Page 13 of From Maybe to Baby

I wince at the title. "Can we not call me that?"

"Too late. It's trending." He swipes through his tablet. "Listen, I get it. You want to protect their privacy. But you're alsothe face of this team, and your story resonates. Single dad, star athlete, tragic backstory?—"

"Vince."

"Sorry." He has the sense to look apologetic, fake as he is. "Too PR-ish? I just mean... people connect with you. With your journey. And with season tickets not selling as fast as we'd like..."

"So now I'm a ticket-selling strategy?"

"Now you're an inspiration." He softens his tone. "Look, I'm not asking you to exploit your kids. Just... consider it. Share the real moments. Let people see the man behind the jersey."

"The man behind the jersey wears pancake syrup as an accessory."

"Perfect. That's exactly what I'm talking about." He makes a note. "Raw, relatable content. Speaking of which, what are your thoughts on TikTok?"

I'm saved from social media hell by Coach calling us to the ice. But Vince isn't done.

"Just think about the feature," he calls after me. "And maybe consider dating again? The 'eligible' part of your trending nickname isn't hurting ticket sales either."

I pretend not to hear him, but my teammates sure do.

"Careful, Knight," Rogers elbows me as we hit the ice. "Your fan club's getting restless. Saw a sign at last season's final game. It said, 'Marry me, Hockey Dad.'"

"Pretty sure that was just my mother-in-law getting desperate," I joke. But it falls flat. Always does when I mention anything related to Genny.

Two hours later, I'm destroyed and trying to focus on Coach's strategy session when my phone buzzes again.

Sarah:

Kids asked for more pancakes

Told them they’re only for breakfast

Big mistake. HUGE.

Also, Jace says she's sorry about the phone

She's not sorry

But she said it

Vince Vincent:

Seriously consider the TikTok thing

You guys could go viral

In a good way

Mostly

Gloria:

Single Parent's Guide to Resort Vacations

I'm not saying I called the travel agent

But I'm not not saying it either

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