Page 102 of O Goalie Night
“I had no idea.” How did Principal LeBlanc arrange this? There was no time to fundraise and there’s no way we had money in the school budget for all of this.
Looking back at the ice, I see my brother lean in to say something to Foster before laughing and giving him a slap on the back. Foster’s eyes meet mine and he gives me a tentative smile.
And that’s when it hits me. The school didn’t do this. Foster did.
I look around again at the brightly coloured stalls along the path. Hot cocoa, balloon animals, cotton candy. Not only did he save Skate Day for my students, he recreated the Winter Carnival I missed out on when I was a child.
Every impulse in my body tells me to run onto the ice and wrap myself around him, but given our audience, this is not the place and definitely not the time.
The next fifteen minutes is spent getting the kids ice ready. It’s no small feat and I’ve never been so grateful for parent volunteers. But eventually their skates are all laced up and their helmets are secured tightly to their heads. I’ve been so focused on making sure my students are taken care of that I haven’t had time to put my own gear on.
As the kids, parents, and my fellow teachers take the ice, I sit down to hastily put on my new skates. As I’m fumbling with the stiff new laces I sense someone approach.
“Need a hand with those?” Foster asks as he crouches down in front of me.
“That might be faster. Thank you.”
I grab my helmet from my bag. While I’m putting it on, I watch his hands as they lace up my skates. The look of quiet concentration on Foster’s face is so endearing. He looks so boyish right now that I fight a swoon. He finishes tying my second skate, gives my ankle a little pat, and looks up at me, smiling.
“You did all this for me,” I whisper. It’s not a question, it’s a statement.
“I did.” He must know I’m on the verge of tears because he gives my calf a squeeze. “Didn’t I tell you to get used to romantic gestures?”
“Yes, you did.” I grin. “How did you pull all of this off?”
He shrugs, a sheepish look crossing his face. "I called in a few favours and reached out to the owners. Ben got in touch with the guys on the team who hadn’t left for home yet and pestered them until they agreed to come. Cody handled everything with the school. Honestly, I didn’t do much."
“You did so much. Thank you.”
His cheeks flush as he helps me to my feet.
“I’ve never seen you in a regular helmet,” I laugh, giving it a little tap.
“I don’t like it,” he admits with a frown. “You can see too much of my face.”
“I like your face.”
“I’m glad.”
Foster leads me to the ice and I step onto the frozen surface with no hesitation and start to skate.
I’ve got this.
We skate around the perimeter taking in the scene. Will is leading a group of kids in a boisterous chorus of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer while Austin leans against the boards, flirting with one of the mom volunteers.
Ben is surrounded by a group of boys and girls all vying for his attention. He’s doubled over laughing at something one of the kids said. It’s the happiest I’ve seen him in months and when he spots us skating by, his grin grows even bigger.
We approach Jacob, who stiffens when he sees us. I watch Foster give him a reassuring smile and nod as we pass.
“Hey, Jacob. Good to see you again, man.”
Jacob’s entire face lights up. “Ye-yeah. You too, Foster, man.”
I have to bite back a laugh. Whatever crush he once had on me has been completely eclipsed by his man-crush on Foster.
“You’re a pro,” Foster tells me as we finish our first loop.
“I had a great teacher.”
