"Promise?"
"Promise."
But Lucy could see the worry in his eyes. They were both about to be consumed by their respective careers. Would their relationship survive it?
The Wolves were on a tear.
They won their next six games, cementing their first-place position. Jake's coaching was getting attention—articles in local papers, interest from higher-level teams.
"You're becoming famous," Marcus said after a particularly glowing piece in the Burlington Free Press.
"I'm not famous. I'm just doing my job."
"You're doing it better than anyone expected. Jake, you could probably get a job in the AHL if you wanted."
"I don't want. I'm happy here."
And he was. Coaching the Wolves, being part of Timber Falls, building a life with Lucy—this was exactly where he wanted to be.
But the success brought pressure. Expectations. Everyone assumed they'd make playoffs, that they'd go deep, that this was finally Timber Falls' year.
"Don't listen to the hype," Tommy advised. "Just focus on one game at a time. The rest will take care of itself."
"What if we lose? What if we don't make it as far as everyone thinks?"
"Then you lose. And you learn. And you come back stronger next year. Jake, you can't coach scared. You have to trust your system and your players."
In mid-February, Jake had a particularly rough game. The Wolves lost 6-2, their worst loss of the season. The locker room was silent afterward.
"That was unacceptable," Jake said, his voice tight. "We played lazy. Undisciplined. Like we've already won something when we haven't won anything yet."
The team looked chastened.
"Tomorrow, we're back on the ice. No off day. We're going to drill fundamentals until we remember how to play hockey. Questions?"
No one had questions.
After the team left, Marcus approached Jake. "That was harsh."
"They needed harsh. They're getting cocky."
"Maybe. But Jake—they're also tired. It's been a long season. Everyone's running on empty. Yelling at them might not be the answer."
"So what is the answer?"
"Balance. Push them when they need pushing. But also know when to back off and let them breathe."
Jake went home that night frustrated. He was a first-year head coach. He was making mistakes. And the playoffs were three weeks away.
Lucy was at his apartment when he arrived, cooking dinner.
"Heard about the game," she said. "Want to talk about it?"
"Not really."
"Okay. Then just eat. I made comfort food—mac and cheese with fancy cheese because I'm bougie now."
Despite himself, Jake smiled. "Bougie mac and cheese. That tracks."
