The Puck Bunny

Sixty-Five

CARTER

Landing in New York made it feel as though I'd never left. Stepping off the plane and finding my way to the subway station that would connect me to the train that would get me into Manhattan came back like muscle memory, and a short hour after I'd landed, I found myself walking towards the apartment building my mom still lived in.

This was going to be tough. I'd gotten used to not being around her for almost five months now, and I was terrified of letting something slip about me being friends with hockey players.

I'd told Lexi time and time again to make sure she doesn't mention Tate, and if she did to call him Shawn and not mention hockey. Because I knew what my mom was like and I could tell that shit would hit the fan if she knew I was even friends with someone who was friends with the hockey team. Lexi had assured me she wouldn't let it slip, and that pacified me for a moment. But now I was ready to see my mother for the first time since I'd gone to college and all the nerves came rushing back.

It was fucking freezing in New York like I had expected it would be. Remarkably it hadn't started to snow yet, but the chill in the air meant it was very close. We'd had one snowfall in Minnesota last week but I knew by the time I went back that even if New York wasn't white, Minnesota would be.

I did love the snow, but not the icy temperatures that came with waiting for it. So I was relieved to finally reach the apartment building and walk in, finding the same doorman that had been here since I was in high school holding the door for me.

"Miss Carter Pruitt! I don't believe my eyes" I smiled and hurried in.

"Hi, Pauly. How are you?" He beamed his grin down at me.

"Just fine Miss Pruitt, just fine. You in town for the holidays?" I nodded.

"Until the third of January"

"That's a long time for you to be here" I laughed. He knew what my mother was like, he'd been the doorman here since before we moved here in my freshman year.

"I have a friend flying in after Christmas. She's never seen the city so I offered for her to come to stay for a while."

"Can't wait to meet her. You head on upstairs now Miss Pruitt, get yourself nice and warm"

"Thanks, Pauly! Happy holidays"

I made my way to the elevator and punched in the number ten once I was in. The tenth floor, unfortunately, didn't have any stunning views of the city; we weren't up high enough. But this apartment building had a top floor 360º panoramic observatory that was amazing. It was all double-glazed and heated so I often would escape up there with a book and watch the sunset, the snowfall, or the lights of the city in high school. Lexi was gonna love this part.

When I knocked on the door, it was opened by my older brother.

"Carter!"

"Hey Joe!" I quickly walked inside, knowing the radiator would be going full blast seeing as my mom hated the cold as much as I hated the heat. Joey pulled me in for a hug and I smiled, glad my brother wasn't completely like my mother in that he still showed affection toward me. To my surprise, my mother actually walked into the hallway to see me.

"Hello Carter" I smiled at her.

"Hi mom"

"How was your flight?"

"Good, not too bumpy. Glad you guys weren't having a ridiculous snowstorm or anything" She nodded.

"And you found your way here alright. The snow isn't expected until the 26th. It's been an unusually warm winter thus far"