Power Play: A Second Chance Hockey Romance (Sinners on the Ice)
Power Play: A Second Chance Hockey Romance: Chapter 11

Now, August

I walk into Dr. Hernandez’s exam room, sit down in a chair, and beckon Maya over to me. She pauses beside the door, twirling a lock of hair around her index finger. Hesitant and a bit nervous, she looks around the room. The scene makes my heart swell in my chest.

“Sweetie, come here.”

Maya meets my gaze and reluctantly comes closer. She’s not a fan of doctors. She never has been even though we’ve never had a bad experience. It’s just that, for whatever reason, she’s very wary of them. “I want home.”

“We will go home once Dr. Hernandez checks your eyes.”

“My eyes okay. I want home.”

I push a smile onto my face, trying hard not to show her how worried I am. The picture I took yesterday, when she was watching Paw Patrol, bothers me to no end. “Dr. Hernandez is great. She’s always so kind and attentive to you. Everything’s going to be all right.”

“Promise?”

“I promise, Maya.”

Sighing deeply, Maya climbs onto the chair beside me. She stares ahead of her, hands resting on her lap. Then she turns to me, a shy smile blooming on her lips. “I saw Bon-Bon today.”

“Really? What does she look like?”

“She’s a⁠—”

The door opens, making Maya fall silent. “I’m so sorry for making you wait,” Dr. Hernandez says as she walks toward her stool. She sits down and peers at Maya and me. “How have you been?”

“Good,” I tell her. She’s in her fifties, with beautiful, dark brown skin and bright green eyes. An open smile plays on her lips as she asks Maya to hop up onto the exam table.

After helping her on to the table, Dr. Hernandez asks, “How do you feel, Maya?”

“I’m okay.” She lowers her gaze to her lap, tracing a flower on the skirt of her dress.

Dr. Hernandez nods and focuses her gaze on me. “So what brings you in today? You mentioned something about her eyes?”

“Lately, she’s started rubbing them a lot, a lot more than she was before,” I mutter, then fall quiet. Dammit, I’m rambling. Taking a deep breath, I tell myself, Everything’s going to be all right. Focus. And then I continue. “Since she was little, she’s often rubbed her eyes, and she blinks a lot. I talked about it with her previous doctor in Michigan, and he said I have nothing to worry about. That she’s fine. Then we moved here, and lately, it’s gotten worse. She rubs her eyes, she blinks, and last week I looked at her when she was watching TV and noticed that her right pupil didn’t look the same as her left one.”

I close my mouth as I reach for my purse. I dig out my cell, unlock it, and find the picture I want to show Dr. Hernandez. “I took this picture yesterday.”

Dr. Hernandez takes my phone in her hand and stares at the screen. She pinches the screen, resizing the picture a few times. The focused look on her face makes me anxious.

Everything’s going to be all right. I’m being paranoid. Maya is fine.

“Well, honestly, I’ve never seen anyone be able to catch it in a picture. You did a great job, Ms. Benson, because this will help us move forward way faster.” She puts my cell on the exam table, holding my gaze. “I’ll definitely refer you to an ophthalmologist because this is not my specialty. But from my experience and knowledge, I’m certain Maya has strabismus. We need to find out which kind so we can determine the best course of treatment.”

My hands become limp as I gawk at Dr. Hernandez in stunned silence. “What causes it? Are you sure it’s strabismus? Will we need surgery?”

“Ms. Benson, please, you don’t need to worry. It’s curable, and it’s possible Maya won’t need to do anything except some exercises and wearing glasses. The ophthalmologist will explain everything more thoroughly and in greater detail than I can.” Then she reassures me. “From what I see now, Maya’s eyes are fine. So I might assume it’s intermittent exotropia. That means that it’s not present all the time, and it might happen when she’s feeling tired or sick. If I’m right, it means that you are a very attentive and caring mom since you’ve been able to notice it yourself.”

