Title: The Trip
Author: Foxy Finn ([email protected])
Rating: G
Archive: @ my site http://www.geocities.com/foxy_finn44/
Category: Sports, RPS, NHL, Comrie/York, Jakefic!
Feedback: I'd be crushed if you didn't.
Summary: Jake goes to visit his mom
Disclaimer: If this ever happens, I'll eat my hat.
Author's Note: Yeah, Jakefic! Work is boring...but not if you bring hockey cards. I got a Stevie Y, so I thought it would be a good day. Turns out all hell broke loose...

I watched Jake open the package of hockey cards. He was having problems, but wasn�t going to ask for help. Sometimes I wonder if his stubbornness is going to give us problems when he gets older. Or maybe I�m just confusing stubbornness with independence.

"Think you�ll be in this pack, daddy?" He asked.

"Maybe you and dad. You, dad, and maybe Uncle Eric too." He grinned, finally ripping it open. He scanned the cards, then frowned. "There�s no Oilers at all."

"Can I see, sweetheart?" I asked. He handed them to me, and started to study the wrapping. I know he can�t that well read yet, but he likes to pretend.

I scanned the cards. He got a nice array, but nothing that would peek his interest. Last week, he decided his hero was Dany Heatly, but his hero changes weekly. I�m not about to buy him a Heatly jersey. I made that mistake when he became infatuated with Alex Tanguay. We happened to be playing Tanguay that week, so Mike brought Jake down to meet him. Jake gave Alex a funny look, then whispered to Mike "I don�t like him anymore."

Jake threw the empty wrapper on the ground, and reached for his cards.

He sighed, hopping off his chair to pick up the wrapper. He walked over to the trash and dropped it in. He walked back, and hopped back up.

"Are they good, daddy?" He asked.

I nodded. "There are some good ones. You�ll have to put them in your collection when you get back."

He pursed his lips, then nodded. "I don�t want to forget them. Maybe you should take them home."

A lump caught in my throat. "I know you won�t forget them. Just keep them in your pocket, okay? And make sure you count them when you put them away."

He bobbed his head up and down, and stuck the cards in the pocket of his backpack. Then he went back to swinging his legs back and forth while we waited for his flight.

I looked at my watch, wondering if Mike was going to make it. He had to take his car into the garage today. I think that he booked it today on purpose, just so he wouldn�t have to watch Jake leave. He hated sending his son off on a plane across the country by himself. We know that the airline pays some one to watch him, and make sure he makes his connecting flight, but we still worry. I know that tonight we won�t get much sleep.

"Is dad going to be here soon?" Jake asked, breaking my thoughts.

"He�s trying, Jakey." I smiled brightly, reassuring us both. "But you said goodbye this morning just in case."

Jake nodded again. "Yeah, I �member."

He slumped down in his chair.

I sighed. "Come here." I picked him up, and put him on my knee. "You know that your daddy and I love you very much, right?"

"Yeah," He mumbled. "But I don�t want to visit mommy. I want to stay here. Uncle Paul said he�s going to take me swimming, and Grandpa Bill promised we�d go to the racecar track, and Uncle Ryan said�"

I narrowed my eyes at him, and he stopped talking.

"Your mommy misses you, Jake. You�ll get to see Nana and Papa while your there too." I really didn�t want to think what Mike�s ex and her parents were going to tell Jake this time. The last time he went, he came back and asked what a �fag� was. That was a hard day.

"I don�t like Nana and Papa." He shook his head.

I didn�t want to scold him before he got on a plane and went away for a week. Instead, I just pulled him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around me. We sat there for a few minutes, just me holding him. Sometimes I think that we�ve chosen the wrong life for him. Right now, all the kids in school are excited to here that both of Jake�s dads play hockey. But they�re going to grow up quickly. Neither of us wanted Jake to take private school, but that�s our only choice. My dad is very protective of his adopted grandson and warned us what it would be like for him in public school. He�s got pull with the community, so I�m sure that no kid is ever going to pick on Jake. But that�s here. Our family is going to be uprooted one day. There�s no telling where Jake is going to graduate from high school.

My ears picked up his gate number being called. Dammit, Michael, where the hell are you? Damn you for leaving me to do this on my own.

I stood, keeping Jake in my arms. "Time to go, Jakey-boy."

"No." He mumbled, burying his face in my shirt. "No."

I heard him whimper. No, Jake, please don�t cry.

"Shhh�" I carried him to the gate.

The stewardess taking the tickets looked us up and down as I set Jake on the ground. I knelt next to him, forcing a smile. I saw tears welling in his eyes, and I wiped them away. He pouted, but I tipped his chin up.

"Jakey, you be good at mommy�s okay?" I looked up to see the attendant who would take care of Jake on the flight standing nearby. I pulled Jake into another hug. "Love you."

"I love you too." He whispered. "Tell daddy I love him too."

I nodded. "I will."

I stood. "I�ll see you in a week, okay?"

The attendant took Jake�s hand, and lead him through the gate. Jake turned around and waved for a moment, before disappearing down the hallway. I let out a heavy sigh when he was gone.

"It must be hard on you to see him fly alone." Some nosey woman who was about to get on the flight commented as she came to stand next to me.

"Yeah," I nodded, pocketing my hands. "But his mother doesn�t want to fly out and get him."

The nosey woman nodded. "When did you two break up?"

Why are some people so bored with their own lives, they have to intrude on mine? "Jake�s lived here since he was one. He�ll be turning five next month."

"He looks like a great boy. He�s got your cheekbones." She moved passed me. "Have a good day."

"You too." I replied. No one would ever mistake Jake for my kid if they saw him standing next to Mike. He�s a spitting image of his father when he was younger.

"He left a half an hour ago." I said.

I felt hands on my shoulders. "Sorry, babe. Took longer than I thought."

I sighed, not looking at him. "You could�ve done that tomorrow."

He came around to sit next to me. "I know."

I still didn�t look at him. "He cried again."

He was quiet for a few seconds. "I�m sorry."

"I know." I replied.

He took my hand. "Want to go home?"

I nodded, still not looking at him. His hand fell away from mine as we walked outside. Paul had driven Jake and I to the airport, and bought him the hockey cards. I climbed into Mike�s car, and sat in silence as he drove home.

"I�m going to call her when we get home to make sure she phones us when he gets there." He said. If we argued, we�d at least be talking.

"Uh huh." I answered, shortly.

He sighed. "Baby, I don�t want to fight."

I closed my eyes. "Why weren�t you there, Mike? Tell me the truth this time."

He sighed. "Whenever we have to send him away, I think about when it�s going to be permanent. I imagine what will happen when she wants him back permanently, and it just breaks my heart. I�m sorry I couldn�t be there today. I know it was selfish."

I finally looked at him. "Mike, that will never happen. You promised me that, so I�m going to give you the same promise."

Mike smiled at me, leaning over to give me quick kiss. He sat back in his seat, and drove the rest of the way home.

It was strange to get inside and not have to help Jake with his shoes.