Page 77 of The Love Comeback
“Weeks?” The alarm in his voice is immediate. “But the playoffs are coming up. The team needs you.”
“I know, Dad.” I stare up at the ceiling. “But if I try to come back too soon, I could do permanent damage.”
“Well, yes, of course, we don’t want that,” he concedes, though I can hear the disappointment. “But you’ll be pushing to return as soon as it’s safe, right? The team has a real shot at another Cup this year.”
A few months ago, I would’ve agreed without hesitation. But now…
“Would that really be such a bad thing?” I ask, surprising myself with the words. “If I didn’t make it back for the playoffs. If this was the end?”
Silence stretches across the line, so much so that I wonder if the call dropped.
“Kade,” he finally says, his voice careful, measured. “What are you saying?”
“I’m not saying I want my career to be over,” I clarify, struggling to articulate the thoughts I didn’t even realize I had until this very moment. “I’m just saying that if it was, I’ve had a good run. I’m not twenty anymore. And there are other things I want in my life.”
“What other things?” He sounds genuinely bewildered, and I almost laugh. As if a life without hockey is incomprehensible.
“A family,” I say simply. “Love. A future with someone who matters to me.”
I hear the phone being passed again, my mother’s voice returning. “Are you talking about Ella? Nate mentioned she was at the game last night.”
Of course Nate told them. No secrets in the Santos family, even after all these years.
“Yes,” I confirm, my voice growing stronger.
“So now that Ella’s back in your life, you’re thinking about … what, exactly? Retiring? Throwing away everything you’ve worked for?”
“I’m not throwing anything away,” I reply, frustration edging into my voice. “I’m just finally acknowledging that there’s more to life than hockey. That I want more. And yes, that includes Ella.”
“But your career—” Dad starts.
“My career is fine,” I cut him off, wincing as the increased volume makes my head pound. “I’ve played six seasons. I’ve been an All-Star. I’ve won a Cup. I’ve done everything I set out to do.”
“But you’re still in your prime,” he argues. “You could play for another several years.”
“Maybe I will,” I say. “Or maybe I won’t. The point is, it’smydecision to make. And I’m not gonna let hockey be theonlything in my life anymore. And I’m definitely not gonna let youguys try to convince meagainthat I have to choose between Ella or hockey. That I couldn’t have both.”
More silence, heavy with unspoken history.
“You’re saying she’s worth risking your career over?” Mom asks, her voice hesitant.
“Yes, she is. She always was. I just didn’t have the courage to admit it ten years ago.”
I take a deep breath, steadying myself. The monitors beside my bed beep a little faster as my heart rate increases with my heightened emotions.
“Look, I’m a grown man who’s capable of making my own decisions. And I’ve decided there’s more to life than hockey. I’m not throwing my career away, but Iamchoosing Ella, whether you like it or not,” I say with conviction. “And honestly, if you two can’t support that, then maybe we need to reconsider what our relationship looks like going forward.”
I’ve never spoken to my parents like this before. Never drawn a line in the sand. Their sharp breath tells me they’re just as shocked as I am.
“Kade,” my dad says after a moment, his voice softer than before. “We only ever wanted what was best for you.”
“I know,” I acknowledge. “But you don’t get to decide what that is anymore. I do.”
Another silence falls, but this one feels different. Less tense, more contemplative.
“You’re right,” my mom finally says, her voice thick with emotion. “You’re absolutely right, and I owe you an apology.”
“We both do,” my father adds. “We were wrong to pressure you back then. To make you feel like you had to choose.”
