Page 67 of The Home Game

“Basically.” Matty grinned back. “And the best billet houses treat you like you’re a part of their family. I stayed in some great homes. With people who I keep in contact with even now. They call on my birthday or Christmas or whatever, you know? It’s nice. They’re like bonus family.”

“Okay,” Antoni said slowly. “This is actually sort of starting to make sense to me. From your experiences, living with strangers and becoming a part of their home, that’s totally normal.”

Matty shrugged. “Pretty much. I guess I hadn’t thought about it that way until just now, but yeah.”

“Okay.” Antoni released a big breath. “That actually makes me feel a lot better.”

“Yeah?” Matty shot him a smile. “Well, that’s good. I want you to be happy living here. I want you to let me help out. Not because I don’t think you can handle it or any of that. But because that’s what feels normal to me. I’d feel awful if I watched you struggle and just did nothing, you know?”

Antoni smiled back. Somehow, it all made sense now. And while he’d guess that Matty was just a generous guy with a huge heart and a desire to help people to begin with, this was the missing puzzle piece that made everything lock into place in Antoni’s head.

Matty was treating Antoni like he was a hockey player. It was like … being welcomed into a new culture or something.

And while Antoni might not understand hockey culture, it was easier to think of it terms like that. He could work with that. He could stop questioning why Matty was doing it and just be the best possible billet person out there.

“Cool,” Antini said. “So what’s for breakfast?”

Matty threw his head back and laughed. “Pancakes, eggs, turkey sausage, fruit, yogurt …”

“Uhh, you do know I can’t actually eat that much, right?” Antoni said. “Like, my stomach is only so big.”

Matty scoffed. “Could’ve fooled me yesterday! ‘Oh, I only got two pieces of pizza and salad. I’m starving because the team ate it all!’”

“It was good food!” Antoni protested but he was laughing and it suddenly felt good and normal to be here in Matty’s kitchen, listening to Reese babble about something as he pushed more rice cereal to the floor.

Antoni turned to him. “Hey, do you think you could try to get a few in your mouth instead of on the floor, little man?” he asked teasingly, swooping a spoonful through the air and into Reese’s mouth.

He gummed at it, then spat it out.

“Oh, kid,” Antoni said with a sigh. “C’mon. Not even one?”

“Pretty sure he thinks they’re toys, not food,” Matty said with a chuckle. “Have you tried mashed foods?”

“Not yet. I should. But the pre-made stuff is stupid expensive and I haven’t had time to make any myself.” Antoni made a face.

“Oh, well we can make some this afternoon. It’s pretty easy.”

“Let me guess? You made some for your goaltender’s kids?” Antoni said drily.

“Yup.”

“Sure, if you’re not busy,” Antoni said with a shrug. “That would be a big help.”

“Nope. I’m going to go skate in a bit but after I get back, we can go shopping.”

“That reminds me, I need to take the kids back-to-school shopping. And I need to do some cleaning at the rental house. I can do that while you skate though.”

“What about the kids?”

“Oh, my parents said they would watch them.”

“Cool. I should get them spare keys and the gate code so they can just pop over and watch them here if that’s easier for them.”

“You don’t mind?”

“Nah,” Matty said. “Not at all.”

And Antoni shook his head because he felt so light. Where there had been obstacles and difficulty before, there was Matty smoothing the way now.

---