“Scouts are going to be there. Scouts from theRaptors.”
Her head turns and her eyes are wide. “The Minnesota Raptors? Our hometown team?”
“Yes. Shaw Chandler, their first line center, actually talked to me and Collin over at Betty’s. He went to a few of my games last year.”
“They might pick you up then?”
“Maybe.”
“What about school?”
“Mom, let’s not worry about that right now. I still have to get through tomorrow’s game and I’ve had a hard couple of weeks. I lost four seconds of time. I fell in behind the third line.”
“How?”
“According to Daisy, I’m too stressed over the scouts and always having to be “on” as she calls it.”
“Who’s Daisy?” Her eyes light up with curiosity.
“Girl I met first day of classes. She’s a transfer student who’s living over at the sports house.”
“Does she play a sport?”
“Not that I know of. She just picked up the last room available.”
“So how did you and this Daisy girl get into such a deep conversation about your missing time?”
Inquisition mode. I shouldn’t have brought Daisy up.
I take the plates she hands me and put them on the small breakfast table before rustling up some water and a sweet tea for Mom. How much to tell her?
“Jon.”
“I’m thinking.”
Her eyes narrow as she sits down.
“I just don’t want you jumping to conclusions about her is all.”
“You’re making me nervous. Is she one of those girls who seem to think they’re the shit?”
It’s rare my mother cusses, and I can’t help but laugh when she does. It sounds wrong coming out of her mouth.
“No, Daisy isn’t snobby or self-centered. She’s…” I break off and shake my head. I can’t explain unless I tell her about everything from day one. “Do you really want to hear all this?”
“Of course.”
I take my fork and spend the next half an hour telling her all about Daisy from the day I helped her pick up her books to arguing about buying her skates to everything that happened at the rink.
“I think she’s right. I spent so much time focused on just making sure I didn’t screw up, I forgot why I loved to skate, why I loved hockey. I got in my own head. Coach said I beat my best time by five seconds. And that was with Daisy on my back. I just skated for the sheer joy of it.”
“She sounds like a sweet girl.”
“She is, but she knows nothing about hockey, except to call skates weapons of mass destruction on her feet.”
Mom laughs. “I’m sure she’ll get better.”
“I don’t know. She never learned to ride a bike. She has a balance issue when she’s not walking on her own two feet.”
