Page 35 of Slap Shot Daddies

Even her name sends a tightening sensation through my chest, and I almost lose my balance when my thoughts begin to wander too deeply.

I quickly kick my foot out, regaining my stability.

I like her. Maybe too much already.

She’s stubborn, incredibly intelligent, and so damn genuine in a way that most people just aren't.

She doesn’t throw herself at me like the puck bunnies do, and I respect that immensely.

But she's also afraid. Terrified, actually, of what happened that night and what it might mean.

I understand. Her parents sound like they’re as strict as military drill sergeants. They had probably been trying to control her with old-fashioned, black-and-white rules since she was a child, the kind that makes a person feel guilty for desiring more than the conventional fairytale ending.

But her running out on us? That part hurt.

I push faster, the wind nipping at my cheeks as I skate through a quiet park. The fallen leaves crunch beneath my wheels, releasing the rich scent of damp earth all around me.

I need to devise a way to show her that we could make this work.

And I think I know just how to do it.

I pause at an empty bench beside a tranquil duck pond, wisps of my breath swirling in the crisp morning air like tiny clouds.

The water mirrors the soft light of dawn, casting gentle ripples that dance gracefully across its surface.

I pull my worn notebook from my backpack, flipping to a pristine page, and tap my pen thoughtfully against it, mesmerized by the rhythmic motion of the water.

What do I say?

Kenzie isn’t the type to be swayed by clichéd pickup lines or extravagant displays meant to impress.

Her mind is practical, razor-sharp, always cutting through the nonsense. Yet, I sense that beneath her pragmatic exterior, she longs for something genuine. Something that assures her we truly see her for who she is.

I press the pen firmly to the paper.

Kenzie,

You ran before we could speak,

Left a shadow in the streets,

Like a whisper lost to the night,

Or a candle’s snuffed-out light.

But, did you know that when you smile,

It brings joy to us all for a long while?

And, that your laugh is a joyful glimmer,

which sounds like spring breaking through winter?

And, please know that when you leave,

It makes us all grieve,

For the warmth you’ve brought with you,

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