I've told her a few times she won't like it, that she'll be frightened if I have to scrap. Not because I'm embarrassed. But once they know, there'll be jokes and questions, mostly coming home on the bus at night, when everyone's bored. They'll expect me to joke, too, and I might get pissed off, which only makes it worse. They talk about girlfriends, not just pucks.
Girlfriends are fair game.
It's best if they don't know about Cindy. So Cindy's in the stands today, but only I know about it. When I get a loose puck at the opponent's blue line, I feel her up there watching. I know I shouldn't, but I take a slap shot, and it flies way high, over the glass. Craigie is almost pissing himself, laughing.