Page 80 of Saving Forever with the Hockey Captain

Nobody asked him. He just...fixed it.

I watch and can’t help but smile. "You guys really don't know how to visit normally."

Colby laughs. "This IS normal."

"I've never had visitors reorganize my pantry."

Coach calls from the kitchen. "It needed reorganizing."

"I knew where everything was."

Coach pokes his head around the corner. "No, you didn't."

Liam opens the refrigerator. He stares inside dramatically.

"I have concerns."

Jamie sighs. "About what now?"

"You own exactly three condiments."

"I don't need more."

"You don't own barbecue sauce."

"I wasn't aware that was illegal."

"It should be."

Toby laughs. "I'm bringing him barbecue sauce next week."

Coach points toward Jamie. "See? You've started a support group."

"I didn't ask for one."

"No." Coach smiles. "That's why we ignored you."

I look around the room and watch.

Nobody is entertaining me.

Nobody is treating me like I’m fragile.

They're simply...living life around me.

For the first time since coming home...the cabin feels like it belongs to people again.

***

Then Coach quietly carries two mugs of coffee onto the porch.

He hands one to me while the others stay inside laughing.

For a minute it's just the two of us. Coach looks out across the frozen lake. "Beautiful day."

I nod and agree.

Another long silence. Then Coach says... "You know, you've always been there when one of them got knocked down."