She sucks in breaths, one after another, until her body starts to settle. Then she wipes her face once more and shifts so that she’s looking only at me.
“What do you need to tell me?”
“My father is a horrible man.” Gracie swallows, and the moment hangs between us.
Numbness dances up my arms, and I brace myself for the worst.
“You’re scaring me,” I admit while searching her face.
“I’m your sister.”
EPILOGUE
SAM
Six months later…
“Let’s go,” I yell from the lower bowl.
“There they go,” Desmond blurts, pointing out the guys and waving frantically.
Alex skates to the glass with Kane and Mountain trailing closely behind them.
“Hey, guys,” Desmond says excitedly.
“What’s up, little man?” Kane greets him first and leans over the partition to do the secret handshake they spent the entire summer learning.
Alex reaches out to tousle my brother’s head. “Desy. Lil Bro.”
Desmond grins at that, fanboying right along with everyone else here. Other kids and fans try to get the players’ attention, and they wave, but they keep their focus on Des. I watch, loving the way they’ve taken my brother under their wing.
“Bryden,” Kai, his kid brother, screams at the top of his lungs.
“Ningwizis.”(My son.)Bryden’s mother beams, pointing as he approaches the glass. She claps her hands to her chest, eyes full of love for her son.
Mountain reaches over the partition to fist-bump Desmondand Kai before he pulls his mother into a hug. She cups his face, kissing both cheeks.
“Your dad had to work, and Gookomis needed to rest.”(Your grandmother)“But they are so proud of you.”
“Miigwechiwi’ giin ogiin.”(Thank you, Mother).He places a palm over the back of her hand.
And then he turns to me, and signals for me to come close. I stand to close the gap, leaning over the partition to get as close as I possibly can to him. Mountain’s gloved hand hooks around my nape, bringing our mouths only inches from each other. I watch his mouth as he watches me, and then he smiles and everything around me starts to fade. Finally, he kisses me; it’s soft and passionate, respectful given his mother is sitting only three feet away. I melt into him, loving how good he makes me feel. Here he is, my quiet, stoic goalie, and he’s kissing me for the world to see. And when he pulls back, I miss the connection.
“I love you,” he says for the first time.
My heart stops, and I read his face, finding nothing but longing and sincerity.
“I love you, too.”
Mountain skates backward, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Let’s go, Bobcats,” I yell from the lower bowl.
If you had told me at the start of this year that I’d be cheering during an NHL game, I would have laughed in your face. But here I am, standing front and center with everyone. I’ve grown to love and celebrate my boys in their very first game as professional hockey players. And they look damn good out there. It’s not surprising they were drafted, especially after leading the Knights to yet another national conference.
It’s amazing seeing them grow; after everything we’ve been through last semester, they deserve it. They had the choice toplay somewhere else, to leave all the fucked-up shit we discovered behind, but they stayed for me—they stayed for us. It’s complicated for sure.
Navigating the ins and outs of a polyamorous relationship has had its challenges, but once we got over the initial shock of it all, everything’s fallen into place. We’re there for one another, helping and guiding along the way. It feels good to be loved by them, despite the glares and whispers we get from people on campus who managed to put it together that I’m with all of them. We expected the judgment, but we tune it out because the only thing that matters is that we love each other.
