Étienne
Miss you too. So much. Can’t wait to see you skating again.
I showered, changed, and headed home to the house that felt too empty.
Two more days. The game was the next night against Pittsburgh. Then he’d be home Wednesday.
I could do two more days.
Tuesday morning, I woke up sore.
Not injured sore. Good sore. The kind that came from using muscles that had been dormant for too long. My right calf ached. My foot was stiff. Even my core was tight from the balancing work.
But it was all manageable.
I stretched thoroughly and iced the foot even though it wasn’t swollen.
At the rink that afternoon, the ice felt even better than it had the day before. My body knew what to expect now. The movements came easier.
I ran through the drills with more intensity Everything worked.
After thirty minutes, Chuck called me over.
“You’re looking good,” he said, examining the foot again. “Progression from yesterday to today is exactly what we want to see.”
“So, what’s next?”
“Tomorrow’s a rest day for the foot. Let it recover. On Thursday we’ll do another skate. Dr. Chen cleared you for no-contact practice with the team next week.”
I showered, changed, and checked my phone for texts from Pittsburgh.
Étienne had texted that morning.
Étienne
Last game. Then I’m coming home to you.
At home, I settled on the couch with dinner and turned on the game.
Pittsburgh was tough. Fast, skilled, the kind of team that punished mistakes. The Glaciers would have to play a complete game to win this one.
First period was scoreless, both teams feeling eachother out. Étienne had a few okay shifts, nothing spectacular. No major mistakes, but no standout plays either.
Second period, Pittsburgh scored first. Power play goal, traffic in front, the puck bouncing in off someone’s skate.
1–0 Pittsburgh.
The Glaciers responded five minutes later. Boucher drove the net, the goalie made the save but couldn’t control the rebound, and Jensen buried it.
Goal: 1–1.
Étienne hadn’t been involved in the play.
Third period was tense. Both teams traded chances, neither able to capitalize. Étienne had a decent shift midway through, generated some offensive zone time, but couldn’t create anything dangerous. The clock wound down: five minutes, four, three, two.
Looked like it was heading to overtime.
Then, with forty seconds left, Etienne intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and broke in on a two-on-one with Jensen. Quick passing play, Jensen one-timed it past the goalie.
