Except, apparently, it didn't. Because Bill finally leaned forward, hugging Moose's big, furry head to his chest and stared into the flames as he spoke in a voice suddenly shifted from deep and deadened to full of remorse.

"I had too much to drink that night," he said, "like every other night. But this night instead of just me in the car? Yeah, I had to have that one more beer before I went to the rink to pick up my boy."

I knew where this was going and almost ...