My Hockey Alpha by Eve Above Story PDF

Chapter 0629

Nina

With a deep breath, I made my way up the grand staircase and down the hall toward my mother's room. The sounds of my footsteps were muffled by the intricate carpet that lined the hallway, and the house was oddly quiet. It seemed as though the major preparations for the party had finished for the day, or perhaps it just felt quieter because of my own anxiety. When I stopped in front of the large wooden door, I hesitated for a moment, biting my lip.

My mother and I had always had a strained relationship growing up. It wasn't until recently, when the truth finally came out about my biological family, that it started to make sense. We were always trying to reconcile it, trying to get to know each other better, but sometimes it felt like we would take two steps forward and one step back.

But finally, I steeled my nerves and raised my hand.

I knocked gently on the door, the sound echoing softly in the hallway. A moment later, my mother's voice called out from inside, "Come in."

Pushing open the door, I found my mother sitting in the plush armchair by the window, her gaze fixed on the outside world. The setting sun cast the room in an amber glow,

illuminating her blonde hair. She looked lost in her thoughts, and I hesitated in the doorway for a moment before stepping inside.

"Hey, mom," I said cautiously.

She turned her head to look at me, her expression still filled with frustration. "Nina," she said, her voice still carrying a note of disappointment from earlier. "Do you need something?"

I approached her slowly, choosing my words carefully. "...I wanted to talk about earlier,"I said softly.

returning to the view through the window. "Talk,

began. "I should have been more careful with Tyler. You're right, I shouldn't have taken such a risk. I..

as her shoulders tensed. It was clear that she was still upset, and I couldn't blame her. Tyler had been through so much with his illness, and

chair and walked over to me, pulling me into a tight hug. I could feel

whisper. "He was so sick for so long, and it's not easy for me to look at him and not see that

feeling a pang of guilt for not seeing things from her perspective sooner. "I was just trying to

trying to help, honey. I'm sorry for yelling

other, and I realized just how much had missed moments like these with my mother. Our relationship had always been strained, and it was going to take

bad mom?" I suddenly asked, my voice trembling. The words poured out like an avalanche, and even

and looked into my eyes, her gaze softening. "Oh, honey," she said, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. "No, I

the edge of the bed. "But I

draped her arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. I laid my head down on her shoulder

so lost sometimes," I whispered. "I feel like I'm never in control, even when I really want to be. And

it's normal to feel lost and out of control. God knows I felt that way when I was

up

the next I was angry, and the next I was eating

cringing at the thought of pickles and ice cream. "But... I've definitely been feeling a little out of sorts recently," I confessed, placing a hand over my belly. "It does feel like my

of tear-soaked hair away from my face. Just remember, sweetie, it's okay to feel this way," she said gently. "And it's okay to ask for help when