Heart of Man

Vancouver only had to win one more. One more game, before it was all over with.

“Anna, darling, would you like for me to help you pack?” Shaking my head at the older woman, I just wanted to be left alone. The loss wasn’t even my own, yet it stung just as when we were knocked out of the playoffs. Setting the folded dress into the middle of my suitcase, I rested my hands on the case, the stress overwhelming. “Breathe.”

“It’s not just about the game. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to go.” Giving up packing for the KHL Awards that were in a couple of days, I turned and slid down the side of the bed. Merely gazing at the wall, Tanya sat on the bed next to my head, her fingers playing with my hair. She remained silent, one in which I took as a cue to continue. “Corin, my agent, won’t answer my calls. I have no idea what’s going on with anything, and then this series is just absolute bullshit. Do I stay in the NHL under Harper and McGregor’s shadow, or go back to a league that gave a damn about me and didn’t hang off of two girls’ words? It’s always something here. At least in Russia, I could play the fucking game.”

Looking down, Tanya adjusted her fingers and continued playing with the locks. My shade was oddly close to Ovechkin’s, but I’d never given thought to dye it the light blonde of normal Finns. “Sometimes I just want to go away and never look back.”

“Then you do just that. Never look back, Anna.” Within a heartbeat, the woman was in front of me, holding my face in her hands. Tears prickled at my eyes, and I had to choke back a sob as she smiled. “I’m not saying to run from this. Turn your back to your problems, and make yourself better. Make yourself the person you want to be. Don’t do it for anyone else any longer. Never look back, darling.”

~

/**All in Russian**/

“Nice of you to join us, Anna.” Punching Alexei in his arm, he quickly scooped me up into a hug. While Vinny was still my captain, Alexei was my captain aswell, and one of my dearest friends. “Ready to kick some ass?”

“It’s only the awards, Lesha.” He frowned down at me, before leering at the Ufa players. They had won Gagarin’s cup, leaving a bitter taste in several of the Hawks’ mouths. It wasn’t so much of the fact that they wanted to win, but more of how the Salavat players acted. Rude and disrespectful. “Come on, let’s go find our seat.”

Within the short span of an hour, Jaromir and Alexei kidnapped a table close to the front, but far enough back to where we weren’t blinded by the lights. Roman Cervenka joined us soon, along with Anatoly. He had looked me for a moment, that knowing look in his eyes again. We’d be speaking after the ceremony.

~

“We are pleased to award Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s Karel Rachunek the award for the highest scoring defenseman this season with 46 points, including 11 goals and 35 assists.” Clapping loudly as Karel bounded onto the stage, semi-amused grin of his face, Alexei and I cheered quietly for him. I hated going against him in the KHL, and I could only imagine the damage he could do in the NHL, given the chance. “Next, we would like to invite Alexei Kalyuzhny, Jaromir Jagr, and Anna Trovato to the stage.”

Raising an eyebrow at our Belorussian captain, he nodded before leading us up. Tugging on the right sleeve, the lace itched unlike normal. There was a hushed murmur, as usual, but it felt as if my heels were overwhelming every tiny pin drop in the room. Nevertheless, it was only my imagination. “We would like to award Alexei, Jaromir, and Anna the Best Troika award, for combining together to create the highest-scoring line in the Kontinental Hockey League this season. They scored a total of 63 goals with their line, with Avangard Omsk. The KHL would also like to present the Sekunda prize to Jaromir and Anna for scoring with 5.1 seconds left and 3.7 seconds in the game, respectively.”

There were cheers and claps, whistles no doubt from some of our more obnoxious teammates. Thanking the emcee and hugging Jags and Lesha, we talked amoungst ourselves before stepping down the stairs and returning to our seats. “Oh, and we have one more award for tonight, ladies and gentlemen, before we release you.”

The auditorium quieted down as the man unfamiliar to me held the microphone again. “Upon agreement of the Kontinental Hockey League and Russian Hockey Federation, it has been a mutual agreement to award Miss Anna Trovato the Alexei Cherepanov Rookie of the Year award.”

~

“How long have you had these?” Tossing the papers onto the hotel mattress, I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and moved back to my chair. Anatoly had indeed something to share, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time.

“Too long, and I couldn’t do anything until I could be sure. Now, before you get upset like I know you are going to do, hear me out.” Cocking an eyebrow and the Russian, he only continued. “You can go to the FHR and fight this, and come out winning. Yes, it’s a small chance, but you can do it. Italy’s obviously going to have no grounds to you, and Finland..”

“I love Finland and I don’t see a bunch of papers that are going to change my opinion of them.” Rubbing my temple with my fingers, it was almost as if my decision had been made for me. “Why is this happening?”

“Do you believe me?”

“I’ve trusted you this long; I don’t think you’d dare lead me wrong. What do I have to do?”

“I need you to make a phone call.”