“Is this a children’s book?” I ask, glancing at him. “About hockey?” Carter lets out a whoop of laughter, bending forward from the force of it. I can’t help but laugh with him and for a long time the room is filled with nothing else. Eventually, wiping his eyes, he takes a couple fortifying breaths and looks at me. His eyes are shining with uncontained joy and there is an actual fucking smile on his face. A wide, beautiful smile. I’ve never seen so many of his teeth before.
