Previously on the Chronicles of Knox Booth:
- First Article
- Chapter 2 - The SMJHL Draft Approaches
- Chapter 3 - The Losses Mount
- Chapter 4 - Draft Day
- Chapter 5 - Collect $200 when you Pass Go
- Chapter 6 - Best Served Cold
- Chapter 7 - Lucky Guy



Two knocks and one doorbell ring later she finally came to the front door, “Knox!?” His mother was ecstatic to see him, and the feeling would have been mutual had it not been for the freshly acquired black bruise that surrounded the right side of his Mother’s eye.  

“Hi Mama,” Knox told her as he forced a smile and tried not to stare, he knew the source of her painful bruise and he wasn’t ready to talk to her about that yet.

His Mother threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close, “It’s so nice to see you,” she told him sincerely, “I didn’t think you’d be in town? I was checking the Panthers schedule last week, aren’t you supposed to be in San Francisco?”

What she had said was true, but Knox had asked management if he could take a quick flight up to see his Mother and when he explained why he needed to do that, they didn’t object. “Not until next week,” Knox stretched the truth, “I had a day where I could come here, and I decided to take it.”

“I wish you would have told us,” his Mother said, “That way I could have told your father-“

“I didn’t want him to know,” Knox cut her off, “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“You look so good,” she remarked as she admired his tailored suit and dress pants, “You always look so good in a suit.”

“Everyone looks good in a suit,” Knox said as he flashed a grin, “Can I come in?”

“Of course!” She exclaimed as she stepped aside and allowed him passage inside. The house was musty and in disarray, an uncommon sight for his childhood home because even though his Father was a Grade A deadbeat, his Mother was never one to allow the house to become too unsettled. “I can put on some coffee? Or would you like a beer?”

“No beer,” Knox said quickly, “Coffee would be great,” Knox told her as he watched her walk past him and head toward the kitchen. “Where’s Dad?”

“He went to the casino,” she told him from the kitchen with her voice raised so that Knox could hear her, “I’m not sure when he’ll be back.” Knox held back making a comment about whether or not his Dad would come back at all, but knowing he was out of the house and at the casino was good enough – it meant he had time. “I’ve been watching your games Knox,” his Mother told him with pride in her voice, “You’ve done well, I think you’ve got quite the team in Los Angeles, hopefully you’ll be staying up with them.”

“I will be,” Knox replied.

“Oh?” His Mother asked as she looked back at him, “Did they name you the full time starter?”

“They did,” Knox held back from smiling too wide, he was proud of what he had accomplished so far but his reason for being here wasn’t to discuss the season, it was for something much more than that. “I’ll be seeing the ice a lot this year, I got a raise because of it too.”

“You did!?” His Mother practically screamed out the words she was so excited.

Knox nodded in agreement, “Yes,” he allowed himself to smile so that it would calm her and she wouldn’t suspect anything was amiss, “Your son is officially a millionaire.”

A tear streamed down her face, “I’m so proud of you,” she told him as the sound of coffee brewed in the background, "I always knew you would be good, from the moment your father first took you out on the ice I knew you would be one of the best."

Knox smiled genuinely this time, his Mother was being sincere and he appreciated her affection for him. A mother is supposed to love her son, but that doesn't mean that all do. A father is also supposed to love his son, and his wife too- but you can't get everything you want in life. "Mom," Knox began to start into the real reason why he was here but paused as his Mother handed him a hot cup of coffee.

"Just how you like it," she told him, "No sugar but lots of cream."

"Thanks Mom," Knox responded as he took a sip and felt the hot liquid slide down the back of his throat and rest easy in his belly, "Momma," Knox continued, he had rehearsed the next part of their conversation one thousand times and now was the moment to deliver, "I came here to see you but I also wanted to talk to you about something. Something that's pretty important to me. Have a seat."

She immediately sat down across from him, "You're not gay, are you?" She asked suddenly, her face attempting to hide a morbid reaction, "I love you no matter what Knox."

Knox tried not to laugh, he wanted this conversation to stay serious and the look on his Mother's face was enough to break the tension, "No," he told her, "That's not what this is about."

"So, you're not gay?"

"I don't think so. No," Knox told her.

"You're not sure?"

"No, Mom," Knox shifted slightly, fighting off his frustration, "I'm sure, I'm not gay."

