Page 65 of Slap Shot

Ryan Seymour, one of my teammates, is a dad. Dallas Lansfield—a buddy who plays for the DC Titans—also has two kids.

I’m sure they’d tell me spending the day with a child who isn’t mine is atouchaggressive, but it feels like the right thing to do. The offer slipped out before I could stop myself, and I’m not mad I said it.

“You want to take her?” Madeline asks.

“I’d love to,” I say.

“Do you think you could handle that? I don’t mean to be blunt, but you can’t really communicate with Lucy. It’s going to be a lot of work. You’ve been running yourself into the ground with training and games and media events—the last thing I want you to do is give up free time you so rarely get to entertain my child.”

She’s not wrong.

My bones are exhausted. My brain is foggy. It’s like I’m on overdrive, but I can tell Madeline is tired too.

I know how hard she’s working to feed me. Add in helping Lucy with her schoolwork and going food shopping two times a week, and she deserves a break.

“We’ll figure it out. And if we can’t, I know how to get a hold of you.”

“How will you get around? Her soccer practice is on the other side of the city.”

“I bought a booster seat after you told me she couldn’t ride in the car without one. It’s in the hallway closet.”

“You did?” Madeline blinks. “You… you didn’t have to do that, Hudson.”

“Yes, I did. I know her safety is important to you, and it’s important to me too. With the weather getting colder, y’all don’t need to be walking around when the temperatures drop. You’ll take my car from now on when y’all want to go somewhere or if you need to go to the grocery store.”

“That was so thoughtful of you,” she says softly. “Truly. I… I really appreciate it.”

“It’s nothing. Really. Happy to do it.”

Madeline gnaws on her bottom lip. We spend a few minutes in silence as she adds green peppers and onions to the eggs. She doles out the breakfast onto two plates, and I realize she’s going to have to make another round when Lucy wakes up.

More food, more dishes.

More work for her, and now I’m determined to get her to agree to take the day off.

“Okay. You can take Lucy,” she finally says, laughing when I pump my fist in the air. “But she’s a ball of energy. She can run laps around you, Bombshell.”

“I don’t doubt it.” I shovel down a bite of food and sit at the kitchen table. “Tell me more about your kid.”

Madeline brings her plate with her and sits next to me. She draws her legs to her chest and scratches behind Gus’s headbefore taking a bite of her breakfast. “Lucy needs to eat every few hours, or she’ll get grumpy. I keep snacks in my bag when we’re out doing errands. She loves cheese sticks.”

“Something I can relate to. Is she allergic to anything? Bees? Ants? What do you do while she’s at practice?”

“No allergies, and I sit on the sidelines. That’s probably going to be harder for you to do. You’re going to draw some, ah, unwanted attention from the other soccer moms.”

“I’ll throw on a hat and some sunglasses. If anyone asks, I’m Hudson’s twin brother.”

“Good luck with that. I saw you in a commercial last night.”

“The car one?”

“Mhm. I didn’t know you were so passionate about Hyundais,” Madeline says. “Don’t you drive a Range Rover?

“I do, but the owner of the dealership is a friend. Someone I met before my rookie season, and he’s a good dude. I know the weight my name carries, and it’s good to give back to people who’ve been on your side since the very beginning.” I down half my coffee. “I’m appreciative of anyone who’s a fan, but I have a special place in my heart for the ones who were there before the lights got bright.”

She rests her chin on her knees and holds her mug with both hands. “Who else would be on that list?”

“The PE teacher I had in kindergarten who told my parents I had athletic abilities. Mr. Wilson was his name. My junior year English teacher, Mrs. Dimetro. She saw I was struggling with SAT prep, tutored me after school twice a week, and helped me get into college. My parents, obviously. My neighbor and friend from childhood, Jimmy Silva. He’s come to a couple games.”

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