Page 212 of Snap Shot

“Hey, Coach.”

He squints and gives me a once-over. “Indi? That you, kiddo?” His head shakes as he mirrors my disbelief. “It's been ages.”

“It has.” We do an awkward dance: I extend a hand when he comes in for a hug, then he and I switch. We settle on a fist bump.

“What brought you out today?” His torso turns to the ice.

“I'm not sure.” We both take a seat. “I've been staying with my parents for a bit. Needed some air and ended up passing by.”

He hums and nods. “Do you still play?”

“Not really, no.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m a lawyer. Though I got a chance to play on a lake a few months ago and I wasn't terrible.”

“Muscle memory is wild, eh?”

I agree with a laugh.

“You were pretty good if I remember correctly. Bet you're a better lawyer.”

An unintentional scoff sputters from my lips. “One of the best in Ottawa.”

He whistles.

“To be honest,” I intone. “I'm taking a break.” The sheen of untouched ice catches my attention again. “I'mtwenty-eight. I should know what I'm doing with my life by now, but I have no idea.”

“What are you talkin' about? You got the whole rest of your life to enjoy. Anyone who tells you they've got it all figured out is either lying to you or themselves.”

I frown. “Maybe.”

The watch on his wrist beeps. “Shit. You stickin' around town for a while?”

“Possibly. Why?”

His bearded grin glimmers with hope. “They're startin' an all-girls league here next season. Doin' intro camps over the summer. Could use all the help they can get with the tiny ones.”

A groan brews in my chest. “I don't know if I'm qualified for—”

“It doesn't pay big money like a fancy lawyer gig, but…”

I shouldn't laugh but I do. “Coach, with all due respect, I don't need the money.” I've made enough to not need to worry about it. “I just wanna do something I love.”

“You care about hockey?”

Yes.It's the first thing I chose for myself. Mom chose ice skating. Skill and unfortunate life experiences chose my career for me. But hockey? I fought to play that one season. And it feels like I've been fighting to get back to it ever since. “Yeah, I do.”

“You good with kids?”

I nod in reply.

“That's all it takes.” He flips through his clipboard and removes a sheet. “There's a meeting for potential coaches Saturday. We do a few days of training before leading camps and forming teams.”

“Thanks, Coach.”

His sneakers squeak against the steps. “See ya soon.”

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