"Oh. Okay. Well, what did you want to talk about then?" This time his Mother shifted in her seat, he could sense she was nervous about what he was about to bring up.

"You always said that you hated living in this old house," Knox began his pitch, "That you wished you could move."

"Yes," she muttered as she nodded her head in agreement.

"I bought a house in Los Angeles, just outside the city, it's not too far of a drive from the arena. I want you to come live with me," Knox held eye contact with her, ensuring that his expression stayed serious.
She stared at him in disbelief before she smiled and looked down and away from him, "Oh Knox," she sighed, "That's a wonderful thought but your father-"

"He's not coming," Knox cut her off.

She straightened in her seat as she looked back up at him, "What do you mean?"

"I want you to come," Knox told her, "Just you."

"Knox," she was stunned by the proposition, "I'm married to your father. I live here."

Knox put his cup of coffee down as he leaned forward and grabbed a hold of her hand, "Momma," Knox's voice was soft, "I know you love him, but he hurts you. No man who really loves a woman, hurts her."

Her eyes began to water, "He has a bad temper," her voice lowered, "You know that."

"It's no excuse," Knox said, "And it's not something you should have to put up with anymore, not ever."

"I can't Knox," she told him, "He'd be so angry if I left."

"He'd have to find you first," Knox said reassuringly, "I got money now Mom, enough for security. You should see my house, I have a whole camera system and everything. I got a twenty foot high gate too that surrounds the property, and we can make it electric."

"Knox," she said his name as she tried to pull her hand away, "I can't."

"You just think you can't," Knox held onto her but not forcefully, he wanted her to know she had his support. He wanted her to see him as a man now. A man who could protect her. "You won't have to pay for a thing, you can shop or you can go to the beach, it's always sunny there and you love the sun."

"He's going to be back soon," she said as she looked around the house, "I would have so much to pack."

"You don't need any of this stuff," Knox told her, "I'll buy you brand new clothes, you want a new car too? I'll buy you a car if you come."

"Oh Knox," she said as a smile finally spread across her face, "I couldn't."

"You can," Knox repeated, "I got a rental waiting outside for us and a one way airplane ticket to bring you back to Los Angeles with me. Think of it like a vacation, only a permanent one."

"You won't want me to stay Knox," she was trying to be realistic, "You're young, you're going to want to have some privacy."

"It's a big house Momma, and there's plenty of room for the both of us."

"You're serious?"

"I've never been more serious in my life, say you'll come," Knox reached out with his other hand to grab a hold of hers.

She hesitated for only a moment before the words came out of her mouth, "I will."

Knox stood immediately, bringing her up with him, "Let's not waste another minute."

"Knox?" The voice of Knox's Father asked from the front door of Knox's childhood home. His father had just come home and hadn't been expecting to see his son standing in his living room, and even though he was more than nine beers deep, he could recognize the outline of his athletic offspring without second-guessing.

Knox had anticipated a confrontation with his father, and so when he turned to face him, he did so without a hint of aggression. Knox wanted to avoid a fight at all costs and he was going to do what he could to make this go as smoothly as possible, "Hi Dad," Knox said to him before he flashed a fake grin, and his the authenticity of his grin went unnoticed.

"What're you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be-"

"I asked the team for a day off," Knox said quickly, he was going to be as honest as he could be with his Dad, in the hope that it would payoff for everyone involved.

"What for? It ain't Christmas for Christ sake," his Dad remarked before he closed the front door behind him and walked inside, "Get me a beer love," His Dad told his Mom.

"Yes dear," she said before she turned quietly and walked into the kitchen.

"How about a coffee?" Knox asked sarcastically before he caught himself and reverted back to his non-aggressive demeanor, "Or a beer, Mom made some coffee and it's quite good."

"I'll take the beer!" Knox's Dad was sure to be loud enough for his wife to hear it, he wasn't interested in a coffee, he was on a good run and wasn't willing to slow down. Knox's Dad was chipper, he'd just won three hundred dollars at the slots and it meant the rest of his weekend would be substance fuelled without issue. Knowing that he wouldn't have to go without was enough to put Knox's Dad at ease. His Dad then sat down and turned on the television as he waited for his drink, and the first thing he did was change the channel to the sports station- highlights were on. "So why'd you take a day off?" His Dad asked him, "With the way you're playing I wouldn't be taking a day off. You need as many of them as you can."

Knox let his Father's dig at him go, "I came here to get Mom," he told his father flatly and then waited for a response from him.

