Page 61 of The Recovery Coach
“It’d be cooler if it had my name on it.”
Livy stuck her tongue out at him.“You have to play in the game to get your name on the jersey.”
“Yeah, yeah.Let’s go.”
They arrived at the stadium and met up with the Connors.Photographers snapped pictures of every combination of players.Daisy and Livy posed for as many pictures as the players did until Daisy ferreted Livy away somewhere.The positive media attention had him on top of the world until he had to leave his teammates.
He’d gotten permission for Livy to accompany him in the team’s suite.She sat next to him, her feet propped on the empty seat in front of her, sleeves of her jersey tugged over her hands as she covered her mouth for every gasp or curse.
Watching his team play without him brought about a special kind of pain.They were blowing Denver out of the water, and while he wanted them to succeed, it sucked that they’d adapted so quickly to him being out.Lover and Beanie had a different winger on their line, and their chemistry looked solid.The new line connected on passes and seamlessly moved together on the ice.
Irrational as it may be, it felt like a slap in the face.The Connors worked hard to build their chemistry and create their systems.Beanie and Lover’s new linemate, Lukas Lehtonen, had recently moved to the NHL from a European league.Watching them work together, Hazy would have guessed they’d been playing together for years.
“Damn,” he said during intermission.“I might not have a spot on the team to return to.”
Livy smacked his bicep.“Oh, stop.The Connors are the face of the franchise.”
“Eh, two outa three ain’t bad.”He’d meant for the comment to be a self-deprecating joke.Something to make her laugh.
She didn’t, turning serious in an instant.Placing her feet on the ground, she twisted in her seat to face him.She cupped his cheeks and said, “No negative self-talk.The team loves you.They need you.You’re going to win them a fucking Cup.”
Hazy pulled one of her hands away from his face and kissed the palm of it.He loved her confidence in him.Without her constant support he probably would have given up hockey before ever getting drafted.“I’ve been thinking about what I would do if I didn’t have hockey.Or like.After hockey plans.”
“Oh, yeah?”she asked, relaxing into her seat again.“What have you decided?”
Hazy saw the opening.He could tell her about his jumbled-up feelings.He almost did, but the words got stuck in his throat.By the time his vocal cords unfroze he decided against mentioning it at all.Running it by someone else first seemed like a good plan, but he hadn’t gotten the chance yet.“Just that I need to find some hobbies.”
“That sounds like a great place to start.Do you have something in mind?”
“No.I’ve been trying to think of some since we did vision boards.Travel is one, but I can’t do that all the time.”
“Maybe not, but it still counts.”The third period started.Livy diverted her attention back to the ice.
“Will you help me find some others?”
“Heck yeah.That’ll be so fun!”
As she said it, Lover snapped a pass to Lukas, who maneuvered into a breakaway and stuffed the puck into the back of the net, making the score 6-2 in favor of the Freeze.
Livy leaped from her seat and screamed along with the goal song.Hazy crossed his arms over his chest and shifted in his seat to find a more comfortable position.When he remembered that a camera could be pointed in his direction at any moment, he celebrated.
The crowd quieted as soon as the teams met at center ice for a face-off.Denver won it and gained the offensive zone.They cycled the puck, passing it from person to person faster than the Freeze could keep track of.The Peaks were determined to get a goal.One of their players got tripped up, and a referee’s arm flew up.Their goalie rushed to the bench, and an extra attacker came onto the ice.The Freeze’s goalie, Tyler Schmidt, got peppered with shots at a relentless pace.
Livy and Hazy were both gasping one second, then sighing in relief.Gasp.Sigh.Gasp.Sigh.Schmitty knocked the puck out of the air and created a scramble in front of the net.Bodies piled up on top of him before the whistle finally sounded.
When everyone got to their feet, Tyler stayed down.
“Oh, fuck,” Livy said.
“He needs a minute.He’ll be fine,” Hazy said, trying to convince himself as much as Livy.
On the ice, Beanie signaled a trainer from the bench.Robbie hustled out to the goalie, who was far too still.He should be shaking it off.
A millennium passed before the trainers had him on his feet and skating off the ice.
“Well, fuck,” Hazy admitted when the backup tendie took the ice for the final few minutes of play.“He might not be fine.”
The next morning Livy made pancakes and topped them with strawberries and whipped cream.She piled a stack for Hazy and placed it in front of his seat at the kitchen island.Since being allowed to bend his knee he’d taken to sitting there while she cooked.He liked keeping her company while she worked.
