunk into their warmth and noticed how perfectly they all fit with each other—the embrace felt so right, so eternal. She could hardly believe there had ever been any doubt in her mind about it. This was where she belonged, with Bindi and with Wyatt, with her family.
Epilogue
Wyatt
“Ready?”
“Ready.”
Wyatt and Liz watched as their daughter did clumsy pirouettes on the other side of the ice. They were at the Gold River Ranch hockey arena, early on a Saturday morning.
School had been in session for just over two months now, and the anxious parents had been waiting for the right time to tell Bindi the truth about her father. The little girl had been thriving in the 1st grade so far, making friends left, right and center, and she was in a good, healthy mind space. It had definitely helped that she had met so many kids her own age at the Gold River Ranch daycare center over the summer—it made Wyatt proud to have been able to provide that opportunity for her.
Wyatt held tightly onto Liz’s hand. He could feel her pulse sync up to his; it made him feel better to know he wasn’t in this alone.
“Bindi!” Liz called, waving the little skater over to them.
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