Page 101 of Risking the Pucking Defense

As I wrap my arms around my mom, it’s impossible to ignore the way her body trembles as she fights tooth and nail to keep it together, and I can’t say my dad is doing much better when I turn to him.

“You look tired,” Mom helpfully points out. “What time did you get in last night?’

A smile pulls at my lips as I think about my middle-of-the-night walk of shame. It’s probably a million miles away from what they think it looked like. Thankfully, neither of them is on social media much, so they won’t have noticed that there wasn’t a photo of me out drinking with the guys last night.

Had my sister been around, that would have been a very different story. She’d have realized I was absent, and she’d have been in my messages the second she noticed, demanding to know where I was.

“Late,” I confess. “It was a good night. We had a lot to celebrate.”

They both smile at me, and it’s a huge relief to see genuine happiness and pride on their faces.

“I know we said it last night, but we were so proud of you going out there and playing like you did,” Dad says, making emotion crawl up my throat.

“We can only imagine how hard that must have been. But you did it. And those assists. You keep that up and you could be in the running for an award or two this season.”

“Dad,” I warn, a laugh tumbling free.

I fucking love his unwavering support. When I was a kid, he was always my number one fan, telling me any chance he got that I’d play in the NHL one day. I used to wave it off. Of course, it was my ultimate dream, but it felt so unreachable back then. I guess just like any of the awards that are given out to the best players in the league each year.

“What? My son is the best D-man in the whole fucking league,” he states proudly, earning himself a glare from Mom for his language.

“Thank you for coming out for it,” I say, just like I did last night.

“We’re gonna be here every chance we get. You’re gonna get bored with seeing us,” Mom says, reaching over and squeezing my hand. “We want to experience as much as we can. We know…we know we’ve missed out on some of your achievements, but⁠—”

“Mom, no,” I beg.

“You have been the most incredible brother, Hayden. You’ve sacrificed so much to ensure that Rylee could get the best care possible. She’d never forgive us if we weren’t there for you.”

“You’re always there for me. I’ve never doubted that.”

“Physically,” Dad adds when it becomes clear that Mom can’t get any more words out. “We want to be more physically present for you. We want to attend games, and we want to travel too, so we thought we’d make the most of our son’s incredible career and check out a few more states.”

I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face. The thought of having my parents there, cheering me on in different arenas across the country, makes me beam.

“That sounds incredible. Give me a list of where you’re planning on coming and I’ll make sure you have tickets and a hotel room.”

“You don’t need to do that,” Dad says, predictably.

“Just send me the list.”

“We love you, Hayden,” Mom whispers, her voice cracked with emotion.

“I love you guys, too. So much.”

The rest of breakfast is nothing like I feared when I was sitting in the parking lot. Of course, it was emotional; that empty fourth side of the table taunts me the entire time. But while we talk about Rylee, it’s nothing but happy memories that make us all smile.

I talk about what the next few weeks look like for me with games and travel, and they talk about places they’re excited to see, and which teams and other players they want to see me go up against. Honestly, it’s the best morning I’ve had in a while, and when I leave, making them promise to call me when they get home, I’m still smiling.

I guess that’s the power of true family. Even in the worst of times, the connection you have with them allows you to stand together and lift each other above it, even if it’s only briefly. I just hope I was able to give them that same lightness.

I’m feeling good when I arrive at the arena for our afternoon sessions. Sure, I’m exhausted. I haven’t slept a full night’s sleep since the night I had Hailee in my bed, and it hasn’t escaped my attention that I could have had that again last night, had I stayed. Regret trickles through my veins. I might have done the right thing, but that doesn’t mean I wish I hadn’t. Maybe I don’t always have to be the good boy who follows the rules…

The dressing room is almost empty, the guys all busy with one thing or another, but two sets of eyes immediately find mine.

“Ah, here he is,” Killer announces. “Have a lie-in or something, Monroe?”

“I…uh…I had breakfast with my parents,” I say in a rush as Rett's attention burns into me.