I nod. “Have you texted those girls back?”
“No. Why?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “I’d be interested to know what Lolly thinks about him. I’m a little invested now.”
“No you’re not.”
“I am,” I jest. “They remind me a little of us, and I’m dying to know if that’s going to work out too.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
Silence falls between us for the next ten yards or so.
“Have you thought about this hockey practice you’re supposed to coach on Monday?” she asks as we walk off the main street to our small neighborhood.
“Not really. We shouldn’t be here for it, right?”
“Yeah, no. You’re right.” She looks over at me, pressing her lips together.
“Were you thinking about teaching dance?”
“Yeah, while I was at the studio, I was imagining what it might be like. There are all these pictures on the wall with me and kids. I look really happy in them. I never considered teaching dance, but I don’t know…something about being there the other day and today has me wondering what it would be like.”
“For what it’s worth, I’d think you’d make a great dance teacher.”
“You don’t have to be this nice to me,” she muses.
“It’s true.”
“Do you ever think about what you’ll do when hockey is over?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. It’s weird. When I was in New York, I was doing everything in my power to avoid any talks about the future, but since we’ve been here, it’s all I can think about.”
“What do you mean?”
“What life might be like once I retire.”
“Is that going to happen? You said your shoulder is feeling better, and you just got back to the Crowns. You really think you’d hang up your skates?”
“I don’t know. I think I’m realizing that there are things that could fulfill my life other than hockey.”
“Like what?”
You.
“Building a life with someone.”
“That does sound nice doesn’t it?” Her eyes find mine, and for a split second, it seems like she knows what I’minsinuating. “Do you think you’d try to coach or commentate or something like that? I can’t imagine you leaving hockey entirely.”
“Maybe. So, do you think you would teach dance once you’re done?”
“I have a lot more goals that I’d like to reach before that day comes, and it would be a huge learning curve. I haven’t taught dance since I was in high school, but I think it could be really fulfilling to help kids reach their dreams. I mean, I’ve wanted to dance as the Sugar Plum Fairy since I was five…”
Her voice trails off, and she looks down at her feet.
“You’re going to get to do that,” I assure her, squeezing her hand. “All we have to do is make the rocks do their magic, and we’ll wake up back in New York tomorrow.”
“I hope you’re right.”
