Page 25 of Bro Code

Riley nodded, picking lint off his knee and avoiding her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. The guys are super nice.”

“Okay.” She nodded, her brow anxiously knit. “Well, that’s good.” She sipped her tea and gripped the cup in both hands in her lap. “It was just so fast! I can’t believe you’re on a whole different team.”

“That’s how the league works, Mom. It’s just the way it goes.”

“Yes, of course, I understand, it’s business. I just – you know me: I worry about you.”

“There’s nothing to worry about, Eomma. I’m fine.”

Nodding with her lips pursed, she sipped her tea and lowered the mug. “I just wish you had called us before you signed anything.”

Riley sighed. “Yep.”

At the beginning of his career, back in juniors, Mom had been very involved in his management. She was a businesswoman. And she was devoted to Riley. Like…very devoted. Riley had been slowly edging her out since he made it to the major league three years ago. It wasn’t easy: his mom was not a person who liked to be edged out. But she didn’t understand the game well enough to be his manager. Not in the big leagues. And anyway, he was twenty-five. She’d finally started getting the message when he’d taken the spot on the Olympic roster: she didn’t want him so far away in Italy, he told her it was three weeks and to get over it. It was an unpleasant conversation.

“Anyway, how are things with you?” he said.

“Oh, we’re fine. We just called to check in,” said Mom. “We just want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”

“I am.”

“When is your first game with the new team?”

“Monday.”

“And you’ll be ready?”

Riley’s stomach dipped. He chuckled casually to cover it. “I don’t think I have a choice.”

Mom didn’t seem to find that funny.

“And what about everything else?” said Dad. He sipped his tea. “The Vanity Fair stuff.”

Dad still hadn’t said the word “gay” out loud. He always said “the Vanity Fair stuff”. Which was actually fine: Riley didn’t think he’d be super comfortable discussing details about that part of his life with his father. Dad probably didn’t need to know how many unsolicited dick pics he received on a daily basis.

“All good, Dad,” he said.

“Have you met anyone yet?” said Mom. “Are you dating?”

“Have I met anyone? Uh…no? I’m not really looking for that right now.”

“Well, why not? It’s been several months since the article came out. I’m sure there must be people interested. You’re so handsome! And a model⁠—”

Riley blew out a breath and Dad put his hand on Mom’s arm and said, “He doesn’t want to talk about that with us, Yuri. I’m sure when he finds the right boy, we’ll meet him.”

Riley eyed her. “Yeah, don’t worry, you’re not gonna have to be setting me up on any blind dates.”

God, that would be the last thing he needed: his parents trying to set him up with hockey players.

They would never do that, though.

…he was pretty sure.

“You know, by the time I was your age, your mother and I were already married,” said Dad.

“Yes, Appa,” Riley sighed. “You also owned a CD player and were big fans of Bill Cosby. Things are different now.”

Dad sipped his tea. “Well, I’m just saying. Love isn’t different. Love is love.”