Do You Believe In Miracles?

Disclaimer- "Miracle" is owned by Disney. I own only the OC Chevon. This is a fiction based on parts from the movie.

Detroit, Michigan June, 1979

It had been an incredibly long day, I thought as I adjusted the temperature of the water in the shower. The only thing on my mind was taking a long hot shower to unwind and then relaxing. Maybe the next day I would go to the community pool for a swim. When the water was the right temperature, I carefully stepped into the shower.

I started washing my hair. I had recently gotten my hair cut; it had grown out too long for my liking. I prided myself on having a better Ferrah Fawcett haircut than Ferrah herself! I had just rinsed out the shampoo when I heard the phone ringing. I grabbed a towel and jumped out of the shower to answer it.

"Hello?" I said trying to tighten the towel around me.

"Hey Chevon, its Herb. Is your dad around?" I heard Herb Brooks on the other end of the line. I knew him through my dad.

"No, he went to a baseball game tonight. He should be back around 11:30 or so. Can I take a message?"

"Have him call me the minute he gets home, no matter what time it is. It's really important Chev!" Herb said sounding excited and serious at the same time, a trait that only Herb had.

"Sure I will." I told Herb and hung up the phone.

I walked back to the shower wondering what was going on with Herb. What could he possibly need to talk to dad about?

By the time I finished my shower, I heard my dad in the kitchen. I walked in and found him pulling a beer out of the fridge.

"Hey dad, Herb Brooks called earlier. Said for you to call him the minute you got home. He sounded in a buzz about something!" I called to him.

"Alright Chev, I'll call him now." I heard dad yell as I walked into my bedroom to change into some PJ's.

My dad was Craig Patrick. I had grown up around hockey.

I finished changing and went to talk to my dad. I wanted to know what had Herb in a lather. Herb's Gophers had just won a national championship. I walked into our living room to find my dad looking joyfully overwhelmed.

"Dad, what's wrong? What did Herb have to say?" I asked.

"Herb was just hired as the Olympic hockey team's head coach. He wants me to be the assistant coach." Dad said looking as if he couldn't quite believe what he was saying. I understood completely and was elated.

"We're going to the Olympics!!!" I shrieked and ran over to the couch and jumped beside him wrapping my arms around his shoulders in a bear hug.

"Hold on Chevon! The games aren't for seven months; Herb already wants to add more games to the schedule. Try-outs start in two weeks and…"

"Dad, you have always dreamed of being part of the Olympics, I have always wanted to see you there…"

"Herb wants you there too. He said he could use you to communicate with the team or something. Some kind of consultant. He said that I couldn't leave you here alone for seven months." Dad said.

I paused a moment, I had just graduated college the previous May and was looking for a job. "Seven months of traveling and hockey?......Let's do it" I said. Dad smiled and hugged me. "When do we leave?"

"In two weeks!"

The next two weeks, dad and I prepared to head to Colorado Springs. The AHA had set up a week of try-outs. Amateur players from all over the United States would be vying for a spot on Team USA. I was excited to get started; it was going to be a long road to Lake Placid in February. I got a sneak peek at the tentative schedule. It included a game in Norway, a game against Harvard and so on.

Dad and I flew to Colorado. The AHA had put us up in a hotel. I noticed a bar nearby. Next day started tryouts.