“Sam, your phone is ringing!”
I dried my hair with a towel as I walked out to Jude’s living room, grabbing my phone and seeing a Monroe number.
“Hello,” I answered.
“Hello, may I please speak to Mr. Webber?” the man on the phone asked, sounding a little nervous.
“This is he,” I said, sitting on the sofa.
“Hi, Mr. Webber. My name is Vander Dalton and I coach hockey at Monroe University,” he said.
“Hey, Coach Dalton. What can I do for you?”
“Look, I’m sorry for calling you unannounced, but I heard you were staying close by. I was wondering if you could stop by and maybe play with the boys. You know, give them a few tips and a few words of encouragement,” he said quickly. “They are a really talented bunch, and I think they could learn a thing or two from you.”
“Um… Can I think about it?” I asked, getting nervous.
“Yeah, of course,” he said. “I’m sorry. I know this is completely random, but my sister works at the PT you went to, and I happened to see you there. You also work out with a friend of mine. This is my first year coaching because the head coach quit and I was just supposed to be an assistant coach, and I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing.”
I chuckled.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said all that,” he said quickly.
“It’s fine, it's just I haven’t really been on the ice much and?—”
“Take your time deciding. I know this is a long shot, but thanks for taking my call,” he sighed.
“Give me a few days,” I said. “Talk to you soon, Coach Dalton.”
“Thanks, Webber.”
I hung up the phone, staring at it, wondering if I could do this. I hadn’t played in months. What if I made an ass of myself?
Worthless. Brat. Useless.
I closed my eyes as my insecurities hit me.
“Who was that?” Jude’s voice pushed away some of the bad thoughts.
“A coach from the local college asking if I could come in and show the kids a few things,” I said, taking a deep breath.
“That sounds awesome,” Forest said sitting next to me. “What’s wrong?”
Forest lifted my chin to look at him and I shrugged.
“I haven’t played in months and—” I didn't know what to say.
“This might be the perfect way to get back into the game,” Forest said. “I mean, this could ease you into the game, right?”
“Can you imagine how excited you would have been if you had a hockey player come to Lubbock and help you play?” Jude sat on my other side.
“I think I would have been starstruck and in shock if someone from the NHL came and visited,” I said, knowing where he was going with this.
“So, why not get on the ice with them and give them some pointers?” Jude grabbed my hands. “You're not playing a game, you're giving these boys some confidence and I mean who wouldn’t want some advice from an NHL player?”
I knew he was trying to be nice and give me confidence, but what he was saying was making me feel worse. No one wanted advice from a retired, washed-up hockey player who could barely walk, much less skate at the level I needed to.
“They know injuries happen and what you went through wasn’t easy,” Forest said, grabbing my other hand. “I think youbeing out on the ice shows them to never give up, even if they stop playing tomorrow. You're not completely out of the game either. You're still a free agent.”
