Because she was legit losing her shit.

She hadn’t wanted to invite her dad to the game—she’d much rather keep it strictly professional—but he was going above and beyond for Angie. After fighting Rick’s lawyer about court dates, he finally got one that was good for both parties. Apparently, Rick was leaving for Christmas, which was good for Lucy since Angie wouldn’t have to go to his house after this next time before the new year.

But she did have to go.

Lucy couldn’t bring herself to tell her.

Her father had tried everything, talking to Rick’s lawyer and even Rick himself, but he wouldn’t just let her be. He was forcing her to come to his house, and it scared Lucy to her core. Especially with Benji being gone. Stress was eating her alive, and she was so worried. She wasn’t sure how, but during all this, she was still working to her full potential.

She had hired a new designer, Meg Patterson, and Meg had taken on a lot of the work. That was great because Lucy could focus on Benji’s design. She had maybe three more days on it, and while it was coming out perfectly to her specs, she was nervous he would hate it. She was sure he’d lie and say he loved it, but still, it worried her.

And she was so troubled about Angie.

Angie just wasn’t herself. She was withdrawn and scared, and it was killing Lucy. The only time she was the child Lucy recognized was when she was on the ice or talking to Benji. Did Angie blame Lucy for the Rick thing? Did she hate her mother because she knew she had to go back? Lucy wasn’t sure because when they went to therapy on Wednesday, Angie only spoke about how she loved Lucy and didn’t want to leave her. Lucy was a mess for sure, but her only saving grace was calls from Benji.

He was just so damn good to her. He did everything to make her laugh. To joke with her, to turn her on, and to tease her. He was everything she could ever need and she missed him dearly. She was ready for the next seven days to zip by so she could hold him.

Hug him.

God, she needed a hug from him.

“Oh, baby, come here,” her mother said before pulling her into her arms and kissing her hard on the cheek. “It’s okay. Don’t worry. You are amazing, Lucy, and such a good mom. Please remember that.”

Lucy’s mouth curved as she closed her eyes. It wasn’t Benji’s hug, but it was pretty damn close. Benji had told her almost the same thing that morning, but there wasn’t a time these days when she didn’t need to hear it. Especially when Rick was singing a different tune.

“I love you, Lucy Lane.”

“I love you, Mom,” she said softly, hugging her tightly. When River’s hand came to rest on her back, she looked up at him, smiling as his lips turned up. “You too, Riv.”

He smiled gently, patting her back. “Back at you, sweetheart.”

Sucking in a breath, she let it out slowly, still holding her mom. “I wish Benji was here.”

She didn’t miss the little happy giggle her mother did before she wrapped her up tighter in her arms. “You should marry him.”

“Calm down, woman,” she said, breaking out of her arms and shaking her head. Pinning River with a look, she said, “Ask the woman to marry you, and now she’s marrying all of us off.”

River scoffed. “Don’t act like she hasn’t been trying to marry you off the whole time I’ve known you.”

“Touché,” she said as she saw her father walking through the doors with his child bride on his arm, Ellen. “Shit, he’s here,” she muttered as he came toward them. Her father was a handsome man; there was no denying that. He was tall, with dark hair and green eyes. His face was weathered from the stress of his job, but he was still a good-looking man. When he met Lucy’s gaze, his eyes shone with love. Still. It was insane, and it made her heart hurt. She had loved that man with everything inside of her. He had been her rock through the divorce from Rick, and he’d loved her so much. She was his little girl. But he’d betrayed all of them and she couldn’t let it go.

Coming to a stop before them, he smiled, his whole face lighting up with the movement. “Hey, everyone.”

“Hey, Dad,” Lucy said, tucking her hands into her coat pockets as her mother was stone-faced.

“Mark.”

“Autumn, you look great, a lot slimmer. Are you not feeding her, River?”

He meant it as a joke, but River didn’t even crack a smile. “She eats just fine.”

“Oh, good, that’s good,” he said, looking to Lucy. “You remember Ellen, my wife?”

Ellen, with her big, blue eyes and even bigger breasts that were on display in the middle of a freezing cold rink—not that it was any of Lucy’s business—grinned over at her. Lucy tried to smile, she did, but it didn’t work. “Hey.”

“Hey! I’m so excited to see your daughter play. Mark talks fondly of her.”

Lucy nodded, taking in a breath. “Yeah, she’s amazing. Oh, they’re hitting the ice. Let’s go sit down,” she said, turning without letting anyone object. Her mother walked beside her with River on the other side as they climbed the bleachers. When they got to their normal spot, the one Benji hated, she sat down and turned her phone on to call him.

Before she could, though, her father cleared his throat. “Laney, before I forget, next week when you go to drop Angie off, make sure you call me, keep me on in your pocket so I can hear everything that goes down. If Angie doesn’t want to go, don’t make her—make him make her. You just stand there. I know it will be hard, but you don’t stop him.”