This morning he'd practiced at the Moens Center, had lunch after with the guys, then drove down here to hang out with Jaivon and was now on the ice with him and some other little dudes.
"Go, go, go!" he shouted as Jaivon got the puck and skated to the net. Then the kid took a shot at the net but somehow missed the puck entirely. Tanner grimaced briefly and shook his head. How the hell had that happened? But no matter, it wasn't about how good they were, it was about doing something healthy and positive.
He skated up to Jaivon, wheeled around behind the net, and snagged the puck, then shot it to him, right to his tape. He watched Jaivon squint and try another shot at the net, this time succeeding, although Jimmy in the net was able to make the save.
"Good shot!" Tanner yelled. "And good save, Jimmy."
The ten boys on the ice trailed after him like he was a god, which amused him. They were good kids.
After they played, he treated Jaivon to deep-dish pizza. He watched him look at the menu, then set it aside. "Sausage and pepperoni?" Tanner asked him.
"Yeah. Sounds good."
The kid was growing like crazy, and skinny, and Tanner let him devour a whole pie with sausage and pepperoni. They talked about school and hockey, and the cute girl in J's math class named Cecilia, who was super smart and was the only one who'd got a higher mark than him on the last math test. Then Tanner said, "Hey, J, can I ask you something personal?"
"Sure."
"How's your eyesight?"
"Huh?" Jaivon frowned.
"Your eyesight. You ever get it checked?"
"No." He scowled.
Tanner grasped the tent card on the table and held it up. "What does this say?"
"I know what it says."
"Read it to me."
When Jaivon didn't respond, Tanner set it down and leaned forward. "I'm gonna make an appointment with an eye doctor for you."
"We can't afford no eye doctors." Jaivon stared at his glass of Coke.
"That doesn't matter. I'll take you next week. Or whenever I can get you in."
"I don't wanna wear glasses!"
Tanner shook his head. "Hey, it's better to wear glasses and see what's going on. You missed a shot today on the ice. And if you can't see the board at school, you're going to fall behind. That would suck. I wore glasses when I was a kid."
"You did?"
"Yeah. You might be too young right now, but you can get contact lenses in a few years."
"Is that what you wear?"
"I used to, but I had laser eye surgery a few years ago, so I don't need them anymore."
"That'd cost a lotta cake."
"Yeah. But you'll be a big-shot lawyer or accountant or something one day and you'll be able to afford it." He grinned.
"My mom can't afford glasses," Jaivon mumbled.
"I'll take care of it. No big deal. You're my brother." He reached out for a fist-bump.
After they ate their pizza, Tanner dropped Jaivon off at home, having a short private conversation with Jaivon's mom. Then he drove to his own place in Streeterville, parking in the heated underground parking garage, riding the elevator to the thirteenth floor. What a difference from where Jaivon lived.
It made anything he could do to help the kid totally worth it, but also served to remind him that he was a lucky, lucky bastard.
He dropped his keys on the small table inside the front door and hung his jacket in the closet, then wandered over to the big windows. He had a corner unit, with views of both Lake Michigan and the city. Lights in a myriad of colors twinkled around him. This was a far cry from Minneapolis too, although he'd grown up with a comfortable lifestyle. His dad owned a couple of car dealerships and had done very well, and each time his mom had remarried she'd also chosen someone wealthy, so they'd always been well-off. But money didn't replace family. So he'd keep hanging out with Jaivon and hoping the kid didn't eventually realize what a loser he was and tell him to get lost.
He sighed and picked up the remote for the television. No hockey tonight, but he could watch his new favorite show, Lucky Dog, about rescued dogs who were supposedly "unadoptable." He always felt for those dogs and loved it when they ended up with a great new family who was going to love them.
He needed to research some optometrists. He hadn't seen an eye doctor in years, since he'd had his eyes done. Maybe one of the guys could recommend some. He was pretty sure Rico still wore contacts.