Love For A Game

Epilogue

The summer passes by in a blur. Before I know, it is August 27th, the day that I leave for Oshawa to join the junior club. In less than an hour, I will be on my way to Oshawa, to live my dream.

I check my bag, to make sure everything that needed to be packed is packed. Once I am sure everything is alright, I put my stuff in my truck. I hug my parents goodbye one last time, and wish my brother good luck with school and his next hockey season. I then get in my car, and drive over to Nicole's house, the one stop I must make before heading off.

Nic and I spent almost every day together. We went on road trips to Thunder Bay and to Niagara Falls, enjoying ourselves as only silly teenage couples can. Most of the time, we spent our days in our favourite park, with that tree that we always sat in, where we shared all of our secrets. It was there that we bonded the most, where our love flourished and grew to its strongest. I really got to know Nicole this Summer, and I couldn't be more grateful for that.

Nic answers the door just seconds after I ring the doorbell. She looks at me for a moment, and then wraps me in a hug. This hug is one I've never wanted to experience, because it is a hug of goodbye. I know that I will not see her again for four more months, at Christmas. It pains me to do so, but I put my hands on her shoulders, and hold her out so I can see her face.

"You know," I say. "You make it so difficult to leave this town. Without you, I would've left already."

"I know," she replies, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Part of me doesn't want you to go, that selfish part of me that wants you all to myself. But I also know that you need this, Jordan. You need to follow your dream. This is your calling; go before it is too late."

She kisses me one last time, long and passionately. When I let go, I know that it is goodbye, for now. I pull away, say goodbye to her one last time, and then head towards my truck. I look back three times on the way there, and every time, I see her standing there, smiling at me, tears going down her face.

I finally climb in my truck, and close the door. I turn on the engine, and let the voice of Jimi Hendrix fill my head as I pull out of the driveway, and onto the road.

As I drive away, I wonder what could have been done differently, if anything. I then focus on what lies ahead, the daunting roller coaster that is junior hockey.

I'll take whatever comes at me, I think to myself. This is my dream. It's about damn time I follow it.

______

Finally, it is done! I still have editing to do before work starts on the second one. I hope you enjoyed this story of mine. Let me know what you think of it!

The song on the side is "Hold On", by Triumph.