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“What the hell? She needs to be rerowl into the phone

Sutton sighs wearily “She turned eighteen a few o, and as an adult, she’s beyond the help of social services All I can do is counsel her, urge her to stay strong I’roups, but she’s resisting ”

“Do you see this a lot?” I ask, not really wanting to know the answer I’

“Unfortunately, I do But I see a lot of happy endings too I’ve been able to help soh ”

I think of my own craptastic childhood with an alcoholic father who abused his son under the guise of teaching him to play hockey Unfortunately, it wasn’t like anyone could see as going on My father’s abuse was varied but well played He bruised me only where it wouldn’t show, and no one ever saw his brutal drills that went into the earlyfro classic that would raise a single teacher’s or coach’s eyebrohen it came to me In fact, John Crossman put on such an affable attitude around others, no one would believe in a round in order to develop him into a machine

What would I have done if I’d had a resource like Sutton when I was younger? Would I have listened to her advice? Her teachings? Would it have helped to have someone to vent to? To know there was someone who had my back?

I have to think the answer is yes I think I would have responded well to so pretty fking fantastically to her right now

“I have faith in you,” I tell her “If anyone can reach her, it’s you ”

“Yeah? Why so much faith in me?” she teases

“Because you reached this crusty bastard,” I tell her with a laugh “You accomplished practically the impossible with me ”

“You’re such a sweet talker ”

“Yeah…so not a sweet talker, not noruess you inspire the best in me ”

She laughs softly into the phone and I want to ihs like that just with ht deep down inside of a sexy-as-hell wo that I had pushed to the back of ain

“I’hter dies all the way down “What ever happened to that date you went on e first met?”

I’m not sure what I expect her to say Do I honestly think she’s going to say, I canceled it because I couldn’t think of anyone but you?

Nice thought, but no, that’s not going to happen

She’s silent a ht have struck a bad nerve with her I’et I even asked, when she says, “The date was good…it was fine I even had a second dinner with hi anywhere ”

My interest is perked “Why’s that?”

“Because you ca,” she answers me honestly, and I can feel my head swell to epic proportions and fk,out a little

She continues on “His nae We dated for alraduation ”