“Great. I’ll meet you in the lobby?”

“Perfect. I’ll be quick.” Lily skates away, taking her tea with her and leaving Finlay’s coffee with me.

I call and make a reservation at Lily’s favorite restaurant. It’s last-minute, but we go there a lot, so they’re able to get me a table.

Finlay comes out of the men’s locker room before Lily comes out of the women’s. He looks uncertain when he sees me, but I put on my best, least-menacing smile.

“Hey, man, how’s it going?” I ask.

“Good. We finished up a while ago. I’m sure Lily will be out soon.” He adjusts the strap on his bag.

“Yeah. I saw her already. This is for you.” I hold out the coffee.

He looks at it like it’s a grenade.

“It’s not poisoned or anything. I know I was a dick the last time, so this is, like, a peace offering.”

“Oh. Well, thanks.”

“Yeah, no problem. You know, just keep it professional out there on the ice, and we’re good.”

Based on his expression, that may not have come out the way I meant it.

“I’m kidding. I mean, not really, but I’m not going to show up with a crowbar and take out your knees or anything.” I close my eyes and expel a breath. “I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t tell Lily I said that.”

“Tell her what?”

I give him a thumbs up.

“Does it help if I tell you I have a girlfriend?”

“Only if you’re not lying.”

“I’m not lying.”

“That’s fuckin’ awesome.” I slap him on the shoulder and almost knock the coffee cup out of his hand. “Shit. Sorry.”

“You’re good. Hey, uh, I don’t know if this is weird or not, but do you think I can get an autograph? I don’t know if Lily told you, but I’m a huge fan.”

“Really? Sure, I’m happy to sign something for you.”

The awkwardness—or rather, my awkwardness—seems forgotten as he pulls out a puck, a scrapbook, and a silver Sharpie like he’s been preparing for this. “If you could sign the puck for me, and the scrapbook belongs to my girlfriend. Her name’s Leanne.”

Lily comes out of the changing room as I pass the scrapbook and puck back to him. “I can get you tickets to a home game, if you want.”

“For real? That’d be amazing.”

I tell him I can hook him up for the first home game of the season. He freaks out, thanks me ten times, and then takes off.

Lily waits until he’s out of hearing range. “That was really sweet.”

“See? I can be nice. Ready for dinner?”

Her stomach rumbles. “So ready.”

We leave the arena and cross the street to my truck. Lily tells me funny stories about her little-kid lessons as we drive, but she looks confused when we pull up to the restaurant and the valet opens her door.

“I’m not really dressed for this.”

I didn’t think about the dress code when I made the reservations. I’m wearing jeans, and she’s wearing leggings. I’m in a T-shirt, and she has on a pretty, flowy top. “No one’s gonna care, but we can go somewhere else if you’re uncomfortable.”

She kisses my cheek. “If you don’t care, I don’t care.”

We end up at our favorite table in a private corner at the back of the restaurant, so what we’re wearing doesn’t matter anyway. I should tell Lily that my dad is staying longer than I’d hoped, but I don’t want to ruin a perfectly good evening, so I decide to wait.

Only it doesn’t work, because as soon as the waiter’s done taking our drink and appetizer order, Lily asks about the trip to the hospital.

“They ended up having to dig more glass out of his foot. He’s got something like twenty-five stitches.”

“Oh, God.”

“Yeah.”

“Is he okay?”

“They gave him some pretty sweet painkillers. I’m sure he’s fine.”

She covers my hand with hers. “Are you okay? You don’t seem okay.”

“I have to take him back to the doctor in a couple of days. I feel like it’s better if I’m watching him, so I told him he could stay with us until then. But after that he’s going to a hotel. Are you okay with that?”

“Are you?” Lily’s voice is soft, like the tips of her fingers tracing the petals on the back of my hand.

“I’d rather he be gone, but if I don’t take care of this, he sure as hell isn’t going to, and then it’ll be an even bigger mess to clean up.”

Lily’s bottom lip slides between her teeth as she regards me. “So you’re doing this out of obligation.”

“I don’t want him showing up at my mother’s doorstep, looking to stay there.”

“That’s happened before, I take it?”

“Only once since I moved to Chicago, but I don’t want him to try it again.”

“I’ll support whatever decision you make, and it’s fine if you want him to stay with us so you can monitor him. But my biggest concern is how this affects you.”

“He’ll be gone in a couple of days, and then I won’t see him again for another six months—or longer if I’m lucky. I can manage. You’re sure you’re okay with it?”

Lily nods and slips her fingers under mine. “Like I said, he’s your father. I get that you feel some responsibility for managing this situation, but you didn’t create it. The important question is, how long will it take for you to be fine once he’s gone?”

It’s a good question. I don’t have an answer for it.

“So I’m guessing we’re out for dinner because you’re avoiding him?” she asks after a moment.

“And you were hungry.”

“Does he know how hard this is on you?”

I shrug. “Doubtful.”

“Maybe he needs to be told.”

“I’ve told him. He’s not often prepared to listen. I don’t think he can see far enough outside of himself to even care.”

We don’t finish dinner until almost eleven. When we get home, my dad is passed out on the couch. But only two beer bottles sit on the coffee table. Lily heads for the bedroom, stuffed full of food and tired after a long day. I collect the empties and take them to recycle. There seem to be a lot more bottles in there than I remember from this morning. Before I move my dad to the spare room, I check the fridge. There are no beers, and I know for a fact there were half a dozen this morning. This means my dad didn’t listen; he just tried to fool me into believing he did.