His Dad remained staring at the screen and didn't even bother to look up when his wife handed him a beer, "Oh yeah? For what? You going to the zoo or something?"

"Nope."

"You see this guy?" His Dad asked him as he pointed at the screen, Harry Carpet of the Toronto North Stars was making an unbelievable save on a two on zero breakaway, "Carpet's had probably two hundred more shots than you and is sporting a better average all while playing for a subpar team, you gotta get focused Knox or you're going to get sent down."

Knox nodded in agreement, "You're right," he admitted, "I've had my mind on a lot of things but I think after today I'm going to feel a lot better."

His Dad snorted out a sharp laugh before he finally looked up in his direction, "What the fuck are you going on about?"

"I told you," Knox said, "I came here to get Mom."

Finally his Father caught on to what Knox really meant with his first statement and he could see by the expression of seriousness in Knox's eyes that Knox intended to do just that. His Dad had seen this expression once before, at a diner not too long before. "Wait, you're what?" His Dad asked him again, knowing full well what Knox had meant, but he wanted to hear it from him one more time.

"She's coming with me," Knox told him as his Mother stepped back from the living room and slide into the kitchen, just out of view, "And you're staying here."

"The hell she is," His Dad said as he sucked back a swig from the bottle of beer before he looked back at the television, "I'm not in the mood for your shit Knox."

Knox remained calm, "I know you believe me and I know you understand," Knox told him, "Mom," Knox called to her while he kept his eyes on his Father, "Head out to the car now." She didn't move and remained still in the kitchen, Knox turned his body to face the kitchen and called out to her again, "Mom, it's okay," he said calmly, "Go to the car." She poked her head from out of the kitchen and looked intently at Knox, he nodded back at her, "It's okay."

The moment she stepped out from the kitchen Knox's Dad stood and Knox whipped right back around to face him, "I don't want any trouble, and neither do you."

"You think I won't hurt you?" His Dad asked him as he cocked his head in his direction, "Just cause you're some kind of star now?"

"No," Knox told him confidently, "You can't hurt me. Not because I'm a star, but because I'm a man now."

His Dad snorted again and stepped forward before he stopped, "A man? Is that what you call yourself? What kind of man doesn't help out his family!? With all that money you got now, huh!? You can't help me!?"

"I already did," Knox said.

"Thirty thousand dollars! Is that help!? Is that help for all the mornings!? For all the days, the hours I spent of my life helping you!?"

"You're my father," Knox told him, "That's what father's are supposed to do."

"Yeah?" His Dad's eyes narrowed, "Well, I wish I wasn't. But that's what you get when you fuck a whore like her-"

CRACK

Knox's fist landed squarely against his Father's jaw, simultaneously breaking it and sending his old man sailing backward in the air, and by the time his Father hit the ground he was unconscious. Knox rubbed his hand and looked down at his knuckles, he wasn't sure if his hand was broken but it was swelling up rather quickly, "Knox!" His Mother cried out as she rushed to his side and observed his hand before she looked down at her unconscious husband, "Are you okay?" She asked Knox as she looked back at him.  

"I wasn't planning to hit him Momma," Knox told her.

"It's okay," she said reassuringly, "Is he going to be okay?"

"Head to the car," Knox told her as he knelt down beside his Dad and felt his neck for a pulse, "I'll be there in a moment, I'm just going to check on him." Knox felt a pulse and checked his Dad's airway, his breath was steady. Knox watched as his Mother walked out the front door and as she closed the door behind her Knox picked up his Father and Mother's landline phone and dialed 911.

"911, what is your emergency?"

Knox deepened his voice slightly, "Me and my friend were drinking and my friend passed out and fell foreword and hit his head, please come," Knox placed the receiver down and ignored the remainder of the 911 operator's questions. He followed his Mother outside and left the front door open a crack while he headed to the parked vehicle he had rented upon his arrival. Knox got inside and started the car, his Mother seated next to him with her seatbelt already buckled, Knox looked over at her, "You ready?"

She smiled back at him as she fought tears of joy, she was relieved and for the first time in a long time she felt safe, "Thank you," she said in almost a whisper.

Knox rolled down the windows and turned the radio up as he reversed the vehicle and pulled out onto the road, "Let's go!" He shouted as he placed the vehicle in drive and pressed down on the gas, leaving his childhood and his childhood home behind him, for the last time.

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