Page 107 of For the Win

“Who?”

“The young woman you’re seeing.”He pauses.“I can’t remember her name.”

A burn hits my chest.It takes a few seconds to squeeze the word out.“Arya.”

“Yes.Her.What did you do?”

I narrow my eyes at him.“What didIdo?”

I catch Mom trying not to smile.“Did something happen, Harrison?”she asks more tactfully.

It’s my turn to slump.I slide down in the office chair, legs stretched out in front of me.“Sort of.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really.”

“It might help.Obviously, something’s getting to you.And yes, I know you’re concerned about Dad—I understand that.”

“Do you?”My chin rests on my chest.“Do you really know what it’s like trying to live up to the King of Hockey?”

For a moment the room is dead silent.Then she makes a soft noise.“Oh, Harrison.Is that what this is?”

I blow out a breath.“Partly.”I stare at my track shoes.

“Tell me.”

My dad was always the one I went to for advice.Hockey advice.Woman advice.Money advice.Not that Mom and I aren’t close; it’s just different.But Dad’s...different now.And Mom’s looking at me with a soft expression of love and concern and compassion.

I remember Arya saying parents love being asked for advice.I don’t know how much Dad understands but I’m going to ask anyway.

I tell them about what Coach said to me last month when I got called up, about how I’ve coasted through my career.How much I want to be a regular in the NHL, to live up to the Wynn reputation.To make Dad proud of me.

My mom listens, nodding.At one point she shifts her chair closer to me so she can set her hand on my shoulder and squeeze gently.

Dad’s still sitting behind his desk, but he stands and comes around it.“Look, son.There’s a lot of pressure in this league.”

“Yeah.”

“And...I guess even more so if you’re a Wynn.”

I meet his eyes.I nod slowly.

“Pressure is hard to handle,” he continues.“Nobody can teach you how to deal with it.You have to learn yourself.”

That’s probably the most real advice I’ve gotten.I thought I’d done pretty good with the pressure, but yeah, it got to me.“Sorry, Dad.”

He frowns.“Sorry?For what?”

“I don’t want to let you down.I don’t want to let the team down.”

“You only let us down if you aren’t trying.”

“Harrison.”Mom speaks up.“What Dave said about coasting...”

I frown at her.“Yeah?”

“He may have a point.”

---