Page 68 of My Merry Mistake
I love game days. Sleep in. Good food. Morning skate. Huge crowd.
And with Gray and Dallas, it usually means a win.
My happy place.
I’m trying to focus, but I keep thinking about Raya.
The look on her face when they wheeled her out of her office is burned in my mind. With the exception of the first day we met, I’ve never seen her be anything other than strong and confident. No trace of vulnerability.
Nothing to suggest she’s ever been anything but fierce.
Until yesterday.
Yesterday, I saw vulnerability. A reminder of that night seven years ago. A reminder that she’s not Superwoman.
Like Poppy and Eloise, I’ve been kicking myself thinking we should’ve seen this coming. She’s clearly running herself ragged—we should’ve stepped in.
Well, someone should’ve. She wouldn’t have listened to me.
“It’s not like we’re friends.”
The words felt like a kick to the gut, but she’s right—we aren’t friends.
Yet.
If Gray’s right, I need to show up for her. Be her friend first. Someone she can count on—not someone who’s going to annoy her incessantly. I’m determined to win her over, no matter how different we are.
After yesterday, that goal pales in comparison to my new goal—help her figure out how to relax. If anyone can do that, it’s me. I’m the king of doing nothing. Apart from hockey, it’s my favorite pastime.
There’s a woodenchunksound to my right.
“Brookie!” I turn and find Crosby looking at me. “What are you doin’, man?!”
We’re at a morning skills and drills practice, and this particular drill, 10-Pass Chaos, requires you to actually pay attention.
“Shoot! Sorry!” I call out, swing around, snag the puck, and pass it to coach so he can start the drill back up.
It’s supposed to be fast—hence the name. Three defenders—me, Crosby, and Jericho, get the puck right next to the opponent’s goal. We take the shot, and if we score, it starts over. If we don’t, the offense takes it and starts down the length of the ice.
The catch is—they’ve got six guys to our three, and they need to make ten passes before taking a shot. 10-Pass Chaos.
Their job is to make clean passes and score. Our job, as defense, is to get a stick on the puck and stop them.
I love this drill.Let’s GO.
Crosby takes the pass from Coach, slings it to me, and I jack a shot toward the goal, but the puck lifts wide. I swing around as Esposito gathers it up and starts up the ice.
Let’s go, Brook. Move it.
We’re up against the first line, so it’s Gray, Krush, Esposito, Kemp, Fritz—the rookie, who is out of his mind fast—and Myers. They’re all skilled.
I take the left as Crosby takes center by the blue line and Jericho locks down the right. I look over to him and think,Man, I’m glad he’s on our team. I wouldn’t want to get hit by him.
A pass skirts under my stick and is taken by Kemp, then swung over across the ice to Krush, who handles it for a second, sizing up Jericho. That’s the fifth pass already—geez.
How am I going to get her to relax?It’s not like I can just go to her house and make her. She doesn’t like to be told what to—CRAP!
Gray and Fritz are now both on my side.
