Page 174 of Saving Forever with the Hockey Captain

The arena begins emptying as the evening draws to a close.

Children leave carrying signed jerseys, photographs and stories they'll probably tell for years. Volunteers stack chairs while arena staff gather cones and skating aids from the ice.

For the first time all evening, the building grows quiet.

Jamie stands near center ice, looking out across the empty rink.

I walk beside him.

"Tired?"

"A little."

"Worth it?"

He doesn't answer immediately. Instead, he studies the arena that has been part of his life for so many years.

"I used to think this place was home."

His voice is almost thoughtful. "I’ve spent more time here than anywhere else."

I look around the now-silent building. "It's a good place."

"It is."

"But after the injury..." He slips his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "...I realized something."

"What?"

"I missed the people more than I missed the building." The words settle softly between us.

I think about Ethan.

Coach.

Liam.

Toby.

Caleb.

The children.

The volunteers.

Everyone who had smiled simply because Jamie was back. Maybe home was never the building."

He turns towards me and a slow smile appears. "Maybe it was always the people."

I smile back. "Jamie, I think you've known that for a long time."

"Maybe." He looks toward the empty stands one last time before we begin walking toward the exit.

Outside, the night air is crisp enough to remind us winter hasn't completely surrendered.

Together we walk across the parking lot, the arena lights glowing behind us. The crowd has thinned, leaving only scattered conversations drifting through the cold evening air.

Neither of us seems in much of a hurry to reach our cars. "I had a really nice time tonight," I say.