Back in Lake Point, as Jon was consoling his mother for reasons with much lower stakes, when Linda's phone rang. Unknown caller.
"Hello?" Linda answered.
"Is this Linda Madison?"
She squinted into the air. "This is Linda Gibson. I haven't been Linda Madison for over twenty years."
"But you're the Linda Madison who played for the D-5 peewee team in Minneapolis that turned into the Mighty Ducks, right?" There was a straining in the voice that Linda couldn't quite place. Like this conversation was very important to the person on the other line.
"I was that person, thirty years ago. Who is this?"
"Charlie Conway. We used to play hockey together?"
"Spazway!? It's been years, how have you been?"
"Well," a long pause. "I've just been made head coach of the Anaheim Ducks. And I need a favor."
"Okay?"
"Have you looked at the news?"
"Not recently."
A deep sigh. "I need to fill a roster quickly. They don't care how good the players are, as long as they can skate and hold a stick. Do you want to play in the NHL?"
"Charlie, I haven't skated in years! I'm a middle-aged woman! I have three kids! Are you being serious?"
"One-year contract, $2.5 million dollars. Averman's said yes. Fulton's said yes. You're my third call."
a series of calculations flashed behind Linda's eyes.
"Linda?" Charlie called after a moment of silence.
"Mom?" Jon asked, having only heard half of the conversation.
Linda pulled the phone from her face and looked straight at the screen. Then she looked at her son. An expression of resolve set in over her face as she put the phone back to her ear, and a sly smile crept up the side of her face.
"Charlie?"
"Yeah, Linda?"
"The quack attack is back!"
