“One sec!” Robbie called back.
I glanced at Perry, who shrugged, and I wondered if I was the only one who heard the scramble in Robbie’s voice. A minute later, they emerged, only slightly dishevelled, and only if you were looking for it.
“Everyone grab a glass. I know we agreed no drinking while we’re training, but this is a bonding moment, so one shot doesn’t count.”
He was the Skip. I wasn’t about to argue with him. I grabbed a glass and handed one to Perry.
“Thanks.” He kissed my cheek, which was nice.
Alan held up his tiny cup. “To the team of my heart, and I don’t just mean Perry and Evan. I mean all of you. The men I choose to be in my life, the family I want, the people I know have what it takes to go the distance with me, no matter where that path leads us.”
“Shit, that’s good,” Carol said.
We all raised the toast and tossed back what turned out to be some very good scotch.
“Look.” Alan put his cup back on the tray. “I know we lost today, and it stings a bit extra because of the twins. I’ll be honest, I didn’t try to build a team with them for no reason. They are damn good curlers. But in the end, I made a different choice, not because I didn’t think they were good enough, but because I believe it takes more than talent to make a winning team.”
“It takes a family,” Mikko said, almost too quiet to hear.
Robbie wrapped an arm around his waist.
“I agree.” Alan patted Mikko’s shoulder. “It takes the kind of trust that my two oldest friends showed in me to agree to rip it all down at the last minute and start over from the ground up to build what we have now.”
Michael raised his empty glass, and Carol snorted. “Hard not to, when you’re always right.”
Everyone chuckled at that.
“It takes the kinds of bonds that let us all be who we are, no questions asked, no explanations needed. I grew up in a family that supported me my whole life, and still, I’ve never known a group like this. I’m grateful every day I get to do this with all of you, no matter how far we get.”
“Well,” Carol said, putting his cup back on the tray too, “if you want to get to the Olympics, you’re going to have wrap this up so I can go soak in the hot tub, because this week is not getting any shorter.”
“Go,” Alan said. “Thanks for indulging my sentimental moment.”
Carol got up and did something that caught all of us off guard, stepping over the low table to engulf Alan in a bear hug. Given the only person he ever touched was Michael, it was startling.
For a split second, Alan stood frozen, eyes wide. He looked to Michael, who looked like he was about to tear up, but Michael nodded and Alan hugged Carol back.
“Okay,” Carol gruffed, turning the hug to a back slap before stepping away. “Good.” He flattened a hand down the front of his sweater. “Good. That was not awful.”
“So glad,” Alan deadpanned.
Carol was smiling as he walked away, though, and Michael didn’t bother to wait before he followed him up the spiral stairs to the loft room above.
“Can we?” Robbie pointed his thumbs over his shoulder to the door of the room he was sharing with Mikko.
“Yeah, of course. Thank you for coming out.”
“Guess that leaves us,” Perry said.
“I guess it does.” Alan studied us.
“What?”
“I’m just proud of the team. One loss so far is pretty damn good, and you two have really stepped up.”
“I’d say we did it for you,” Perry said, “but it wouldn’t be entirely true.”
“Oh, I know that. If you didn’t want this for yourselves, you wouldn’t be working as hard as you are.”
