Page 47 of Play Book

“Mr. Marks.” She sighs. “Yes, I’ve been trying to reach you.”

“What’s going on? Is Carly okay?”

“I’m so sorry to have to tell you this. Your sister passed away a week ago.”

Fuck.

I’d been expecting bad, but not this bad.

Son of a bitch.

It’s a little hard to breathe and I close my eyes.

My big sister.

We hadn’t had a relationship in years, but she was still my sister.

The big sister who helped me take off my training wheels.

The big sister who kicked another kid on the playground because he called me a bad name.

Dammit dammit dammit.

“Where’s Allison?” I ask when the first bout of pain passes.

“She’s in a temporary group home.”

Christ.

That’s terrifying. I’ve heard stories about some of those places.

“What do you need from me?” I ask.

“Are you willing to take custody of her? We spoke to your father, and he said it wasn’t an option for him, so you are the only other possibility.”

The asshole hadn’t even called me to let me know about Carly.

“You expect me to take custody of a ten-year-old?” I demand.

“She’s eleven,” Megan says.

Eleven?

Well, I haven’t seen either of them in nine years, so I guess she’s grown up.

“Look, I’m a professional hockey player. I’m on the road nine months of the year, and I’m single. How am I going to take custody of a pre-teen?”

“I don’t know, Mr. Marks. We’re just doing the best we can to find placement for her. She’s a sad, scared kid and there’s no one else.”

“How did Carly die?” I ask quietly.

“She overdosed.”

Jesus fucking Christ.

Despite the things she’s done and how badly she’s treated me, she was my sister.

And Allison is my niece.

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