Epilogue
REID
Itook one last skate around the ice as fast as I could.
I pictured myself lining up a killer shoulder check on someone.
Hitting some asshole hard into the glass, that they’d hit the ice before the glass even had a chance to shake.
And that would cause a huge fight.
I stepped off the ice and looked back, smirking.
Soon.
I walked down the tunnel and saw Coach’s son sitting on the floor, his head almost between his knees.
Poor kid, I thought.
Couldn’t imagine what he must have been feeling.
His mother battling cancer.
Mike Jr. was such a tough kid too.
I sat down, right next to him on the floor.
He gasped when he saw me.
“This seat taken?” I asked.
He smiled. “No.”
“Feel like throwing on some skates and going out there?” I asked. “I won’t hit you too hard, kid.”
“No, thanks.”
“You’re not in the mood for anything, are you?”
“Nothing,” he said.
“What if I gave you five-hundred bucks?” I offered. “We’ll hit up a toy store and then grab some pizza.”
“No.”
“Damn, kid,” I said. “Talk to me.”
Mike Jr. looked at me and his eyes filled with tears.
“Shit,” I whispered. I grabbed his shoulder and swallowed hard. “She’s a fighter. I know we can’t predict the future, but if there was one person in this world that cancer should be afraid of, it’s your mother.”
Mike Jr. shook his head. “It’s not that. I’m not upset over Mom having cancer.”
“Reid, what are you doing on the floor?” Remi’s voice boomed. “Did you get hurt?”
“Who’s hurt?” Matias asked. “Is it Reid? What did he do?”
“I’m not hurt,” I called back. “I’m talking to the kid.”