I smiled. “Tahoe West’s first ever, the whole team losing their minds.”
It had been a historic milestone for the team, for Sean, for California hockey. I could still see him hoisting it, eyes wet, then later with Cassy perched on his shoulders for the victory lap she’d been waiting for. He didn’t say it out loud, but I knew coaches waited decades for that win.
“You did it in three years. Coaches wait a long time for that.”
He shrugged, chewing. “I had the right crew. You being the captain.”
“And your fired-up Colton Lombardi, voted team MVP by fans and players alike.”
“Yeah,” he said, smiling faintly. “He had learned how to aim that fire, right into the opponent’s net.”
I grinned and leaned my head on his shoulder. “I was floating. Engaged only a few days earlier and had six weeks to plan a wedding.”
We had picked August 9th for the wedding day. Sean hadn’t wanted to wait—with the new season starting in October—and honestly, neither did I. Despite the time crunch, it came together beautifully.
I chuckled. “And you told me, ‘Take the reins on this, Cutie. You give me the time and place, and I will be there.’”
“Yeah, and you crushed it. Ben and I only showed up in suits.”
“Oh, he and his wife Kelly, such nice people,” I said, remembering the beautiful wedding basket they gave us. “And your face when you realized what the number of people on a list actually looks like in a room was priceless,” I teased.
Sean nodded over the brim of his glass.
He didn’t want a big ceremony, but with childhood friends and extended family, the list stretched. And with Sam in Baltimore, Erica Zooming in from Thailand, a mother barely faking interest, it all added up to me carrying most of the load on my side.
But I wasn’t alone.
Abby stepped in and helped. She and Cassy had moved back home to Los Gatos in June after she reconciled with Jeff, who’d cut back on his travel. The WAGs gave unbelievable support, and Jeanne Wilson—the Tahoe West president’s wife—handed me the golden key: a wedding planner whose team worked magic the second I said, ‘Jeanne sent me.’ They made my stress disappear.
He set his glass down. “Despite my shock, it was a beautiful wedding.”
“Classic, simple, exactly how I’d pictured it. And Cassy carried the rings so proudly... I love her.”
“Seeing you with Erica made me a little jealous… in the best way.” I poked at his ribs. He grabbed my fingers. “No joke. There’s some serious sisterhood going on there.”
Erica and Josh flew in from Thailand for the wedding. I hugged her so tight I nearly bruised her ribs. For a full week, it felt like college again, only this time, I was the one with the big life milestone.
Sam flew in the night before and left right after brunch on Sunday, but even in those forty-eight hours, she made it unforgettable. Having both of them there made the day feel complete.
“It’s good to have people like her around—they hold you up when you forget how,” I said
“It was nice of her and her husband to invite us to Thailand. Next offseason will be another reunion for you two.”
“I know, I’m excited about that,” I said. Then my mom’s face surfaced. “My mom was in the room when Erica and I talked about Thailand. Her face lit up for a second, but it’s anyone’s guess what that meant.”
Sean paused, fork mid-air. “She squeezed your hand before the ceremony.”
“She did. And I let that be enough.”
My mom had been… present at the wedding. Pearls, polite smiles, posed for photos, clapped at the appropriate moments. Maybe she wanted to be happy for me, but I didn’t linger to find out.
I remembered two weeks before the wedding, I stared at the guest list withRuby Boydglaring back at me. Sean walked in, saw the tension on my face, and didn’t ask. He just sat beside me, took my hand, and said, “You don’t owe her a perfect daughter. You owe yourself peace.”
Today waspeaceful.
I traced the edge of his tattoo with my finger. “Santorini will forever be tattooed under my skin. Cliffside views, sun-warmed terraces, lazy boat rides, mornings tangled in sheets. You touched me like the day had been holding its breath to watch.”
“I don’t know what made us choose the honeymoon there, but it was perfect,” Sean agreed. “Sunlight, sea breeze, and a promise to always choose sunsets when life gets loud.”
