Page 107 of Dirty Puck

The house felt warm. Not just from the fireplace or the heaters humming through the vents. It felt lived in. Full. Like it had been waiting all this time for the right people to fill it again. Bree and Claudia had gone all-out decorating. Garland draped across the fireplace, lights twinkling around the windows, and three mismatched stockings hung beside mine—Bree’s, Benny’s, and Claudia’s.

I’d added the fourth.

It was Ma’s old stocking. Bree helped me hang it last night after Benny went to bed. We never spoke a word. Her silencein that moment felt reverent, giving me the space to feel everything I’d needed to feel.

My mom was here. Not in body, maybe. But in every warm light. Every sugar cookie. Every laugh. In the way Claudia stirred her cocoa and smiled. In the way Bree pressed a hand over her heart when she saw Benny crawl under the tree, face lit up with pure joy.

Watching him tear into those presents like he was on a mission from God—I swear to you, I’ve never been happier. The kid’s smile blazed from ear to ear over a set of sensory dinosaur toys, he gasped over a new pair of noise-canceling headphones, and he popped his eyes wide with actual glee when he found the remote-operated rideable car in the garage with his name stenciled across it in red.

“This is the best Christmas ever!” No, he didn’t actually say it, but I heard it. In my heart, I heard it.

We spent the rest of the day in pajamas, eating cinnamon rolls and watching old claymation movies on the couch. Benny curled up between us, dozing off before dinner. Bree made us all plates, and Claudia brought out a pie laced with pure magic. She refused to share the recipe.

I set an extra plate at the end of the table. Mom’s place. Bree lit a little candle beside it, and I swore I saw Claudia wipe at her eye before sitting down.

But it wasn’t a sad day.

It was peaceful.

It was family.

The next first without Mom came about two months later. Copperheads’ Family Day. All the parents, wives, girlfriends, children, no matter where they lived, showed up for this event. The whole weekend was like one big carnival. Always a Saturday night game where the players’ families got their fifteen seconds of fame on camera. The owner went all out for this event. His way of saying thank you to a club that earned him a hell of a lot of money.

And the moment I walked into the arena, it hit me like a freight train. Mom’s laugh. Her seat. The way she used to bring ridiculous signs and wave at the jumbotron until the cameraman gave her a shot. I held it together through warmups, pretending I didn’t feel the ache gnawing at my ribs.

Then I looked up into the stands.

There she was. Bree. My girlfriend. My everything.

Benny stood next to her, headphones on and a foam finger so big, it practically swallowed his arm. Claudia beside him with her steady hand on his shoulder. But Bree…

She was holding a framed photo of my mom.

My legs went weak.

I skated full speed to the glass and slammed both palms against it hard enough that not just she noticed, but everyone in the damn arena noticed.

With her attention fixed on me and overwhelmed with emotion, I shouted through the glass, “Bree Michaels, I love you, woman! Marry me!”

Her eyes went huge.

The roar that erupted around me was unreal. The crowd exploded. My teammates mobbed me like a bunch of idiots, screaming, chanting, tackling me with gloves flying.

“Sayyes! Sayyes!”

Bree laughed, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Yes!”

She bolted down the stairs, curls flying, her hand pressed against her heart. She hit the glass and I was already there, kissing her through it, palm to palm.

Coach shouted, but I didn’t care. That moment was ours.

We won that game, naturally. The Copperheads obliterated the other team. I played out of my mind, fueled by something bigger than competition.

The boys gave us hell in the locker room after the game. Bishop poured Gatorade over my head like we’d just won the Cup. Bonner smacked my back so hard, I choked on a beer.Jaycee tackled Bree into a hug in the hallway and shrieked making the arena echo.

Later, after the locker room cleared out and I was toweling off, my phone buzzed.

Unknown number.

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