Page 1 of One More Time

Chapter one

Tyler

This was potentially a life altering moment. The envelope in my hand trembled in my death grip. I couldn’t help but chuckle at myself. I mean, labeling this as the most significant change in my life would be a bit of a stretch. That happened two years ago, and that was the day I realized that the world spinning on its axis was a lot like a ceiling fan full of dirty socks on April Fool’s.

I used to find humor in pranks. So, I orchestrated a spectacle by hanging my smelly hockey socks on the ceiling fan for April Fool’s. The resulting chaos mirrored the unpredictability of life. As I now stood on the brink of yet another crucial moment in life, I craved that thrill.

Weighing the thick envelope in my hand, I reminded myself not to over-analyze it. I glanced up to where Mum bounced on her toes in front of me, an eager smile playing on her lips. I’d always been told I had her eyes. I watched, heart pounding in my ears as her eager sea-foam eyes flicked from me to the letter as I slid it from the white envelope.

“Mum, stop. You’re making me nervous,” I grumbled, secretly relishing her enthusiasm. She’d been my number one fan since day one. Every time I stumbled; she was right there to catch me. Now, she stood there nearly buzzing with excitement, knowing that the contents of that letter could upend our entire lives.

“Come on, Ty! You know I hate surprises.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

With a sigh, I looked down at the page in my hand.

Dear Mr. Riley,

Congratulations...

I didn’t need to read any further.

I froze on the spot, my heartbeat thumping in my ears. Mum snatched the letter from me, clearly having lost patience with waiting on me to speak. Her squeal should’ve snapped me out of my stupor.

This application was a long shot—the biggest fucking long shot of my life. My mind raced between each thud of my heart.

Should I? Shouldn’t I? Can I do this?

“Tyler?” Mum squeezed my arm, and I turned to face her. She looked up at me with those eyes that could read me like the books she wrote for a living.

“Tyler, this was your idea. Even after my diagnosis I told you this was your dream, not mine—certainly not your dad’s. You wanted the big deal. No matter what you do, you know I’ll always be proud of you, right?”

Man, I hit the jackpot with my mum.

She wasn’t wrong. The NHL was my dream, always had been. I’d watched games on TV growing up, hearing Mum yell and swear, eyes lighting up as she watched the playoffs. I wanted to be on that TV; I wanted her cheering for me like that.

That’s where it all started. If I said my mom didn’t have an ulterior motive for taking me to the ice rink, I’d be lying. I knew she secretly hoped it would give me a spark of inspiration.

Hockey itself wasn’t in my blood, but we were an athletic family. My dad was an ex-fighter, Mum an ex-jockey. Not exactly pro hockey player magic, but I did partially thank genetics for my skill on the ice.

Though my dad wasn’t really into the hockey scene, he never skipped a game. He was always there to give me a pat on the back—win or lose. I did pretty well, at least by Aussie standards. I had national medals, snagged a spot on the under-eighteens team, and made my way to the world championships. We played against some of the best players in the world and brought home a bronze—a major win for Team Australia. Now, with my golden ticket in hand, I was one step closer to being on the NHL’s radar.

“Tyler?”

I hadn’t realized I’d forgotten to answer her. The low hum and trickle from the fish tank were the only noises in the room.

“I know, Mum. I know you’ll support me no matter what, but… this is huge. It doesn’t just affect me anymore.”

“You’re not giving up your dreams because of little ol’ me,”

My gut twisted.

Leaving her wasn’t an easy choice to make.

“Oh, cut me some slack. I’m a grown woman; I can look after myself and Jamie.” She laughed, but we both knew the grim reality of the situation.

Two years ago, life threw two big, dirty socks our way. The first hit was losing my Dad. He was a volunteer firefighter, who didn’t make it home after fighting an out-of-control bushfire. He and Mum were high school sweethearts and a dynamic duo. She took his death hard—we all did. But the second sock hit when Mum got diagnosed with the big C.

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