Page 30 of The Pucking Single Dad

“How was the pool?” she asked them.

Adam was elated, and he told her what a great time he had. She was thankful for that. She was glad that he had not picked up on the tension in the room. She was also happy that Hunter got to spend some quality time with his son before his training schedule picked up again. Hunter walked over to her. He looked out the window and saw the photographers. He sighed.

“We will leave out the back entrance again,” he reassured her. “We will make sure the car is outside, ready to go, before we head out. It will be fine.”

Hunter kissed Luna. When he started to move away from her, she grabbed his hand and put both of his arms around her. She needed him to hold her. She needed him to make her feel safe. Hunter and Luna stood in the bedroom, hugging. Their touch comforted each other.

When they moved downstairs with their luggage, they waited until they were notified that their car was ready. Luna braced herself for exiting the hotel building. She desperately hoped no photographers were waiting for her.

As they stepped outside, the driver grabbed their luggage and quickly loaded it into the car. Hunter placed Adam in the car first. As Luna began to get into the car, she was interrupted by a man with a camera who came up to the car.

“Luna!” the man shouted. “Luna, right here! Let me get a quick shot!”

The driver rushed over and pushed the man away from her. Hunter quickly came over and pushed Luna into the car and then got in, placing his own body between her and the man outside. The man continued trying to get shots of them, even when they got into the car. The driver rushed into the vehicle and sped off. Hunter looked over at Luna.

She was shaking. She had not had a photographer get that close to her before. The whole incident was chaotic and scary. She had already cried so much over the past couple of days that she did not want to cry anymore, but Luna was not in charge of her emotions. She started balling in the back of the car.

“What is wrong with Luna?” Adam asked. “I’ll tell you when we get home,” Hunter whispered to Adam.

Hunter tried to comfort Luna as she cried, but he knew there was nothing he could do, which was a helpless feeling. He hated seeing someone he loved in pain. He had already seen too much of that in his life. The rest of the car ride was filled with silence.

When they finally got back to Hunter’s apartment, Adam went into his room to play while Hunter and Luna sat at the kitchen table. Hunter knew that a serious conversation was about to occur, and he desperately hoped that she was not about to leave him. He could not handle that type of heartbreak. He sat there and waited for Luna to speak first. He was simply there to listen.

“I need to get away,” Luna finally said. “I need to go back home to Guatemala.”

Chapter Ten: Time Abroad

Luna stood in line to board the plane with her ticket to Guatemala in her hand. It had been a long time since she had been back home. She wondered what she was going to find once she arrived. She knew that she would have her sister there to support her, but she wondered how quickly she and her mother would reconcile.

Luna loved her mother deeply, but her mother struggled to understand her desire to live in America, the land of opportunity. Luna’s accomplishments in the U.S. would have been impossible in Guatemala. While both women acknowledged this truth, it was harder for her mother to accept. Luna also worried about Hunter. Would leaving for a short time harm their relationship? She already missed him, as well as Adam, more than she could express.

Thankfully, Ella had agreed to cover for Luna when she went home. She knew that Adam was in good hands. Ella was afantastic nanny and would make sure that all of Adam's needs were met. She also knew that Ella was a good friend, and there was no threat from her. Ella would remain professional with Hunter and knew that Hunter loved her. She did not worry that anything would happen with another woman while she was away. Yet, still, she had a knot in her stomach as she wondered if she was making the right decision. Then, her mind flashed back to the crush of photographers who were there the night of Hunter’s team event in the city.

Memories of the man who had rushed up to the car with a camera in her face, the lights flashing before her eyes, the screaming, and the name calling, all of this flooded back to her mind. Luna shook her head, trying to erase the memories. She knew that she was making the right decision, no matter how hard it was to make.

While she was waiting to board the plane, Hunter was at home in his apartment. He already missed Luna, but he knew that letting her go was the right thing to do. She needed to get away. He remembered the look of terror on her face as the paparazzi surrounded them. She was not used to this life. He only hoped and prayed that time away would make her realize how much she loved him and that letting her go would cause her to return home to him and Adam.

He longed for their family to be together, cherishing the beautiful bond they were creating. Their love was unique, born from exceptional circumstances and genuine care for one another. He wanted a life partner again, and he wanted Adam to have a mother. Counting down the days until Luna returned, he reminded himself it would only be a month, but he couldn’t shake the fear that a lot could happen in that time. He tried notto let those worries consume him, especially with a big game coming up in less than three weeks. When Ella finally arrived, he quickly grabbed his gym bag and headed straight to the ice rink.

The flight to Guatemala was not as long as Luna had anticipated. She was thankful for this. When she got off the plane and retrieved her luggage, she was pleased to find her sister waiting for her at the arrivals section of the airport. She ran up to her sister and gave her a big hug. It had been many years since they had seen each other, even though they talked on the phone every few months.

“I can’t believe that you are here!” Lisa said joyously to Luna. “It has been so long since you have been home. How are you feeling?”

“I’m not going to lie,” Luna replied to her sister. “I’m nervous about seeing mom. It has been a long time.”

Lisa nodded. She understood Luna’s feelings.

“I know,” Lisa said to her sister sincerely. “I know you are nervous, but don’t be afraid. You and Mom are blood, and to her, nothing is more important than family. You are her daughter, and she is your mother. There is no changing that. Come on, let’s get you home. Mom is coming over for dinner tonight.”

Luna watched as the airport grew farther and farther away from them as the car drove away. She was really home. She was really back in Guatemala, and although she left the paparazzi behind, she knew that a new challenge awaited her: reconciling with her mother. She looked over and smiled at her sister. She was thankful for Lisa’s support. Without her, she would never have been able to escape the drama that she was experiencing in America.

When Lisa and Luna finally arrived at Lisa's house from the airport, Luna placed her belongings in the guest room and pulled out her cell phone to call Hunter. She dialed his number, but it went straight to voicemail. Glancing at her watch, she wondered if the time difference was the issue or if he was busy training for his upcoming game. Either way, she wished she could talk to him.

She texted him to let him know she had arrived safely at her sister's house. Then, she called Ella, who thankfully picked up. Luna informed her that she had made it to Guatemala and asked about Adam. She wanted to know how he was doing and whether he was adjusting to a new routine and the changes.

“Adam was quiet today,” Ella said. “I think it is just all the change. He seemed tired and stayed in bed. I would give it a day or two. I am sure he is fine, and there is no need to worry.”

This caused Luna to grow concerned. Adam was an energetic child. He rarely spent most of the day in bed. She began to worry.