Page 109 of On the Line
Mitch would do no such thing, and a moment later, with thirty-five seconds still on the clock, the entire Warriors bench, save the coaches who weren’t Mitch, was gathered at center ice, a mob of cheers and tears.
“Hey!” Jordan yelled above them all. “We’re not done yet! Get your asses back to the bench if you weren’t on the ice for that goal.”
Grins stretching each of the Warriors’ faces comically wide, they all skated back to the bench, Mitch following slowly behind, his grin more sheepish than outright ecstatic as Coach shot him a glare.
When the final buzzer sounded, sealing the Warriors’ victory, and all the players hopped over the wall, mitts and helmets and sticks flying through the air in celebration, Mitch remained on the bench, taking it all in.
Back when he and Lexie had been together, there was a weekend stretch when Detroit got hit with a monster winter storm. Mitch had a few days off, and though Lexie was supposed to fly to California for work, the snow had all flights grounded.
“What should we watch?” She asked one morning as Mitch brought their mugs of coffee into the living room in his condo and sat on the couch, holding his arm out to let her curl into his side.
“Whatever you want,” he said, dropping a kiss to the top of her head.
Lexie started scrolling through Hulu, talking quietly to herself as she paused on and quickly discarded numerous shows and movies.
“Oh my God,” she said. “I haven’t seenOne Tree Hillin forever.”
“I’ve never seen it,” he told her. “What’s it about?”
“It’s one of those older CW dramas. It’s a high school basketball drama. Well, it starts that way anyway. It’s one of the best shows ever, and we’re watching it.”
Mitch shrugged and settled in, fully preparing himself for some cheesy chick flick that he would endure for Lexie’s sake.
In the end, he was pleasantly surprised to find thatOne Tree Hillwas actually an incredible show, if a bit unrealistic. But it made him think about a lot of things, take a deep long look at who he was as a person and what he brought to the world.
There was one line in particular that had stuck with him since then, and at this moment, when the Warriors were on the ice celebrating, their families having joined them, the crowded arena going nuts in their seats, that Mitch was reminded of:
When all of your dreams come true, who’s the one you want standing next to you?
Not that all of Mitch’s dreams were coming true.
Not in the way he had always hoped, anyway.
To be even a small part of winning a championship was an amazing accomplishment for him when, seven months ago, he hadn’t even been sure he’d be able to walk again, much less be involved in the game of hockey in any way.
Knowing his name would finally be stamped on one of those silver rings alongside guys like Brent and Jordan Dawson was an incredible feeling, but also bittersweet at the same time.
He would’ve preferred to have played, naturally.
But coaching was just as rewarding, and to be living this moment was nothing short of a miracle.
The only thing that was missing was Lexie.
Shewas the one he wanted next to him when all of his dreams came true.
Since their showdown in her apartment nearly two months ago, he’d left her alone in the sense that he hadn’t tried to ambush her again.
But that didn’t mean he was letting her forget his presence.
Flowers, chocolates and other candies, plus a selection of travel-inspired gifts had been sent to her condo regularly. Anytime Brent and Berkley went out, Mitch turned it into a group hang, knowing Berkley would drag Lexie along.
They kept their distance for the most part, but he didn’t miss how every single time he looked at her, she was already looking back.
He would make her forgive him and win her back if it killed him.
Once the Cup and Conn Smythe trophy had been presented, and the on-ice celebration died down, the Warriors players and the team’s various staff proceeded to the locker room, where they pulled out bottles of champagne, passed around cigars, and took turns holding and posing for pictures with the Cup.
And exactly like old times, Mitch yelled, “Loft party tonight! Attendance is mandatory!”
