“All the time.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. When you care about your performance, your team, it’s hard not to.”
I agree, but… “I’m just surprised I guess that after all this time, you’d still think about those moments.” Does that mean that game is going to haunt me for years to come?
“All this time?” He sounds disgusted. “You act like I’m some old man talking about his glory days. I’ve only been retired a few years.”
Despite everything, a laugh works its way past my lips. “You’re not old.”
“Yeah, well, tell that to my back.”
I’m momentarily stunned. “Was that a joke, Coach Holloway?”
He smirks. “Don’t get used to it.”
I think I’d like to, though.
12
Luke
Maybe I should’ve taken Seb up on his offer for some coaching advice. I didn’t expect to find myself here, one-on-one, with one of my players. But as Lennon looks defeated in front of me, I know I need to try to step into the role I’ve been occupying.
“What are your goals? What are you trying to get out of this sport?” If I’m going to be a coach, then I might as well make it worth both of our time. “Do you want to go pro?”
Lennon scoffs and shakes her head. “No chance. There’s no money in that.”
I’m about to disagree, but she’s right. No where close to what men’s professional hockey makes. “But it’s enough to make a decent living?”
“Maybe for one person,” she says. “But I need to get a job that gives me some cushion. So I can help take care of my parents.”
It hits me that I really don’t know anything about Lennon outside of practice. What’s her story? “What do you mean?” I ask her.
Her shoulders sag with a heavy sigh. “My dad was in a car accident years ago and has suffered with chronic back and neck pain ever since. He shouldn’t be working, but the medical bills cleared out most of their savings. And my mom isn’t in a position to financially support them both. I’m on scholarship and working two jobs just to get myself through these four years.”
“I’m sorry about your dad.” That’s a lot on her plate, and some of her frenzy on the ice makes sense now. It’s hard to keep a clear, level head for sixty minutes of gameplay when that’s not the only thing you have to be thinking about. “I know what it’s like to want to take care of your parents.”
Her stare seems to peel back layer after layer as she looks at me, like she’s trying to get inside my head. In this lighting, her eyes look more green than brown.
“Did you go into the league because of the money? To take care of your family?” She sounds curious and almost…hopeful. Like she’s yearning to find some sort of common ground with me at the moment. But unfortunately for her…
“No,” I answer, and her shoulders sag slightly. “But I was able to retire both of my parents and pay off their mortgage.” I was also able to make sure they never felt the financial strain of medical bills from my mom’s cancer treatments like Lennon’s family clearly has faced. But that’s not something I’m going to talk to her about. It’s none of her business.
“That’s the dream, right?” Lennon asks. “Being able to take care of the ones you love while doing what you love.”
I nod and shove my hands in my pockets, growing uncomfortable with the personal turn this conversation has taken. Needing to redirect, I ask, “What’s your degree?”
“Accounting.”
“Do you like it?”
She shrugs.
“Is that what you want?”
“It’s stable.”
