You’ll come back, right?he asks, trying for casual and landing somewhere in the neighbourhood of vulnerable.
Definitely.I duck down to his eyeline.I told you.I take care of my people.
He chews his lip.And we’re your people now.
Yeah,I say simply.You are.
He grins, eyes bright.Okay.Cool.
Lock the door behind me, yeah?
On the drive home, my muscles ache from practice, but it’s that good, used feeling.My brain feels quieter.Like something important has finally clicked into place.
I have two more practices before the home opener next weekend.A big season is in front of me.The kind of pressure that would’ve swallowed me before.
Now?
I’ve got something else to anchor me.
Two someones, actually.And I’m not mad about it at all.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
EDDIE
I should have said no.
When the tickets came by courier, I should have left the envelope unopened.When the text message invite came, I should have made an excuse.I should have said no respectfully and wished him all the best.
Because coming to the Toronto Nighthawks home opener was a mistake.A huge, exhilarating mistake.
I am a seasoned hockey mom.Or I thought I was.I’ve been to more hockey games than I can keep track of.But none of those games were like this.
The arena is packed with fans of all ages.It’s a sea of blue and black jerseys as far as the eye can see.Everyone is grabbing snacks and drinks, talking at higher volumes than normal because of the excitement.
The lights are bright, shining down on the rink and making it shimmer like glass.And as Joey and I make our way down the aisle stairway, nervous butterflies begin to flutter in my stomach.
This is unbelievable,Joey says to no one in particular, looking down at his ticket, then over to the row of seating he’s stopped next to.His eyes come up to me, wide and exhilarated.These are our seats.Mom!Look how close to the ice we are!
We are incredibly close, only half a dozen seats up from the boards and on the Toronto side.We’d have a direct line of sight to where Sidney will be goaltending.
I am a mix of emotions at the moment, and I can’t blame it on being sick or the medication.I had been forced to take the whole week off from work.I’d originally tried to take only three days off, but my boss had taken one look at me via video call and demanded I take more time to recover.She wasn’t being mean about it, and I understood it wasn’t a great look if your X-ray technician was coughing up a lung while asking you to hold still.
I still have a cough, and my energy isn’t at full charge yet, but I’m feeling like myself again.That’s why, when Joey had spotted the tickets I’d stupidly left on the counter, I couldn’t say no to coming tonight.
He’d been so excited, jumping around the kitchen, shouting about how amazing this was, texting all his friends.He’d said more words to me in the last week than I’d gotten from him in the last year.There was no chance in hell I was going to ruin what Joey kept calling the best night of his life.He wanted to be a part of the home team action and watch his favourite player up close.
We’re so freakin’ close,Joey breathes, plopping into his seat.Mom, can you believe we’re here?Likereallyhere?
I smile.Yeah.I can.
All of a sudden, there is a wave of noise.Fans begin cheering, the volume in the arena going up a notch, and my ears ring.The Toronto Nighthawks have made their way onto the ice for warm-ups.Joey gasps and springs up from his seat, cheering with the crowd.My heart thumps stupidly when I spot Sidney stepping onto the ice—focused, calm, in full pads and helmet.
This version of him…this version is a little terrifying.And overwhelmingly impressive.
He moves with sharp control as he steps onto the ice and glides to the net.I can’t take my eyes off him as he begins gliding side to side, post to post, in the crease, making the space his own, adapting the ice to how he likes it.
I can see him mentally tracking every shot, imagining his opponent and moving in for explosive saves.He looks locked in, confident, and untouchable tonight.
