Page 75 of Slap Shot Surprise
“Okay. Do you want anything to drink?”
“Not right now.”
“Let me know if you want anything. They do send servers back here, but when it gets busy, the wait can be long. We usually end up having to go to the bar.”
“Where’s the bathroom? That’s probably what I’ll need before anything else.”
“It’s just outside the door to this room.”
“Okay.” She smiled and patted my arm. “Go play. Have fun.”
I drank a few beers and shot a few games of pool, and every time I looked over at Mabel, she seemed to be having a great time.
“So who’s the girl?” My captain, a French-Canadian guy named Luc Tessier I respected for his leadership and admired for his deep understanding of the game, elbowed me, his eyes on Mabel. We stood off to the side, waiting our turn for the next game.
“A friend from back home,” I said.
“She’s visiting you?”
“Yes.” I paused, taking a swallow from my beer, debating.I decided I trusted Tessier. He was a father of two. Maybe he’d have some advice. “Actually, Luc,” I said quietly, “she’s pregnant.”
He looked at me, the question in his eyes.
“Yes. It’s mine.” For the first time, it actually felt good to say it out loud.
Tessier nodded, glancing over at Mabel again. “How far along?”
“Halfway. She just had the ultrasound where you can find out the sex last week.”
“Oh yeah? And?”
“It’s a boy.” I couldn’t help the grin that took over my face.
He smiled too, clinking his beer bottle against mine. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks. Although it feels strange to accept congratulations. Not only because this was completely unexpected, but because she’s doing all the work right now.”
“There will be plenty of work for you to do, don’t worry.”
I turned to face him. “How do you manage it? The balance between hockey and your kids?”
He shrugged. “It’s not always easy. I have to miss things, but I try really hard not to. My wife picks up a lot of the slack.”
“She doesn’t want to move here, because we’re not together,” I explained. “So I’ll miss a lot.”
“That’s tough.”
“But what’s the alternative? I can’t move away from Chicago.”
He thought for a moment. “When is your contract up?”
“Next year.”
“Will you sign a new one?”
“If they still want me.”
“I think they’ll still want you,” he said confidently. “But do you still want to play?”
