I like the idea of Sarah watching me play.
On my right, Miles skates by, and we make eye contact. He gives me a nod, and I wonder if things will be different for us now. We’ve always had a solid relationship. But I’m going to be his brother-in-law. Sort of brother-in-law?
Surely, that will change things.
Once the game starts, I can’t afford to think about Sarah or wonder where she is. My team needs my focus. Denver plays dirty, and they spend a lot of time in the penalty box. Unfortunately, we go zero for four on the power play, so even though they give us every opportunity, we can’t seem to get ahead.
Two minutes before the end of regulation, we’re down one to two.
When Theo and I climb over the boards for our last shift, Holly is coming off the ice to the bench. We’ll play empty net so Miles can join our line as a sixth attacker.
I settle in, dialing up my focus even more. We can do this in two minutes. We’ve done it before.
The puck moves into our offensive zone, then gets trapped on the boards, but I fight it out and chip it over to Fly, who circles wide, then sends it back to me. As the play shifts, I see a lane open up and make eye contact with Miles, who will have a clean shot if I can get him the puck. It’s a clean pass, and Miles receives it easily before sending the puck soaring under the goalie’s elbow and into the net.
The goal horn sounds, and the crowd explodes as Miles throws himself into my arms, followed by Fly and Theo. I pound Miles on the back, celebrating with him before he skates past the bench for his well-earned high fives. Twenty seconds later, Fly scores a second time, givingus the lead right before the final horn sounds. That’s the game. We win three to two.
Miles looks into the stands, touching his glove to his heart once before pointing at his family. I follow his gaze to see Anna standing at the glass, Olive perched on her hip and Poppy beside her. I look behind them, around them, then up to where the families usually sit. But I don’t see Sarah anywhere.
I push away the twinge of disappointment this triggers. It’s been a long time since I’ve had anyone in the stands here just for me. That was the one good thing about my relationship with Veronica. She’d bring a whole cheering section. Posters. My face on homemade t-shirts.
It’s a shame her enthusiasm didn’t carry over to when I wasoffthe ice.
“Second star tonight, Carter,” Dave, our communications director, says as I head down the tunnel. “And post-game interview with Avery on the bench.” I nod, then turn back toward the rink, stepping to the side so the rest of the guys can file past.
Theo claps me on the back on his way. “Way to get it, brother. I’ll see you back there,” he says, then he heads toward the locker room.
I wait beside Fly while the broadcasters announce the three stars of the game—the three players who, in their minds, had the greatest impact on the win.
Fly accepts the third star, skating onto the ice, then tossing a puck into the crowd for the cheering fans. I do the same for the second star. The fans are loud as I lift my arm and wave, but tonight, it doesn’t feel as good as it usually does. There’s a loneliness lurking right behind my ribs that’s making the cheers of people Idon’tknow feel shallow.
Usually, I’d head straight back to the locker room, but since I’m doing a post-game, I wait while Miles skates out and accepts the first star.
When he comes off the ice, he stops in front of me and makes eye contact. “Don’t freak out over the question,” he says. “We’re just planting seeds. Smile, then deflect. That’s all you have to do.”
Before I can ask for clarification, Miles heads down the tunnel, and Dave ushers me onto the bench, where one of the Jaguars’ broadcasters is waiting for me.
I have to wonder if Miles was talking about one of the questions I’m about to be askedlive,in front of an arena full of people and broadcast to thousands at home. The thought makes my gut tighten with nerves.
Thankfully, Avery’s questions are predictable. How do I feel about our power play? What went wrong? Did it feel good to make up for it by feeding Miles such an incredible pass? I give the answers she wants—accountability, focus, trusting the system—and I start to relax, thinking Miles must have been talking about something else.
But then Avery gives me a knowing smile.
“Just one more question,” she says. “It seems like you had great chemistry with Stone tonight. He’s such a force for the Jaguars, and he’s told me the two of you have a pretty close relationship off the ice as well. What’s it like for you, as a younger player, to have this kind of relationship with a player of his caliber?”
Okay, that’s a little more specific than what I’m used to, but it’s still on topic.
“Miles is a great captain,” I say. “It’s an honor to play with him and learn from him not just as a player, but also as a husband and a father. He’s a great guy all around.”
Avery smiles. “He also mentioned he’s been giving you a lot of marriage advice lately. Are you taking notes for any particular reason?”
“I’m sorry?”
Her smile falters. “Just wondering if we should expect an announcement from you in the coming weeks?”
My jaw tightens. So this is what Miles meant.Smile and deflect.
I channel Theo’s bravado and offer Avery what I hope is a convincing smile. “Did Miles put you up to that question? I’m going to go withno comment.” I add a wink at the end that feels much more like something my brother would do, and Avery laughs.
