10. Leo
Leo
My gaze fixes on the puck as it flies across the ice.
Utah’s top forward is in possession of it. He speeds ahead toward our net.
I sprint across the ice after him. It’s halfway through the third period in our game against Utah University, and we’re tied two to two. They’re eager to break it, but so are we.
As a defenseman, my priority isn’t scoring. I’ll take a shot if the opportunity arises. I’m decent at it, but my strength is stopping the opposing team from scoring, then sending the puck off to one of our forwards, like Nick or Blake, who kick ass at scoring goals.
My lungs burn as I catch up to the Utah forward. He’s making a beeline for Travis in the net, so I get in his way. I force him out of the shooting lane to the outside, screwing up his chance at a clean shot. Then I check him.
He loses the puck, and I go after it. I bring it across the ice toward the Utah net. I glance around for someone to pass it to and see Nick. I send it over to him. He snatches it up, and a half-second later, he shoots it. It sinks into the back of the net.
The goal buzzer sounds, and the home crowd is on their feet, cheering and screaming.
We surround Nick, smacking his pads and his helmet in celebration.
“Fuck yeah, nice goal,” I say.
He grins and points his stick at me. “You set it up for me, dude.”
He wraps an arm around me and smacks my pads. The rest of the guys join in. It feels really good whenever I can help my teammates score.
We manage to hold Utah off for the rest of the game. In the locker room, Coach Sawyer addresses us.
“That was a hell of a game, boys. Fantastic teamwork.” He looks at me. “Especially you, Peretti. That’s the kind of skill I wanna see out of our d-men.”
“Thanks, Coach.”
“Who feels like stuffing their faces at the diner?” Nick asks after Coach leaves us to get cleaned up.
Travis, Blake, and I all say we’re in.
We grab our stuff and head out of the arena. The guys’ parents and significant others are gathered outside, waiting to greet them.
Nick walks over to his parents and his girlfriend, Poppy. They all embrace and tell Nick what a great job he did.
Travis heads over to his mom and his girlfriend, Anna. They both hug him.
Blake grins at his girlfriend, Briar. He grabs her, and she jumps up, wrapping her legs around his waist. She holds his face in her hands as she kisses him. “You were amazing out there,” she says between kisses.
I stand off to the side, letting my teammates have a moment.
After a minute, my mom walks up to me, beaming. “You played so well, honey.” She hugs me.
“Thanks, Mom.”
She squeezes her arms around me. “I’m so proud of you. You always play your heart out.”
My mom is the exact opposite of my dad. She only ever has nice things to say to me. Even when I play like crap, she showers me in praise.
When we break apart, she’s smiling up at me, her burnt umber eyes bright.
“Is Zoey here?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “They’re having a carnival night at the daycare, and it ran late. She told me to tell you she’s sorry.”
“It’s okay. Carnival sounds way more fun than a college hockey game.”
She chuckles.
“So, um, you doing okay?” I ask.
A sad smile pulls at her mouth. “I’m good, honey.”
“You’re sure? I know since you and Dad separated, it’s been hard being in the house all alone.”
“It’s really okay. It’s for the best.”
Two years ago, my mom separated from my dad. It was honestly a long time coming. He’s hardly ever home. He works long hours and travels a lot for his job as a hockey analyst at a major sports network.
It was the same story when he played professionally. Never home. Always focused on hockey.
And when he was home, he hardly ever spent time with her. Or my sister. He was mostly with me, constantly monitoring and critiquing my progress as a player.
She finally got sick of being put on the back burner and filed for separation two years ago.
“How are things at the house?” I ask. “Everything good?”
“Yeah, overall. One of the recessed lights in the living room burned out, and even with the ladder, I’m not tall enough to change it.”
“Don’t do that. I’ll come over this weekend and change it for you. I’ll rake the lawn and change out the air filter in the HVAC too while I’m there.”
Her smile turns warm. “Best son ever.”
She checks the time on her watch. “I should get going. I have a client meeting in Breckenridge tomorrow, and I have to wake up early to prepare.”
I hug her. “Thanks again for coming, Mom.”
“You know I love watching my superstar son play hockey.”
She tells everyone bye and heads for the nearby parking lot.
“Leo. A word.”
The sound of my dad’s gruff voice makes me tense. I turn around to him standing a few feet away. He’s frowning at me.
I step off to the side and brace myself for whatever insult he’s about to drop on me.
“Why didn’t you take that shot in the third period?”
I exhale sharply, instantly annoyed.
“You had the perfect opportunity, and you just gave it away.”
“Scoring isn’t my strong suit.”
“It can be if you quit taking the easy way out and try harder.”
I hold back from scoffing. “You think the way I play is easy?”
“Yeah. I do. Because you always play like that. You need to challenge yourself. Up your skill set. You’re about to go pro. You think the way you played tonight is going to hold up when you’re pitted against the best players on the planet?”
He pins me with a hard stare. I shake my head and glance off to the side.
“You think disrupting shooting lanes and passing to your teammate is enough to impress anyone in the pros?”
Frustration rockets through me.
“You’re not big enough to be an enforcer. You can’t just interrupt play and expect to blow everyone away. That’s an amateur mindset.”
When I don’t say anything, he purses his lips like he’s disappointed.
I should be used to it. He’s been disappointed in me my whole life.
But it cuts deep every single time.
I glare at him. “Quit coming to my games just to shit on me. I’m sick of it.” I’m careful to keep my voice down. We’re around my teammates and their families, and I don’t want to cause a scene.
But the anger in my tone is crystal clear.
My dad aims his hard stare at me for a long moment before turning away and walking off without a word.
When I look over, my teammates are still visiting with their girlfriends and parents. After a couple of minutes, their parents walk off.
Nick turns to us. “You guys ready to get some food?”
I nod. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.”