"Problem?"
"That's finals."
"So take them early. Talk to your professors. This is more important than some college exams, Declan."
I close my eyes, trying to keep my voice level. "Those exams are important to me."
"More important than your NHL career? Stop making excuses.”
Only my father would be telling me to skip finals.
"I'm not making excuses. I'm trying to be responsible."
“Being responsible is taking steps toward your future.”
"I'll think about it."
"You'll think about it?" His voice rises. "Declan, this isn't optional. You're going to that camp."
"I said I'll think about it."
I could practically hear his teeth grinding, and that made me smile.
“They need confirmation by next week."
"Got it."
"I'm taking Reid to dinner on Thursday. My official pitch to represent him. You should come."
"I can't. I have plans."
"I'm not asking, Declan. Be there. Seven o'clock. The steakhouse downtown." He pauses. "And figure out your answer about dev camp. We need to move forward."
He hangs up before I can respond.
I sit there staring at my phone, my food forgotten.
I find Ashton after practice, in the locker room, pulling off his gear.
"My dad called."
He looks up, and I can see the hope in his eyes. "Yeah?"
"Dev camp invitation came. December. Two weeks over winter break."
"Holy shit." A grin splits his face. "We're doing this. We're actually doing this."
"I told him I'd think about it."
The grin fades. "What's there to think about?"
"Finals. I have a class that does the final on the last day of the semester."
"So we take them early. Talk to our professors. This is the NHL, man. They'll understand. They know who we are. We’ve rarely cashed in our Hockey God cards. This is the time."
I sit down on the bench. "You know I hate that shit.”
“You didn’t hate it during freshman year when we wanted to go to that concert in New York. You didn’t hate it last year when we decided to leave on our Cabo trip a few days early.”
