Although the whole affair had caused a huge uproar and taken the city by storm, Goodwin seemed completely untouched by it. He stayed in Toronto, enjoying himself with his family as usual.
There were still three full days before the games resumed after the All-Star break, so Goodwin took his family out to enjoy the city for two more days.
But happy times always flew by in the blink of an eye.
Before they knew it, it was time to head home. On the night before their departure, his eldest daughter, Alissa, suddenly pouted and pleaded with Goodwin, looking reluctant to leave. "Daddy, can we not go home yet? Can we stay and have fun for a few more days?"
Seeing his daughter's innocent expression, Goodwin's heart softened. He smiled and gently stroked Alissa's silky hair. "What's wrong, sweetheart? Haven't you had enough fun yet?"
At her father's question, Alissa shook her head, her eyes turning slightly red. "That's not it, Daddy! Once we get home, you'll be busy with work again and won't have time to spend with us!"
Her words struck Goodwin like a knife to the heart, filling him with a pang of pain.
Goodwin had always done his best to carve out time for his family from his packed schedule of practices and games. Unfortunately, as a professional basketball player, he had precious little time he could call his own.
For his family, those brief moments were nowhere near enough—especially for the young children.
Looking at his pitiful eldest daughter, Goodwin felt guilty.
He gently pulled Alissa into a tight embrace and comforted her softly. "Be good, Alissa. I promise you, once I bring home two more championship trophies, I'll spend every day with my princess. How does that sound?"
Then he kissed Alissa lightly on