Her words sink deep into my core, relaxing me a little. But they’re not enough to calm me down completely. Only Maya’s presence keeps me from losing it. The last thing I want is to scare her.

“But what causes it?”

“It might be genetics, or it might be because of eye muscle weakness, nervous system conditions, or poor vision.”

“What can I do to help her?” I ask pleadingly. My palms are so sweaty, I don’t dare take my phone from the table, afraid it will fall to the floor.

“The next step is to make an appointment with the ophthalmologist. They can help determine what Maya has and what can be done to treat it.” She smiles warmly at me. “I can recommend my colleague Dr. Silver. He’s one of the best in the field, and I trust his judgment.”

“I’d be very grateful. I can come in anytime. Can you please ask when the earliest he can see us is?”

“Sure.”

I wait as Dr. Hernandez makes a few calls. When she’s done, she tells me the details, and I take notes in my calendar. We will see Dr. Silver next Friday. I’m relieved and grateful, but I’m also trying my hardest to keep it together.

We talk some more before Maya and I say our goodbyes to Dr. Hernandez. Maya tells me about a soup she wants to eat and how she wants to go to Angie’s place for a cupcake. I nod absentmindedly as we walk out of the building, and my eyes fall on my car.

I can’t drive. Not in the state I am in.

Calling Drake is the first thing that comes to mind. I suggest to Maya we go buy some cupcakes from the nearest coffee shop. She pouts at first because she wants to see Angie, but once her eyes fall on me, she agrees. It’s like she senses my disturbance.

A few minutes later, Maya is sipping an apple juice, with a delicious-looking cupcake on a plate in front of her. I stand up and go pick up my coffee, dialing Drake. He answers just as I return to the table.

“Hey, Drake. How are you?”

“Hey. I’m good. Angie and I are on our way to meet with a wedding planner. It’s some fancy, exclusive specialist with a long list of clients booked a year out, but she was able to sneak us in,” he says excitedly. The tone of his voice is light and cheerful, the total opposite of what I’m feeling. “How are you?”

“I’m…fine,” I drawl, sitting down. “I’m at a little coffee shop with Maya before we head home after her doctor’s appointment.”

“Oh, right, you told me you were taking her to the doctor. How was it? Is everything fine?”

“Uh-huh.” I lie because I don’t want to make him nervous. This is a good day for Drake, full of hope and future plans. I don’t want to cast a shadow over it. I’ll figure something out. “We have another appointment next week, but it’s all good.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, don’t worry,” I chirp, faking a smile in my voice. “Tell Angie I can’t wait to hear all about the wedding planner.”

“Of course.”

“Talk to you later, Drake. I gotta go.”

“Bye.”

I hang up and glance at Maya. She’s picking sprinkles from her cupcake and putting them in her mouth. The delightful look on her little face warms my heart, and the tight knots in my stomach relax a bit. I’d do absolutely anything for her. Find the best treatment, religiously follow all instructions, take her to all appointments. I’ll find the strength to power through without showing her how scared and worried I am.

Just a little time to collect myself is all I need.

“So what does Bon-Bon look like?” I turn to face Maya, smiling down at her affectionately.

Maya sighs, setting both of her elbows on the table. The dreamy expression on her face makes me chuckle. Some say imaginary friends are a bad sign; it means a child is lonely and needs attention. I don’t see it like that, especially as I know the book I read to her caused Bon-Bon’s first appearance. Maya has friends in her preschool, where she goes three days a week for four hours. She spends a ton of time with me, with Drake and Angie. Bon-Bon is her friend that she sees in her dreams. A companion who goes on adventures with her, visits places that live in her imagination so she never feels alone.

“She’s a unicorn.” Her eyes roam over me, searching for my reaction.

“A unicorn? Oh, I bet she’s very beautiful.”

“She is.” Maya looks up at the ceiling. “Mommy, her fur is bright pink…like Barbie. And she has a flower here.” She points to her chest. “Your favorite.”

