“Shane if he has to sit out then get traded so be it.”

“Come on dad, you remember what happened to Lindros, you don’t want Shay to have that kind of rep do you?”

“……….no, but…..”

“No…..if he gets drafted by New York then…he’ll play here as long as he has to and then when free agency comes….he can choose his own way.”

“You are smart. Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it. And don’t get me wrong I don’t want to see him play with the Rangers…but look at it this way at least it isn’t Jersey…….Shelby is holding up ok?”

“Yes honey the car is a kitten…..I still think its funny you named your car Shelby…..”

“I know.”

“So Shane……how is your friend Carmen….we saw the news……is she holding up ok?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t had the chance to talk to her.”

My dad looked at me for a second as if to say ok play it your way. He motioned for a smoke and we drove on in silence with “Come as you are” playing. I stared at the outline of the city wondering how could they cram so many buildings in this city. I was thinking that when you fly in the city looks tiny like maybe it’s a small town, and I was thinking since when is “Come as you are” considered classic rock?

Back home in my old room. Everything sort of the way I left it. Nothing out of place. I throw my stuff at the foot of my bed, open the window and just listen to the sounds of the city. Police cars, loud music driving by, and the bass making the house rumble. Everything the way I remembered. And though I didn’t live here long New York always felt like home.

Shay knocked and came inside with a DVD in his hand. It was one of Carmen’s movies. One that I had not seen. A sci-fi movie called Shelter. It was odd I thought I had seen everyone of her movies.