Page 89 of Bar Down

Eli

We didn’t makeit to the playoffs. But we put up a great fight, ending the season one point behind the wildcard spot. Ash and I decided to stay in Detroit for the offseason this time, and booked two weeks to visit my family, who were ecstatic to have us.

The sun is up already and shining through the curtains, waking me up from a deep sleep. My hand reaches out towards Ash but all it finds is a cold pillow. I lift up on one elbow and look around my childhood bedroom, the same one Ash and I spent our time in last summer. I expect him to be in the bathroom, but the door is open and there’s no light or movement.

I hear shuffling downstairs and I roll over in bed, peeking at the clock. Too early.

Ash opens the door with one hand, balancing something on a plate with the other.

“It’s too early, what are you doing?” I whisper.

He softly closes the door and flips the lock and I sit up in bed, letting the sheet fall down to my waist as I lean back against the headboard.

I yawn and rub the sleep away from my eyes, and when I open them again, Ash is in front of me, carrying a tray of breakfast food.

“What is this?” I ask, surprised.

“Happy birthday,pretty boy.” Ash places the tray in my lap and I look down with a smile on my face. There are heart-shaped pancakes with berries and syrup on top, and bacon on the side.

“You made these?”

“Of course,” he says, grinning at me. Ash places one knee on the bed, then turns back to reach some napkins from the nightstand. In doing so, his leg stretches out and hits mine. I cover his calf with my hand, stilling him, and realize this is where his sailboat tattoo is. I rub absently at it, thinking about why he got it in the first place. He said he wanted to immortalize the summer we fell in love, and the first time he told me those words, at the sailboat party. When he twists back around, he fully kneels on the bed and places both his hands above me on the headboard.

“I love you,” I say, keeping one hand on the tray and using the other to pull Ash down for a kiss. When I finally pull back, I tell him, “I know I said I didn’t want one, but I changed my mind. I want a present for my birthday after all.”

“Oh yeah?” he asks, smirking. “Is it my big c?—”

“I want a sailboat tattoo.”

Ash’s smirk turns into a soft smile and he steals another kiss. “Mina rakastan sinua,”he says against my lips, and I fall in love with him all over again every time he speaks my language back to me.

EPILOGUE

Five Years Later

Eli

There’snothing better than a home opener. Detroit has some of the most hyped and dedicated fans I’ve ever seen. Even when we play away games, there’s always a sea of red jerseys in the crowd, cheering us on. Tonight is an extra special night for us because Olivia is here officiating her first NHL game.

We’re only ten minutes into the game when one of the Toronto players takes control of the puck and moves toward my net. As he gets closer, he passes the puck to his buddy and takes up a position to screen me. He makes it inside the crease and his stick is blocking my glove.

“You better not block me like that, man,” I say to him while trying to keep my eyes on the puck. His teammate still has control of it and bypasses one of my defensemen. He shoots but I can’t turn in time to stop it. Dickinson is still screening me, and as I move my blocker arm to stop the puck, he falls back and knocks me into the net.

Olivia blows the whistle and motions that there is no goal. She skates up to the box and calls the penalty. “Toronto, number twenty-two, two minutes for goalie interference. There is no goal.”

A chorus of cheers rings out in the large arena, and I pull off my mask and spray water all over my face. Olivia skates up to me and says “Eli, are you okay?”

“All good, Olive.” I smile and give her a wink. She turns around and sees Ash skating up, most likely to check on me. “He’s fine, get back in the face-off before I give you a penalty,” Olivia scolds him and I can’t help but laugh.

“Yes, mom,” Ash replies but does what he’s told.

The team has beenincredible tonight and we’re all hooting and celebrating in the locker room after a 3-0 shutout. I take my shower quicker than usual since I know Olivia and Robbie are waiting for us so we can go to dinner.

Ash and I walk out hand in hand and see our friends and their daughter talking in the player entrance area.

“How are the wedding preparations?” Olivia asks.

“Jesus, I can’t wait for it to be over already. She’s such a bridezilla.”

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