Landon reaches for me, then snaps his hand back at my glower. “I got it.” I step out onto the ice and take my time as tiny humans practice shooting. I see Lianna up ahead, facing off with another player. I feel stable, which I didn’t the last time I did this. Taking a few laps around, I watch all the kids play. It’s fucking adorable.
Up ahead I see a child sitting on the ice. No one’s around him. I skate up to him and he looks up. “You have to stand on the ice. You’ll get hurt sitting here.” He’s not crying now, but I can see how red his eyes are. “What’s wrong?”
I reach out a hand to him, helping him up. He can’t be more than six or seven. “I keep missing shots and everyone keeps yelling at me.”
I look out at the ice. “Come on, grab your stick.”
“What?”
“Come.” I wave him over, skating toward the line of children waiting to get their shots in on the miniature goalie. We get in line with a couple of kids, and when it’s his turn I standnext to him. “The trick is not to focus so much on getting it in.”
He cranes his neck to look at me. I can see the scowl through his face shield. “That’s terrible advice.”
I laugh. “Aim for the net, but don’t think about it. Drive it as hard as you can. You can get a clean shot all you want, but if you can’t make it past the goalie, good luck. You’re thinking so hard even he can hear you.” Their goalie’s hunched over, waiting for this kid’s shot. “The trick is to shoot fast so they can’t see where you’re shooting.”
He nods, skating up to the line. I watch him hesitate, and so does the goalie. His next movement’s clear. As predicted, he gets it blocked. Frustrated, he goes back to the line. “Come on. Another. The only way we fail is if we quit.” He sets up another skate and drives it in. Blocked. “Much better.” I notice the goalie is left-handed. “Try to aim lower, right.”
He takes a few shots that get blocked. When it comes back to his turn I pat him on the helmet. “Don’t think. Drive it home. Make the shot.” I watch him skate with more confidence than he’s had yet. He skates up, slapping the puck, then pulls back. The goalie flinches with the fake out, and I watch him slap it toward the left-hand corner, making it inside.
“Yay!” he shrieks. He skates to the back of the line, high-fiving my hand with his glove. “If you overthink, they’ll know your moves. Speed is the trick. You have to outsmart your goalie.”
“Did I just hear you say how smart goalies are?” Landon laughs. “Very smart.”
“He helped me get a goal.” He beams a gap-toothed smile.
“You did that all on your own.” I tap his helmet.
“Nathan?” we hear someone yell.
“That’s my mom. Gotta go.” He comes to me, hugging mearound the knees, and I grimace with the pressure, then he skates off.
“Well, look at you making friends.” Landon smirks.
“I felt bad.” I shake my head. “It was painful to watch.”
“Maybe you could come down next practice. These guys are little, but there are some older kids too who I’m sure would love to hear some advice from you.” I roll my eyes. “You had fun with your brother-in-law today. Admit it.” He bumps my shoulder.
“Fine! I had fun today. You just so happen to also be here in the same room.”
Landon claps me on the back. “You know, just because your professional career is over doesn’t mean your hockey days are.”
“What do you mean?”
“You should look into coaching.”
I snort. “If you can’t do, teach?”
Landon shakes his head. “If you want to teach kids how to pursue their dreams,teach. Just something to think about.”
My leg is a bit sore.I unlock the front door and walk into the dim kitchen, confused. Candlelight flickers on my table. Felix has a wide smile on his face. “Oh, I was trying to finish setting up.”
A meal is set on the table, pasta and wine. Damn. “What’s this for?”
Felix shrugs. “I wanted to do something nice for you, after everything you’ve done for me.” I don’t have a moment to think about it before he’s kissing me with a smile on his handsome face.
It makes me wonder more and more if this is the way my life was always supposed to go. I love the game. I love hockey,and I’d thought my life was over, but with Felix’s arms wrapped around me, it feels like it might be just beginning.
“Sit.” He holds out my chair for me, and I slide into it. “I made spaghetti. I made the sauce from scratch. I hope that’s okay. It’s almost done.” He looks back at the stove. “I have something for you first before we eat.”
