𝐴𝑢𝑟𝑜𝑟𝑎

Chapter 10 ~ Moms

Ryder

It has been a long day at work. I just want to get back home to Laklyn and take a nice hot shower to ease my sore muscles.

Coach has been keeping us late today because one of the kids decided to write on the walls so they had to skate a couple laps and then normal practice went longer.

I don't have Aurora's number so I can't check in on how Laklyn is doing. I trust Aurora though to call her dad or come straight here if something happened.

"You're dismissed." Coach says and the kids scramble to the back room to change. The parents are waiting for the kids in the bleachers. I notice one of the moms looking at me. Her name is Amanda and she sits here all practicing looking at me and when I tell her who her kid is doing, she doesn't seem to listen to me.

Nonetheless I give her a tight smile and wave her off as I go into the locker room and change myself out of my skates.

I exit the room and see most students are gone. Coach is getting ready to head out, once I see Amanda coming to me, I bolt and walk right next to the coach and start a fake conversation with him.

"Why the heck are you mouthing to me?" He says once we get out the door.

"Sorry, I was just trying to avoid Amanda, Hayes mom." He makes an 'ah' sound and nods. "Yeah she was on my butt too when I first started. My wife had heard from my daughter and came down to show her a lesson." He laughs humorously.

I chuckle at that. But when I realize he said daughter, I can't help but think of Aurora. Now that I know, it's too hard to picture what the whole thing looks like.

"Yeah, wish I could do that." I throw my bag in my trunk. Coach is next to me now as I lean on it. "I thought you were married? Laklyn's mom?" I knew this question was coming up.

"She's not in the picture anymore, she decided that when she got pregnant she would leave me the baby and leave. Haven't seen her since."

He is silent when I tell him that. I can tell he wants to say sorry, but I also know that he knows that that's the last thing he should say.

"Well, Laklyn is lucky to have you as a father." He pats my back and gets in his truck without another word. I sigh and get into my truck as well and head home.

💌

I knock on Aurora's door, it's about eleven at night now. I went home and ate before coming here so that I didn't have to worry much about it when I got Laklyn.

Aurora opens the door looking exhausted as hell. Her dark circles, her messy hair, the glasses on her face that I have yet to see on her face are resting on her head. She is wearing a sweater and leggings with high socks.

She doesn't say anything, just gestures for me to come in. She bundles up the Lakelands bag and hands it to me before giving me Laklyn.

My mouth is taped shut as I try to find words to say to her. She looks horrible, not in a literal sense, but she looks as if she was having a bad day.

"Was Laklyn good?" I finally ask. She nods her head. Then why does she look so tired and upset. "Thank you again for watching him." She nods again and I sigh.

I head for the door and before I can turn around to day one last thank you, the door gets shut in my face. Thankfully, Laklyn didn't wake up to that.

I find myself staring at the door wondering what the heck just happened. I finally realized that she was having a bad day and that she didn't want to talk.

A part of me wants to knock on the door and beg her to tell me what's wrong. But the other part of me tells me not to worry, not to get too attached.

I start walking away from her door back down to my house and once I get in I settle Laklyn in his crib and get myself ready for bed.

My thoughts are going insane. If it wasn't Laklyn, then what could she be upset about. A family member passing away? A job offer gone? Rent due? I'm not sure what but the possibilities are endless and I find it more concerning that I'm worrying so much about a woman that I have no idea about!

I only know her because I work with her dad and my son loves her too much to ever let go of her. I don't have her number so I can't call or text her to tell me what's wrong and for some reason that bothers me.

I roll over on my bed and try to stop thinking about it. I want to think about what to do tomorrow for Laklyn.

Coach's wife is still in Seattle, and my sister is busy in the mornings, and I will never ever ask Aurora to watch Laklyn again because I feel like I'm putting so much pressure on her.

I don't know when, but I finally fall asleep while drowning in my thoughts. I think back to Laklyn's mom and how she wanted nothing to do with him.

How am I supposed to tell a baby that his mother didn't want him the second he was conceived? How do I tell him that he may never have a mother figure because his father is too scared to open up to other people.

These thoughts definitely get my mind off of Aurora. But that doesn't mean that she isn't a lingering thought in my dreams.