“I think we need a speech from our captain,” Jaxon suggests, causing me to come back to Earth. I don’t know what led to this, but all of a sudden, everyone starts tapping the table.
“Speech, speech, speech—”
Declan stands up, the chant slowly dying out.
“I don’t really know what to say. I feel like I gave a pretty good speech before the game, but Jaxon really likes to put me on the spot.” He pats Jax on the back a little harder than necessary, causing Jax to laugh. “I know not everyone is here right now, but I just want you to know that tonight’s win wouldn’t have happened without each and every one of you. And I don’t just mean the guys I shared the ice with tonight.”
Declan’s eyes travel around the table, taking in each of us.
“The win wouldn’t have been possible without my beautiful girlfriend, who’s been my inspiration to keep playing this game since the day our relationship started to change. It wouldn’t have been possible without my sister, who kept our team fed and supported this whole season.”
Brinley flips her hair over her shoulder, allowing her to have her moment.
“Tate, who was always there to support us and cheer us on. Even from afar. Every single person who supported us, not just this season but from the beginning. This win isn’t just for us; it’s for them. All of them. I love you guys.”
Fletcher sneakily grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze as we all lift our glasses to Declan’s speech.
This is my family.
It may not be the one I was born into, but it was the one I got to choose.
And the one who chose me.
Things changed quite quickly after the guys won their championship.
One day, we were celebrating their win, and then suddenly, everything came crashing down.
Zeke’s mom took a turn for the worse.
I don’t even know how he’s making it through this. Zeke dedicated his life to his mom’s health, ensuring she attended appointments and stayed up to date on her scans.
She was better. She was supposed to be better.
But now, all we can do is wait for her to pass.
I know it’s killing him. That there’s nothing he can do to save his mom from this. I don’t think he’s left the hospital since she got admitted. Not even to go home and shower.
“Hey.” I drop a hand on Avalon’s shoulder, causing her to wake up. “Is Zeke back with his mom right now?”
We didn’t know about Avalon until everything happened with Zeke’s mom nearly a week ago, but she quickly became a part of our group.
There are just some people you meet and know they’re going to be in your life for the long run. I felt the same way about Maia and Ember when I met the two of them at the beginning of the year. Seeing the way Avalon cares for Zeke, it was easy to know she’d be one of those people, too.
“Yeah.” Avalon stretches her arms above her head. “She’s been sleeping a lot the last couple of days, so whenever she’s awake, he tries to get in there, soak up whatever time they have left.”
My heart sinks.
Mrs. Harris has been so important to all of us. It’s crazy to think of a life without her around. She quickly became a mother to all of us in many ways. She was the kind of person who took any kid under their wing and treated everyone with kindness.
“I brought you all some food. It’s not as good as Brinley’s home-cooked meals, but hopefully, it will tide you over until dinner.”
“It’s perfect, Tate, thank you.” Avalon squeezes my hand and sets the bag of food in the chair next to her, and I take the other one.
We’ve all been taking turns bringing food to the hospital. Alex and Brinley are stopping by tonight for dinner.
She made sure to make something with mashed potatoes, Mrs. Harris’ favorite thing that Brin makes.
We came up with a schedule to ensure that someone could always come and bring food so Zeke wouldn’t forget to eat, and that way, Avalon wouldn’t have to leave Zeke by himself at any time.
