Luke and Connor are fighting their way through the hordes of people banging against the glass. They pause when they make it to the railing of the players’ tunnel.
The voice of the announcer fades away when Luke’s eyes meet mine. I may be thirty feet away on the ice, but I don’t miss the look on his face or the tears in his eyes.
The air is sucked from my lungs when I look over and see an identical look of pride on Connor’s face. Only there aren’t tears in his eyes. No, there are tears streaming down my big brother’s face.
I choke back a sob and then wave like an idiot at the two most important men in my life.
I’m trying like hell to keep it together, but when I look at Connor and see the mess of tears on his face, mine finally break free as well.
Charlie is watching us both, waving her arm around as if we don’t already see her.
In unison, her brother and I raise our hands in the air and proceed to wave them around like we just don’t care.
My inner millennial is really showing right now.
I watch as Charlie brings both hands to her face and blows us a giant kiss.
The way my heart aches to be near her right now.
Connor sniffles next to me. I wrap my arm around him and squeeze him tight. “This is pretty fucking sweet, man.”
He wipes his face with the back of his hand and places his other arm behind my back.
“This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And it’s not even happeningtome. Winning silver at my Olympics was sick but this…Charlie deserves this more than anyone. Growing up the way we did. Working her ass off. No matter how annoying she was being my shadow, I’m so fucking glad she was.”
Connor starts crying again, so I pull his head into my chest and ruffle his hair with my fist.
“Since when are you such a softie?”
He shoves me away from him but we remain standing with our arms wrapped around each other.
“Just starting to realize what’s most important in life, ya know?”
Charlie mentioned the reason Connor had to miss some of her games was due to an emergency back home with a friend. No, not just a friend. A woman.
I wasn’t surprised when she told me that. He’s dropped everything for me time and time again. But seeing him like this is new. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him cry besides the day he left for college.
Squeezing his neck, I try to get his attention. He finally looks over to me, his eyes still full of tears for his sister.
“You know you can talk to me about anything right? Whatever kept you from being here on time for Charlie’s games. I’m here to listen when you’re ready.”
He nods, but only once, then turns his attention back to the ice where they just finished handing out the silver medals to Team Canada.
We watch together as they start announcing the Team USA roster.
“Number twenty-one, Charlotte Smith.”
Connor and I finally break apart, only so we can cup our hands around our mouths and scream as loud as humanly possible.
My eyes track her every movement. The way she easily glides across the ice. The way she shakes hands with the woman passing out the medals. The dip of her head as she lowers it as the medal is placed around her neck.
But my favorite doesn’t happen until she makes her way back onto the blueline, this time standing closest to the bench.
Charlie raises the gold medal to her mouth and dramaticallybites on it, pure fucking happiness etched on every inch of her face.
I throw my head back and laugh just as Connor yells, “Tastes good, doesn’t it?”
She’s close enough now that she hears his words and breaks out into laughter, causing the medal to fall and bounce off her chest.
