Page 25 of A Scoring Chance
I’m moments away from drifting back to sleep when the shrill ring of my cell fills the room for a second time. “What the fuck could be this important?” I roll over in bed, noting the time on the clock, which reads 8:30 a.m. Instead of silencing it again, I grab it off the nightstand and bring it to my ear. Nothing but agrunt leaves my mouth as I wait for whoever is calling to tell me what they’re calling for.
“This has been the longest ride home from The Chill Zone in history.” Alise’s singsong voice rings through the line as I flop backward on the bed with a groan.
Fuck. I got so caught up in watchingMormon Wiveswith Momma that I spaced on calling Alise back. The mindless television and time with Momma were exactly what I needed to get my mind right. I was so exhausted from the day's events that I ended up passing out on the couch after watching the finale. Momma woke me up around eleven and demanded I get into my bed.
“No need to apologize. I forgive you. I also sent all the parents on your team an email explaining why you weren’t at the meeting. I told them you had an emergency and had to run out of practice last night. I assumed you?—”
“I have an email address?”
“All the coaches with the club have an email address. Didn’t you even look at the paperwork I left for you in the rink office last night?”
“Ummm…” My voice trails off as I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stride toward the front of the house in search of said paperwork. I stumble into the kitchen to find Momma sitting at the table with a steaming cup of coffee in front of her as she reads the morning paper.
“Want a cup?”
“Please,” I groan as she motions toward the empty seat across from her at the kitchen table. Sitting on the table is my missing paperwork packet, wallet, and keys. I mouth “thank you” to Momma as she places the cup in front of me.
“Have I given you enough time to locate the detailed packet of paperwork I painstakingly put together for you?”
“Alise, it’s only about ten pages long. I doubt this took you longer than ten minutes to put together,” I respond as I pick the packet up off the table and start flipping through it.
“It took me fifteen, but that’s beside the point.” Alise huffs loudly into the phone before continuing. “Now, will you stop interrupting?”
“Continue.”
“Thank you. Now, as I was saying, I spoke to Coach James last night, and he made sure the parents knew practices were Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 7-8:30 p.m. In the email, I included your cell phone number and reminded parents that practice is canceled this Friday because of the Timberwolves’ exhibition game against the Wolverines. I also encouraged all the boys to attend or watch the game on television.”
“Oh,” is the only response I can muster.
Alise covered almost everything I would’ve with a first email to my team, but my mind can only focus on one thing, and not what should be most important.
Friday night will be the first time the Timberwolves will play without me on the ice. Not only that, but they’re playing our rivals and the only team standing between us and another Stanley Cup win. But the only thing I can focus on is the fact that practice is canceled on Friday. Which means I won’t have any excuse to see Ramona again before practice on Monday.
“You didn’t forget there was a game, did you?” Alise’s voice switches from sounding confused to teasing in a matter of seconds. “Or is there another reason you’re thinking about something other than hockey for the first time in your life?”
“No.”
“No? Just no? That’s seriously all you have to say?”
“What else do you want me to say, Alise? This is the first time since I joined the team that I won’t be on the ice with them for agame. I play sick and injured. Nothing has ever stopped me from being on the ice with my team until now.”
“Fair point, but you know they can do it, right? The Timberwolves are a solid team. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that they’ll make it back to the playoffs this year.”
Everything she’s saying is right. Beau will lead the team to victory, with or without me. They might have some growing pains in the first few games with the line changes, but they’ll be fine. It’s one reason Coach wanted to set up some exhibition games before the official start of the season. That and also using them to test my knee on the ice in game conditions. Too bad Murphy wouldn’t sign the fuck off on it.
I reach down and rub my knee. Thankfully, the ache from last night’s practice has subsided, mostly because of the painkillers and ice my mom forced me to put on during our impromptu TV binge last night. “I just hate not being on the ice with them.”
Momma gives me a sympathetic look, reaching across the table to give my hand a squeeze. “We know, but you’ll be back on the ice with them by playoffs.”
“You’re damn right, I will be,” I respond, grabbing my cup off the table and taking a big swig of coffee.
That’s the only silver lining to this whole mess. Yes, I’ve been banished to coaching back in Redwood Falls, but the season here ends in early March, at the latest. If I play my cards right, I can get Murphy to sign off on my returning to the ice just in time for the playoffs.
“Thanks for the pep talk, Alise.”
“Anytime, Coop. Anytime,” Alise responds before ending the call.
I continue sipping my coffee as I flip through the packet Alise made for me. There isn’t anything out of the ordinary included in the packet. Open and closing times for the rink. Free skate and practice schedule for all sports that call The Chill Zone home.