A smile peeks on my lips. With how often I take her with me to the studio so I can work on the bouquets and compositions, entertaining her with stories about flowers while I’m busy, she knows exactly what my favorite is.

“A peony?”

Maya nods. “It’s your favorite color too.” She thinks to herself for a moment, then says, “Pastel pink.”

I cup her cheek with my palm, caressing it gently. My sweet little girl. I hope it’s nothing serious with her eyes, that it can be fixed. I googled a little while we were waiting in line, but it brought me more distress. I need to know for sure what she has before I start investigating.

“Can you draw her for me?”

“Yes. At home.” Maya leans into my touch, tilting her head to the side. “Mommy, can we go?”

I fidget in my seat, looking around the coffee shop. Her trust is important to me, but sometimes I need to keep things to myself. I can’t tell her that I’m too anxious to drive because of what I heard at Dr. Hernandez’s office. So I opt for a little white lie. “My car isn’t working, sweetie. I need someone to look at it.” Bringing my gaze back to Maya, I take a deep breath. “I’ll call Ava. Maybe she’ll come pick us up. If not, I’ll get an Uber. Okay?”

Uber is the obvious solution, but the reason I’m not calling one is simple: I need someone to talk to me. Someone to help me deal with my worries.

I just need company.

“Yes,” Maya says. Averting her eyes, she focuses her attention on her cupcake and starts scooping up the icing with her finger.

I put my cup on the table and call Ava. It rings and rings and rings until she finally picks up. She sounds out of breath. “Hey, Layla.”

“Hey. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, all good. I was in the pool with Meghan and didn’t hear my phone.”

I press my finger to the rim of my cup and trace it slowly.

“Michael brought it out. How are you? How was the appointment?”

“I’m…I’m fine.” I pause. “The appointment went…well, but we’ll need another one. To know for sure.”

“Is everything all right?” Her voice gets firm in an instant. Ava’s always been good at reading between the lines. At reading me.

“Um, yes and no.” I expel a breath. “I kinda regret not taking you up on your offer the other day. I should’ve asked you to come with me.”

“Do you want me to come over?”

“I’m not sure I can drive,” I mutter quietly. “Can you come pick us up? I’ll send you the address.”

“Of course. Though I’ll need some time to get Meghan ready. Colton is taking Michael to practice.”

“We’ll wait for you. It’s okay.”

“Good. Then send me the address.”

“Thank you, Ava.”

“Of course. You’re my best friend, and you need me. Just tell me where.”

And then she hangs up. I smile a little despite my mood. Then I text her the address of the coffee shop.

Ava always has this effect on me, bringing me calm in the midst of chaos. Even though she was a tornado herself when she was younger—chaos was her middle name—motherhood has grounded her, made her more reasonable, more responsible, without ever dimming her spark. The fire she’s always had inside her still shines brightly. I’m lucky to call her my best friend.

She’s family.

While we wait, I chat with Maya about her dream from last night and how she finally saw Bon-Bon. Her excitement is palpable; the sparkle in her eyes makes their color pop and look brighter. She’s happy to talk to me about it, and I gladly listen to her. I love my parents, but I can’t say I’m very open with them. It was never something my mom or dad tried to do, to have a relationship with me or Drake outside the usual parent-child dynamic.

I want things to be different with Maya.

I want to be her friend, not just her mom.

“Was Bon-Bon exactly how you thought she would be?” I ask.

The doorbell chimes, and someone walks into the shop. When I look up, everything in me comes to a stop. Even my breathing stills.

Dressed in a dark-green tee and black shorts, Clay stands by the door, scanning the place. The moment his eyes land on me, my heart leaps into my throat. A handsome smirk rises on his lips as he strolls toward our table, hands hidden in his pockets. He stops a step away.

“Hey, Layla.”

I’m going to kill Ava. I swear.