The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 180
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13.33
When Timothy and I returned to the party, Aria greeted us with a smile as bright
as the candles she was about to light. “The girls are ready to cut the cake!” she
announced, her excitement more pronounced now that she was comfortable.
Timothy looked at me and whispered, “I think I'd better head out,” then made his
way over to Duke. The dog looked burnt out, like the girls did a number on him.
Timothy grabbed his leash and practically had to coax him to move from his
place of comfort.
Timothy then walked over to Olive and knelt down to her level, wishing her a
heartfelt, “Happy birthday, sweetheart,” before embracing her tightly. “Goodnight!”
Olive told him. “Don't let the bedbugs bite.”
“I'll keep an eye out for “em.” As he pulled away from the hug, I noticed his gaze
linger on me. It was an intense, lingering look, filled with a depth of emotion that I
couldn't quite place. My heart raced as our eyes locked for a moment, and then
he turned and headed for the door.
“Night, Aria. Night, Evie.” He smiled at me as he passed the threshold and shut
the door behind him. For some reason, I felt more affronted by the
gesture.
I couldn't deny the way his gaze had affected me. It was a mixture of curiosity
and frustration, leaving me torn between wanting to know what he was thinking
and being furious with him for what he had done. I had no intention of letting him
off the hook easily. There was unfinished business between us, and that gaze
had only added to the growing pile of questions in my mind.
Once Timothy had disappeared from sight, I turned my attention back to Aria,
who was now ready to light the candles on Olive’s cake. The girls fell
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silent as the flames flickered to life, casting a warm, golden glow on Olive’s
delighted face. We all sang a heartfelt rendition of “Happy Birthday.” and Olive
beamed as she made a wish before blowing out the candles.
As the
party continued, Olive began opening her birthday presents, a chorus of
excitement accompanying each unwrapping.
After reaching her last friend's gift, Olive turned to me, her eyes shining with
gratitude. “Thank you, Evie. This -
an amazing birthday!”
I smiled at her, my heart swelling with affection. “You're welcome, sweetie. But
don’t thank me just yet.” I reached into my bag and pulled out the wrapped gift.
“This is from me and your Uncle Timothy.”
I handed Olive the gift bag, her eyes widening with curiosity. She eagerly tore
open the wrapping, revealing the toys inside. Olive’s face lit up with. delight, and
she hugged the action figure to her chest, a wide smile on her face.
“Thank you, Evie!” Olive exclaimed, her gratitude overflowing.
I returned her hug, feeling a sense of happiness. “You're welcome, Olive. I'm glad
you like it.”
“This is the best present ever,” she said, holding up the toy. “At least Uncle
Timothy's nice. Maybe him and Aunt Stella should get married after all.” My heart
sank at her words. I glanced at Olive, unsure of how to respond. Her innocent
remark had touched on something that I hadn't expected. I leaned down to
Olive’s level, my voice gentle. “Olive, what do you mean by that? Did someone
say something to you?” Olive shrugged, her young mind not fully comprehending
the weight of her words. “Aunt Stella can be pretty mean, but Mommy says that
Uncle
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Chapter 180
Timothy is the best thing that ever happened to her. He keeps her calm.”
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I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions as I listened to Olive’s innocent
perspective. Even if Timothy kept Stella calm, he certainly couldn't convince her
to be loyal at any capacity.
But Olive was too young to understand the complexities of adult relationships,
and it wasn't the time or place to dive into that conversation. Instead, I gave her a
soft smile and said, “Well, sometimes, people find silver linings in the most
unexpected places.”
As the party continued, I found myself lost in thought. The celebrations had
brought a mixture of emotions, from anger and confusion to understanding and
empathy. The intricacies of family dynamics and the complexities of human
relationships had taken center stage, and I couldn't escape the feeling of being
drawn into a world of unanswered questions.
The celebration eventually came to a close, the apartment growing quiet. Aria
and I, both worn out from the day's festivities, set about the task of getting the
girls to sleep. We shared stories and bedtime rituals, gradually coaxing the young
ones into slumber.
Once the girls were finally asleep. Aria and I retreated to the living room, where
the warm glow of the table lamp cast soft shadows on the walls. We settled onto
the couch, emiting sighs.
“I knew seven kids in one apartment would be a handful, but that was another
level,” Aria said, and she shot me a glare. “And you abandoned me twice. by the
way, Miss I'll be by your side all day*!”
I scoffed. “I didn’t say that at all. I just said I'd take care of the big stuff, though I
appreciate you chaperoning.”
Aria rolled her eyes, though they held a hint of humor. “Man, it's been so long
since I've even seen a big birthday like that. My last one was my sweet
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Chapter 180
sixteen and that ended with a cheating boyfriend and a torn dress.”
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I laughed along with her, but it didn’t seem possible to share my own birthday
anecdotes. “That's awful. I guess I've never really had a birthday, per say, so it
was hard to have a bad one.”
Aria looked at me with concern, her eyes filled with empathy. “No birthdays? Was
it because you didn’t want any?”
I sighed, the frustration and anger of my past resurfacing. “I could never really
get one, though I did want them.”
Her eyebrows creased with concern, and I started feeling troubled. She didn’t
need to indulge in more of my life story, though I've told her very little throughout
the years..
“Ugh. I'm angry for you,” she said with grunt.
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I looked away, drawing my attention
to the confetti littered all over the
a : i
coffee table. “I think thiS)biHday
ie ,
made uplfér all of them, but now I'm
scared that Scarlett, who wants to
actually be there for her daughter,
p sm
won't recover from this.” The content
is on Novelxo.org! Read the latest
chapter there!
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Aria reached out to place a
comforting hand on my shoulder.
=
Evie, I understand your Fein
p 9 . .
can't cqqire these pao) of things. All
ybu dan do is be there for Olive and
be the best caregiver you can be.
)
Scarlett's a strong woman, and I can
)
tell she loves her daughter. She'll
” :
push through.” The content is on
Novelxo.org! Read the latest
chapter there!
Her words were a balm to my troubled heart. I want to believe you're right, Aria.
It's the only think we can hope for
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Aria smiled, her warmth and
understanding shining through. n
We're in th is togefhér Bvid-ARd if
0 5 ) clo
ybu hit Bout it, we're living under
the same roof. We can have all the
” :
sleepovers we want!” The content is
on Novelxo.org! Read the latest
chapter there!
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Chapter 180
I couldn't help but grin. “That sounds perfect.”
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As we exchanged goodnight wishes, Aria headed to her room for the night,
leaving me alone with my thoughts. Hope was all that was pushing me to move
forward these days.
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