page31 (1/2)

I head into the kitchen and pull open the sliding door that leads out to the deck It’s a beautiful day, sunny and in the mid-seventies

“You’re looking really good in Cold Fury skates,” he re, as I’ot traded from a team that’s heavily favored to make it to the championship round, to a team that won the last two Cups and is heavily favored to e risk for the teao, and while I knoas one man’s decision—team owner, Doh in on the decision He specifically asked the first-line playersthe big guns, whether or not he should let reed that it was the right thing, even though it could hurt the forward in the playoffs

Those are the truest types of friends, and I reatly

We chat for a bit about the playoffs The Vengeance is heading into gaainst the Vancouver Flash to hot, and there are s there All I have to do is look back through the kitchen into the living roo in that hospital bed to know that I’d give up a ht now

“How’s he doing?” Wylde finally gets around to asking

“He’s slipping a bit”

Wylde sighs into the phone “I know it’s hard, buddy I’ive you some advice, okay?”

“Okay,” I readily agree He’s already given quite a bit,parent How to keep focused and hts are often scattered in a million different directions

“If there’s anything left that needs to be said,” he says, giving a dramatic pause that makes my ears really tune in, “don’t wait to say it Don’t let embarrassment or a lack of a foundation hold you back Don’t let yourself have any regrets”

I consider his words I’ve never been one to have deep discussions with my dad, nor he with me Our relationship these last feeeks since I’ve been back has been easygoing, asover us

“My dad was a horrible drunk,” Wylde tells me, and my body jolts from the proclamation I didn’t know a lot of the details, only that he had a parent die of cancer and went through h “I hated hiest time We didn’t speak for years, and I was fine with that”