Page 42 of Pucking Amazing

“Morning, Syd!” Jason beams, his enthusiasm infectious. I find myself beaming back. “Ready to tackle the world today?”

I nod, shuffling some papers on my desk until I find my notes from our last session. “Absolutely, let’s get started.”

“I used those breathing techniques you showed me during our last game, when things got heated,” Jason shares as he drops into the chair across from me, eyes shining with excitement. “Totally kept my cool. You were right, it works! Felt awesome!”

“That’s amazing progress, Jason!” I feel a burst of pride for him.

It’s moments like these that remind me why I love my job. It’s so rewarding to see someone building back up from a low place, and Jason has done exactly that.

The morning continues with back-to-back meetings, both with my patients and some of the team staff. I’m relieved to find that everything is going smoothly today.

Even prickly Mikey seems slightly less hostile during his appointment. Sure, he still tosses out the occasional barb, but hey, at least he’s not storming out anymore. Baby steps.

I staunchly avoid any thoughts of DJ, repeating my new mantra: That night was just a much-needed release, a way to move past the tension. Totally healthy, totally fine. Totally…normal?

I drop my head into my hands, realizing how crazy I sound in my own head, and that’s how Eva Rodriguez finds me when she knocks.

I look up and take in the serious expression of the head athletic trainer, my optimism deflating further at the worry in her eyes.

“Eva, come in, take a seat.” I straighten quickly and gesture at the chair across from me. “What’s up?”

She closes the door behind her as she enters and I gulp discreetly. That’s never a good sign. “I wanted to talk to you about Mikey.”

Uh oh. What now? I try to keep my face neutral. “Of course. What’s going on?”

Eva leans forward, hands clasped on her lap. “I’ve been noticing some concerning patterns with him lately. I mean…worse than usual.”

We both laugh grimly at that—Mikey has a reputation with the Blizzards staff for being difficult.

“Mood swings, erratic behavior,” she continues. “He’ll be joking around one minute, then irritable and withdrawn the next.”

A sinking sensation begins to form in my stomach. “I see. Have you noticed anything specific triggering these changes?”

“Not that I can pinpoint. But it’s definitely affecting team dynamics.” Eva’s brow furrows with worry. “Just yesterday, he snapped at Ryan over a simple miscommunication during practice. It was way out of proportion.”

Shit. This isn’t the progress report I was hoping for. I chew my bottom lip, mind racing.

“Has he seemed like he’s been using anything to you? Any signs of drinking, or other substances?”

Eva shakes her head. “No, nothing specific. But he’s been able to hide this from us before, so…” Her gaze is earnest, almost pleading. “Sydney, I know you’ve been working closely with him. If there’s something going on, we need to address it immediately. For his well-being and the team’s.”

I nod slowly, the weight of the responsibility settling heavily on my shoulders. Eva’s words trouble me more than I’m letting on—I thought Mikey and I were making strides, that he was starting to trust me.

But clearly, I’ve only scratched the surface.

“I understand,” I say, injecting more confidence into my voice than I feel. “I’ll dig deeper with him, see if I can get to the root of what’s going on. I’m not giving up on him, Eva. I promise you that.”

She offers me a small smile, some of the tension easing from her posture. “I appreciate that, Sydney. Keep me in the loop, okay?”

As Eva leaves my office, my mind is already spinning, strategizing my next move with Mikey.

I refuse to let this setback derail the progress we’ve made.

I’m staring down at the remnants of my sad reheated stir fry in the break room, fruitlessly trying to come up with ideas to get through to Mikey, when I hear someone clear their throat. I look up to see Tyler standing in the doorway.

“Hey,” he says softly, sauntering over. “Mind if I join you?”

I nod mutely as he settles into the chair next to me, his broad shoulders and chiseled features making the spacious room suddenly seem very small. Despite myself, despite all the hours I’ve spent thinking about DJ this week, his presence next to me still makes me go all hot and tingly.

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