Page 23 of Of Pucking Course

“You have to hit the TV button first, remember?”

“Oh! Right!” She’s quiet for a second. “I’m hitting it now and nothing’s happening.”

Sam lets out a breath, still smiling. I hold back a laugh. He’s mildly annoyed, but in that well-meaning way we all feel when our parents ask us something for the millionth time.

“Turn it off first, then press the TV button, then press ‘power,’” Sam says.

“Oh! That’s right!” She’s quiet for a second again. “Gosh, why do they have to make remotes so complicated and confusing nowadays?”

I hold back a laugh. Sam glances over at me, shaking his head.

He focuses back on the road. “Mom, what happened to the TV remote instructions I wrote down for you the last time I visited you and Dad? I left it on the coffee table, remember?”

Warmth pools in my chest. Sam wrote special instructions for his parents so they could use their electronics. That’s so sweet.

“Your father spilled coffee all over the paper yesterday,” Sam’s mom says. “I had to throw it out.”

Sam sighs, shaking his head. “It’s okay. I’ll write them down again for you the next time I visit.”

“Thank you, honey. Oh! The TV turned on! Yay! But now the volume isn’t working.”

I cover my mouth and try not to laugh as Sam leans his head against the headrest and groans softly.

“Dad always keeps it on mute when he watches TV late at night, remember? Just hit the mute button,” Sam says, his tone patient.

A second later, sound blasts from his phone. I burst out laughing as Sam rolls his eyes and smiles.

“Ah! There we go,” she says. “Sam, honey, do I hear someone with you?”

“Hi, Mrs. McKesson. It’s Dakota, Del’s sister.”

“Oh, hi, honey! It’s so good to hear from you! How many times do I have to tell you, call me Barbara,” she says sweetly.

I’ve seen Sam’s mom countless times over the years. We’d sit together and watch Del and Sam play for theUniversity of Denver. Sometimes I sit with her and Sam’s dad when we’re at the same hockey game together, watching Del and Sam play each other.

“Gosh, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you,” she says. “Not since that game Del and Sam played against each other last year, right?”

“Yeah, it’s been a while. Sorry to interrupt your conversation.”

“Oh, don’t apologize! It’s lovely to hear from you. I’ll let you kids go. No need to make you keep listening to me while I try and figure out my TV remote for the millionth time.”

I chuckle. “It’s really okay. It’s so nice talking to you, Barbara.”

“You too, honey!”

She thanks Sam for helping her with the remote and tells him goodbye.

“Bye, Mom. Love you too.”

Sam hangs up.

“Aww, Sam. You’re such a sweet mama’s boy, helping her with the remote,” I tease.

He rolls his eyes, but he’s chuckling.

I pat his shoulder. “I think it’s so sweet how patient you are with your mom. And how you wrote special instructions for her. ” I rest my hand on my chest, my insides warm. I’ve always had a thing for guys who are extra kind to their moms. Probably because I’m close with my mom too.

He shrugs. “We all do stuff like that for our parents.”

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