From the window in my loft I could see Christmas lights popping up all over the damn city. The holidays meant playoff season to me. Growing up it had meant waking up to a cold house with a few shitty gifts under the tree.

My mom did her best. I knew she did, but it didn’t make the holidays any sweeter. Instead they were hell. She’d cry all damn day. I didn’t know if it was because she missed my dad. Looking back, I realized it was probably because she was alone. Alone with me.

I didn’t know why in the fuck I was even considering this, but I knew I had to do it. I had to at least try.

I had thirty minutes before Julie would arrive. I pulled out my phone and hit Savannah’s number.

She answered quickly. “Babe, big day tomorrow.”

“Yeah. Yeah, it is,” I replied. “Look, I need you to do something for me.”

“Aww, shit. Did you get arrested again?”

I shook my head. “No. Fuck no. It’s bigger than that.”

“Huh. Bigger than your criminal record? Ok, go ahead.”

I took a deep breath. I’d be damned if I let that kid have a shitty life. “I want to adopt a kid.”

“Holy shit. What?” she blurted out. “Sorry.”

“It’s one of the kids at the school. Hunter Evans. He has been bounced around from foster home to foster home. He needs a place, you know? Can you look into it? See what I need to do to get him here.”

“You’re serious? The night before playoffs and you want to talk about daddy daycare shit, Hawk?”

“Damn it, Savi. I’ve never been more fucking serious. Can you do this for me or not? I could use your help.”

She sighed. “Do you have any idea what you’re getting into? Legal red tape. Guardianship. Supervised visits. Court appearances. My sister and her husband went through this process. It took two years. It’s not going to be easy, Hawk. I just need to know you’re in this for the long haul before you go down this road. You have to do a home study. People will come into your home. Do you get what I’m saying?”

I rubbed the back of my head. I knew it was going to be hell. If it wasn’t, the kid would have had a home by now. A real family. Instead here I was—the last mother fucker on the planet who should be trying to take on the role of parent.

“I know. I don’t care. I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll pay whatever it costs. Just figure out the details for me.”

“I can do that for you. Can you give me a week?”

“Yeah. I’ve kind of got a big fucking game tomorrow.”

She laughed. “I’ll be there.”

“Oh, that reminds me. I need box passes.”

“For Pops again?”

Shit. I should have included him. I’d get her to call him and extend a third ticket. “Yeah, call Pops for me and ask him. But the other two are for Julie Bristow and for the boy Hunter.”

“Ahh, I see what’s happening.” She had that tisk-tisk sound in her voice.

“You don’t see shit, Savi. Just get the tix.”

“You’re playing house. I knew it. You fell for the teacher chick and now you want the kid. Presto family.”

I rolled my eyes. It was a good thing Savannah was a chick or I’d deck her for saying shit like this to me. “She’s in my life. He’s in my life. Get them tickets,” I growled.

“Got it, boss.”

“And this is completely confidential. I don’t want anything getting out until I know I can move forward. I can’t give the kid hope then yank it away.”

“Hey, I’ve seen what my family has been through. I wouldn’t do that. I’m only giving you a hard time. I think it’s amazing. Honestly, I knew you had a heart of gold in there somewhere.”

“I’m serious.”

“I’ll start on it Monday after we get through tomorrow. I have press requests coming in every thirty seconds. Let me handle that and then we’ll see how to make you a daddy.”

I grinned. “Deal. Thanks.”

“It’s what you pay me millions for.”

I laughed. “Good night.” I hung up and stared at the city below me.

Playoffs. Christmas. Fatherhood.

They were all only weeks away.

The doorbell rang and I rushed toward the door. There was one woman who put all of this in perspective for me and she was standing on the other side of the threshold.