Her Family's Defender. Kim Findlay

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СКАЧАТЬ and was good at it, but her ambition of being the first woman skater in the top league had very little chance of coming to pass.

      In fact, this year, playing at all might have little chance of coming to pass. Here in Toronto, without a car and with cash tight, Michelle couldn’t afford the fees, the gear and the transit to the games and practices. She had learned from experience that the practice hours were early and awkward, and away games were unlikely to be on the subway lines.

      So she made noncommittal responses to Angie, greeted Brittany’s mother and kept one eye open for Tommy. She smiled as he finally emerged, walking slowly, head down and alone. Her smile faltered.

      Michelle told Angie to say goodbye to her friend, gathered Tommy and headed home.

      Michelle managed to avoid the upcoming storm with Angie about the hockey team by trying to draw Tommy out as they walked to the condo.

      “So, how was school, Tommy?”

      He didn’t look up. “Fine.”

      “Do you like your teacher?”

      Tommy shrugged.

      “Tommy’s got the strictest teacher in school. My teacher is nicer, but she gives lots of homework,” Angie said.

      “Were the other kids nice?” Michelle asked Tommy, voice tight with worry.

      “They’re okay.”

      Michelle told them a bit about her school, editing out all the worrisome parts, but their interest was perfunctory.

      When they got to the condo building, she let the kids head up in the elevator first, while she stopped to ask at the desk about nearby grocery stores. There was a store not far away that would deliver, apparently.

      She’d go get milk and bread from a convenience store tonight, and order some groceries online for tomorrow. She’d probably have to find a more economical solution going forward, but there was just too much to settle right now. They’d treat themselves to pizza tonight. She needed to get on top of things, not let things get out of hand like they had this morning.

      When she got up to the top floor, Tommy was standing in the doorway of the condo, waiting, while Angie was chattering to their new neighbor, Troy Green. She was telling him all about the new hockey team she assumed she was joining, and asking him if it was a good step on her path to playing professionally.

      Troy was being patient, but he was dressed to go out and Michelle was afraid Angie was holding him up. She sighed. Angie would be angry with her for breaking up her tête-à-tête. Then she’d have to finally tell her that she wasn’t playing hockey this year. She closed her eyes for a moment, and with a mental sigh, opened them and squared her shoulders.

      * * *

      “IT’S NOT FAIR!” Angie yelled at her mother, face red.

      Michelle struggled to hold on to her temper.

      “I know it’s not fair. But we just don’t have the money.”

      “Dad would have let me.” Angie threw the words at her.

      Michelle flinched. If Angie’s father was still alive, they wouldn’t be here, wouldn’t be having this conversation. “That’s irrelevant right now,” she answered.

      “Is Tommy doing his Tae Kwon Do?”

      “Yes. But—”

      “That’s so unfair. It’s because he’s a boy, isn’t it? I hate you!” Angie spun around to run to her room.

      “Angela Louise Robertson!”

      Angie stopped. The full name was a sign of her mom losing it.

      “I am doing nothing differently because Tommy is a boy. Tommy is wearing the same dobok as last year, so I don’t have to buy that. The dojang is two blocks away so we can walk and the lessons are reasonable. On the other hand, you grew out of all your hockey gear last year and it costs a he—a heck of a lot more than a dobak. The arenas are all miles away, and we don’t have a car. And hockey is very expensive.

      “If you can come up with something cheaper to do, I’ll sign you up tonight. We could try swimming, or soccer...and when I can afford it, we’ll get you back into hockey, but I just can’t right now!”

      Unfortunately, the cold hard facts didn’t help with Angie. She turned her nose up at Michelle’s offers and wouldn’t even let Michelle finish an invitation to join Tommy at Tae Kwon Do.

      “I’ll get a job.”

      “A twelve-year-old can’t make enough to cover hockey costs. There’s not much you can do right now anyway. You’ll need to take the babysitting course to make money that way, and we don’t know anyone in Toronto to babysit.”

      Angie’s lip quivered. “I’ll ask everyone who sends me money for Christmas to send it now instead.”

      Michelle explained that wouldn’t be enough. It wasn’t just the fees; it was equipment and transportation. Their family members weren’t rich.

      Michelle couldn’t ask for any more favors from her family and friends. She wanted more than anything else to give her daughter what she wanted, what she dreamed of, but she simply did not have enough money. If she gave up school and got a job, maybe they could cover hockey this year. But next year, when they were no longer house-sitting and had to pay rent? Michelle had to finish these courses so she could make enough money to support them. Angie, though, could only see her dream slipping from her fingers.

      Michelle finally went out for pizza, reminding the crying girl that she was in charge of her brother while her mother was gone. While she was out, she picked up milk and bread for breakfast and lunch tomorrow. The pizza she carried was no longer the big celebration she’d hoped for. It seemed as if everyone had had a crappy day.

      Everyone but her neighbor. Troy Green was already inside when she walked into the elevator with her food at the lobby floor. He’d obviously driven into the garage and gotten on the elevator at one of the parking levels. He looked relaxed, carefree and rich, a shopping bag from a name-brand store in his hand.

      “I ordered some milk, so I’ll be able to return the bag you loaned us tomorrow,” she said tersely. She only had a small carton with her now, but she felt obligated to indicate she didn’t intend to freeload.

      “Don’t worry about it. I have more than enough.”

      He glanced at the flat red and green box she had balanced over her grocery bag. “Pizza, eh? Kids must be happy about that.” Considering how poorly she’d treated him, he was being nice. Michelle realized she should respond in kind, but it had been a difficult day, and it was far from over yet.

      She smiled perfunctorily. “That was the plan.”

      “Your daughter is pretty excited about playing hockey—want me to check out this league she’s talking about?”

      “Angie isn’t playing this year,” she said flatly, watching the floor numbers going by.

      “Does she know that?”

      “She СКАЧАТЬ