The Girl Next Door Chapter 19

The Penguins lost both of the games on their road trip, and although the team was down a little bit, they were excited because Mario was coming back to play on Saturday night when the team played up in Buffalo. Also, after the team got back, the management office fired the head coach, Eddie Olczyk, and his entire coaching staff. Michel Therrien, the head coach of the Baby Penguins, was brought up to take his place, and the Penguins assistant coach, Joey Mullen, was sent down to take Therrien’s place. Sidney had called Kate at school during her lunch (phones were allowed during lunch only), so she would know. Also, when Therrien came up, he made Sidney an alternate captain, and Sidney was excited about that. He had never expected it, he was only eighteen. They talked about it, and Kate congratulated him on it numerous times. She was surprised that he got it, but even more surprised because Therrien had stripped John LeClair of the “A”, and given it to Sidney. Nonetheless, it was very exciting, and Kate couldn’t help but feel proud of Sidney.
That weekend, Kate was going to take care of the Lemieux kids, because Nathalie was going up to see Mario play, and would Kate start taking care of them on Friday after the game, because the team left right after the game, and Nathalie was flying up there with them. After the game on Friday night (December 16th), Kate went down with the kids to the locker room, and talked to Sidney only for a minute, because she had to get them home, and Sidney had to leave.
“Hey, you played well tonight,” Kate told him, even though the team lost, 3-4.
“Thanks,” he said back, a sad tone in his voice. He gave her a hug, and a quick kiss.
“Gross,” Austin said.
“Hey Austin,” Kate began, “go over with your sisters to say hi to Fleury. He loves talking to you guys!”
The four of them went over to see Fleury, who gave them a look, and then laughed, and waved to them, as to say they had a minute, and only a minute.
“Nice,” he said, giving her another quick kiss. “You sure know how to get them to go away.”
“I’ve been babysitting them since I was eleven,” she laughed. “I know exactly how they act, what they like, and everything. They’re like my own little siblings.”
They chatted for a little bit longer, until Kate knew she had to leave. She had a game tomorrow, and was taking the kids along. They said good-bye, and that they’d see each other later. Kate grabbed the kids from Fleury, and gave him a hug to thank him. She talked to him for a second, and then went back to the Lemieux’s, and got the kids ready for bed. After they were all in bed, she got ready for bed, and after what had been an extremely long day, she went to bed, anxious to start her winter break, which started after school got out, and lasted until January 2nd.
*****
The next day, Kate had to get everyone up extra early, because of her game, and she knew it would be a challenge to get all of them up and ready in time. After they were ready, and had eaten breakfast, she packed them in the car, and drove the few minutes to the Island Sports Center. It was convenient that Austin had hockey practice at the same time as her game on another rink, so Kate told him to go over to his practice when her team started warm-ups. The girls watched Kate’s game, and Kate’s team won again, 4-0, and they were still undefeated. After the game, the four of them patiently (well, as patient as four kids under the age of thirteen could be) waited for Kate. She yelled into her team’s locker room (since Kate was the only girl, she got ready in her own locker room), that they would have practice on Tuesday and Thursday for anyone that was around, and then they would have a break until after the New Year. Kate took the kids back home, and since it was a miserable day, they went to the movies that afternoon. They were back home in time to order a pizza, and watch another one of their dad’s returns to hockey.
“Why does the team keep playing so badly?” Alexa asked Kate.
“I don’t know, Alexa,” she said. “They have tons of talent on paper, but they’re just not doing well.”
“Talent on paper?” Lauren asked.
“The guys are great,” Kate began to explain, “and they’ve all done well on other teams. Scored lots of goals, that kind of stuff, that’s ‘good on paper.’ But they’re not playing well together. Just wait, Therrien will work it out, and they’ll be better.”
They watched the rest of the game, but noticed that Mario didn’t play a lot in the third period. They called Nathalie, but she claimed she didn’t know why, but Kate figured she didn’t want the kids to know the truth. Kate figured it out, but didn’t tell the kids either: it was their dad’s heart acting up again. Kate figured it was the only real answer; Mario may have rushed his return, he had gone to the hospital for his heart, and then came back about two weeks later. He had what the doctors called an “atrial fibrillation.” Kate couldn’t help but think that this game up in Buffalo, that his team lost, very well could be Mario’s last. Immediately upon thinking that, though, Kate shoved the thought out of her mind. She called Sidney, and they talked for a minute, then Sidney had to go because they were at the airport. Nathalie talked to Kate, and told her that Mario’s heart had been acting up again, but not to tell the children. Kate agreed, and sent the kids off to bed. Sidney and the Lemieuxs would be back tomorrow morning, and she’d think about it then.