Page 19 of Cut Off
She nods at me, and I take a deep breath. This is it. No turning back.
“Thank you for having me, Zoe.” My voice is steadier than I expected.
She jumps right in with, “I understand the Dickens police paid you a visit yesterday.”
“Yes. They had surprising news for me.” I take a breath. “I learned I have a nine-year-old son.”
The words feel strange coming out of my mouth, but also right. Like I’m acknowledging a truth that’s been waiting for me to discover it.
“His mother, Rosie Anders, and I were together years ago in college.”
“And how did that end?”
“She left without explanation, and I had no idea she was pregnant.”
Zoe interlaces her fingers. “That must’ve been painful.”
“It was, and it gets worse. Two months ago, she passed away in a car accident, and only yesterday did I discover I had a son. I’m doing everything in my power for custody, and we’re both adjusting to this new reality.”
Zoe’s eyes never leave mine. “Can you tell us a bit about how you’re handling this so far?”
I look down, gathering my thoughts. “It’s challenging. My boy lost his mother, and now he’s meeting a father he never knew he had. We’re going to take it day by day.”
“And what about your hockey career?”
“Hockey is important to me, but my son comes first now,” I say, no hesitation, surprised by how easily the truth comes. “I’m working with the Boise Trout organization to figure out how to balance my responsibilities as a player and as a father. But I want to be clear—my son is my priority.”
“What would you like people to understand about your situation?” Zoe gives me the perfect opening to deliver the message I most want people to hear.
“I’d ask for some privacy as we figure this out. My son’s been through enough, and media attention will only make thisharder on him. I’m not hiding anything—I’m proud to be his father—but he’s a child who’s experienced a tremendous loss. I hope people can respect that.”
Zoe smiles, a genuine heartfelt smile. “Thank you for sharing your story, Jonah. We wish you and your son all the best as you navigate this new chapter together.”
She ends the recording and immediately lets out a breath, her professional demeanor melting away. “That was perfect, Jonah. Seriously. Short, honest, dignified.”
“Thanks. You were great—that helped.” I slump back into the couch, feeling like I’ve just played three consecutive overtime periods. “Now what?”
“Now I’ll invite you as a collaborator to the post, and you accept it.” She’s already clicking away on her phone. “With any luck, it’ll be picked up by the major sports outlets before Donny can break his version.”
I watch as her fingers fly over the phone screen with impressive speed. Watching someone who’s damn good at their job is mesmerizing. Or maybe it’s just her.
“Thank you for this.” The words just come out. “For warning me. For... all of it.”
“You’re welcome.”
“So, I’ll pick you up this afternoon? Around one?”
She looks at me like I just spoke Klingon, so I add, “To go shopping for Eli.”
“That’s right.” She points at me. “Shopping at one. Sounds good.”
I see her out the door, and within minutes of it going live, my phone buzzes. Texts, calls, notifications—the digital press mob storming. I ignore most of them, scrolling through just enough to see that the video is already spreading like wildfire.
Brooks:Just saw the video. Did well. Call me ASAP.
Coach:My office, 9am tomorrow. No exceptions.
Mom:Oh, honey. You did great. Love you.
