Natalie laughs softly. "You do have a lot of hockey gear."
"Exactly." I pause. "And I was worried that Maddie might struggle with the change."
Natalie's expression softens.
"Kids notice everything," she says quietly.
"Yeah." I nod. "I kept waiting for the moment where she decided this whole situation was weird."
"And?"
"She thinks it's great," I say. "She has someone to talk to who isn't me."
Natalie smiles at that.
"High bar," she says.
"The highest," I agree.
"What about you?" I ask. "What did you expect?"
She considers that for a moment.
"I expected it to feel temporary," she says finally. "Like we were just… managing a situation."
"A strategic arrangement," I say.
"Exactly." She gestures between us. "More business partnership than anything else."
"And now?"
Natalie's gaze lifts to mine.
"Now it just feels like life," she says.
That hits me harder than I expected.
"I always liked you," I admit before I can overthink it.
Her eyebrows lift slightly.
"Before this," I clarify. "I figured maybe someday I'd ask you out like a normal person."
"Someday," she repeats.
"Instead we skipped straight to marriage."
That earns a quiet laugh.
"Very efficient," she says.
"Hockey players are known for their life planning," I deadpan.
She studies me again, more carefully this time.
"I guess this wasn't what you expected either," she says.
It's not really a question.
