Page 107 of Actions and Reactions
This year it’s more of a dinner than just a show, and our parents pulled every string they have so we could get a table and a half for ourselves.
Lottie was already invited, though, as was Dana Harris, her best friend and old teammate, since they’re presentingthe Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. She brought Colin of course, which is nice, and I got my head out of my ass on that topic even before Lottie hit me over the head in February when we traveled to Chicago for two games.
We find our table quickly, and it takes our dads an hour to make their way to us since everyone here wants to talk to them.
It’s my first time at one of these awards, but they’re here every year, so I expected them to be busy.
Eventually the show starts, and with our loved ones around us I can tell Vinny settles a little. His hand doesn’t tremble anymore as Lottie does a great job presenting the award, and she gets the standing ovation she deserves when she walks onto the stage. That makes Dad cry, and I don’t even tease him for it since my eyes water up as well.
After the James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded to the top D-man of the Chicago Deep—which makes my sister woop like a maniac—Vinny reaches for my hand and squeezes painfully hard for the ten minutes it takes to move on from one trophy to the next.
To my surprise, and horror honestly, Dad stands and goes up onto the stage. I didn’t know he was presenting at all.
“Every year the Hart Memorial Trophy is awarded to the most valuable player for his team. Never before have we had two players from the same team nominated at the same time. This just goes to show the true talent, skill, and determination we’ve witnessed from the Las Vegas Pirates for the past five years.”
He talks about the other two nominees after that and I tune out to see Vinny completely frozen. His whole body’s tense, and I know better than to try and talk to him, so I just squeeze his hand back.
“And just for the record, I want to add that I do have a favorite nominee,” Dad says, stealing my focus back to the front. His shameless smile steals my breath.
Please don’t say something stupid. Please don’t say something stupid.
“Heismy godson, and if anyone holds that against me then shame on you.”
Okay, that wasn’t so bad, was it?
I don’t think Vinny heard him, or the laughter around the room. Am I going to have to carry him up to the stage? He doesn’t look like he’shere.
“And the winner is...” Dad’s voice comes out louder that time. I see him open the envelope and read the name, but his face doesn’t change.
Fuck!I really thought he had it in the bag. But he’ll have another shot next season, and the one after and the one?—
“Ivan Jankowski.” Dad’s choked up voice brings everything to a halt.
Our table explodes with cheers, and so does the one next to ours.
I see Jules jumping up and down like a toddler high on sugar, and I’d laugh at him every other time, but Vinny still isn’t fucking moving.
Uncle Hulk takes care of that for me.
He picks Vinny up by the armpits and practically throws him in the air as if he weren’t a six-foot-four adult man.
He seems to wake up then and ... smiles. Right at me. I pull him in for a fierce hug.
“I’m so fucking proud of you. You deserve this, Vinny. Now, get up there.” I clap his shoulder then push him a little.
Hulk takes him in for a brutal hug, then Lex, and then Aunt Lyla, crying, cups his cheeks and tells him something I can’t hear.
He also hugs Jules as he passes him by, and then he reaches Dad, who hugs him hard enough that his feet leave the ground, and Vinny’s boyish smile comes out.
“Look at him,” Uncle Hulk says from next to me, then throws his big arm over my shoulder and pulls me in closer.
“He deserves it,” I murmur.
After looking down at the trophy for a moment and shaking his head, Vinny takes the envelope from Dad, reads it, and shows it to everyone.
“Just so there are no questions,” he says into the mic, and again, the whole place echoes with laughter.
“There are so many people who I have to thank for their support over the last years, and my life really, but first I want to say, Lucifer, Commander...” He looks to the side where the nominees from St. Louis and Chicago are, and I like that he uses their nicknames. That’s gonna be good for the press.
