Remi tilts her head briefly in thought. “Well, he has the same eyes as me.” I raise my brows, genuinely impressed she put that together on her own, until she continues, “And Liam called him my dad… but then he freaked out! And he told me to keep it a secret. But when I told him I’m not allowed to keep secrets, he freaked out even more!”
Koen exhales slowly, “Liamtalks too much.”
I cover my mouth to hide the laughter bubbling out of me as I watch Koen’s eyes narrow.
“If Koen is my dad, does that make Liam my uncle?” Remi continues, completely oblivious to the gravity of the topic we are discussing.
“I—uh.” My eyes dart over to Koen, who’s staring straight ahead, his jaw locked tight.
“Like Uncle Dash and Uncle Sam?”
That breaks Koen out of his thoughts. He glances in his rearview mirror at Remi before giving me a sharp look. “Uncle Dash and Uncle Sam? I thought you were an only child?”
I’m torn between answering my daughter and answering Koen.
“Yes.” I wince, turning around to face Remi. “That makes Liam your uncle, and Aidan and Alex too. I look back at Koen. “Dash and Sam are Lily’s brothers,” I explain.
There’s an unreadable look,not unlike jealousy, on his face before he turns his attention back to the road. We pull into an underground parking garage meant for just the players and their families.
Remi claps, sitting back in her seat. “Yay! We’re going to watch myunclesplay!”
“Yes, we are…” I blow out a breath, sitting back in my seat and trying to get my heartbeat to regulate, while Koen finds us a spot to park.
One thing about a hockey game… It’s loud.
So loud.
Once inside the massive arena, I half expect Koen to lead us up to a box, or somewhere private, but we head down. Down and down until we’re at the glass level, right in between Boston’s bench and goal.
We’re early enough to catch warm-ups. Music blasts from the overhead speakers, and when the players race out onto the ice, Remi shrieks with excitement. More players spill out of the doors until both teams are moving in massive circles around each end of the rink before breaking apart. Some come over to stretch near us while others practice their shots on the goalie.
Remi’s got a huge smile on her face, jumping up and down before she, too, starts banging on the glass at the players skating around like she sees others doing around us.
She’s bundled up in layers: long sleeves, with her new jacket underneath her brand new #26 Boston Breakers jersey, courtesy of #26 himself, Liam O’Rourke. And honestly, she looks adorable in it. I even found some green ribbon to tie in her hair. Koen bends down, picking her up and holding her so her toes rest on the top of the boards. Both of her hands press up against the glass, and she squeals ecstatically. I think my heart might burst at the sight of the two of them together.
Liam skates by, and Remi bangs harder, trying to get his attention.
Koen gives me a look, mumbling, “I’m gonna kill him,” under his breath at the same time Liam spots us. Grinning ear to ear, he peels out of the warm-up circle, coming straight for the glass, green eyes fixed on Remi. He holds up his glove and gives her a high five through the glass.
In true Liam fashion, he doesn’t notice Koen glowering at him as he bends down to pick up a puck off the ice. He taps it against the glass twice in warning before he reaches up and drops it over, right into Koen’s open palm.
Koen’s hand closes around the puck, and he hands it to Remi, who takes it from him like she’s just been given the holy grail.
You’re dead,I spy Koen mouth to Liam while Remi is distracted. Liam cocks his head, pointing his green glove to his ear while mouthing back a helplessI can’t hear you, but the shit-eating grin on his face suggests otherwise.
Koen’s jaw clenches, and I can’t help but laugh, earning myself a wink from Liam, and a scowl from Koen at my side.
Liam gives Remi one more fist bump through the glass before he turns his attention back to the ice, warm-ups nearly over. Not half a minute later, Rory takes his place, waving at Remi with her green pompoms. Remi holds up the puck Liam just gave her, showing it off, and Rory’s mouth drops open in exaggerated shock and awe.
Rory makes eye contact with me before she, too, tosses something over the glass. I catch her shimmery, green and silver pair of pompoms, which elicits another squeal of excitement out of Remi, who snatches them right up, holding them high and shaking them like the rest of the Belles are doing out on the ice.
“Thank you!” I shout to Rory, hoping she can hear me through the glass.
“Anytime!” she yells back. I can hear her perfectly fine. “Have fun at your first game, guys!”
I’ve seen hockey on TV before, but to experience it in person, and right at ice level, it’s a completely different experience entirely.
They are sofast! And when they hit each other, they hithard, pushing the glass outward with force each time. We’re not five minutes into the first period before we spot Aidan, right before he slams one of the Chicago Bolts players into the glass right in front of us.
