Kinsley fell in love with Phoenix Maverick, an NHL player for a team she never imagined supporting. But when Kinsley suffers from a head injury and forgets the last six years of her life, she struggles balancing being the person Phoenix fell in love...
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Two months ago. August
On our third morning at Whistler, the sun was out, it reflected off the powder white slopes. People covered the mountain, the sound of skis and snowboards crunching the snow and the monotone drone of the chair lifts was white background noise.
Ashley had decided to join us, and by decided to, I mean, I had to bribe her with a new espresso machine she'd had her eye on for months but couldn't afford. Skiing wasn't her idea of a vacation.
She had no problem sitting in the village cafes next to the fire place with a coffee though.
Other than that, it was like pulling teeth to get her on a board. Which in the end, wasn't so bad because Sadie wasn't particularly interested in doing the slopes either.
On our first afternoon, Kinsley and I watched Lottie so she could go for a ski with Ashley. Neither of them came back with enthusiasm for more. So today, after waffles, berries and bacon, we went to the base of the mountain and got organised to split off.
Ashley, Sadie and Lottie would go to the kids slopes and watch Lottie ski some mini jumps and Kinsley and I would go to the top of our favourite trail and board. We'd meet up for lunch later.
Lottie stood next to her mom in a little blue snow suit, looking super cute. She smiled at me and jumped.
It wasn't particularly amazing, she just jumped in the air, landed again and then smiled like she'd done the most impressive stunt in the world. Which was how I responded.
"Sick jump, kid," I said, standing with an arm around Kinsley.
She'd whipped her gloves off and was furiously replying to an email from work, mumbling apologies about the distraction and the morons she had to deal with.
Lottie was warming up to me. She was still a quiet, reserved kid and didn't have a lot to say but she liked it when I threw berries into the air and caught them in my mouth. She also loved it when I bought her a pair of gloves that lit up with twinkling lights when she clapped.
Ashley was sitting on a bench seat, arms folded, people watching with a dead straight face. She looked like a hostage who wanted to be anywhere else but here. I did see her crack a smile when Lottie started doing snow angels though.
"No don't call me," Kinsley snapped, jabbing the decline button on her phone. "I'm on vacation you stupid fuckin—"
"Language," Lottie sent her aunt a scolding look and I couldn't help but laugh.
It was tempting to tell Kinsley to turn her phone off but I wasn't going to tell her how to do her job.
Someone in a sled flew past us then, almost knocking Lottie off her feet. There were mounds of snow down here but none of the actual activities were supposed to happen in this space. It was a gathering point and I knew dude had fucked up when Kinsley lifted her goggles onto her head and moved away from me.
