Page 64 of Icing on Top

“So, I um… I made a decision,” she started.

I looked at her curiously as she leaned against the counter, her eyes trained on her feet. “About?”

When she lifted her head, there was that determined look in her eyes that I loved so much.

“I’m going to play in the rec league.”

The words didn’t register at first. When Zoe had so whole-heartedly shut down my suggestion of captaining a team, I’d dropped the idea of her playing altogether. Especially after she shared her history with me and I saw how much merely attending a women’s hockey game shook her up.

But I’d also noticed how much lighter she’d seemed since the game. As if the giant boulder she’d been carrying around had turned into a rock small enough she could fit it in her pocket. A much more manageable weight.

“Seriously? Zo, that’s great!”

She bit her bottom lip so hard it turned white. Even through all that determination, there was still a hint of apprehension. Just because she had decided to play again, didn’t mean it was going to be easy.

I quickly pulled her into my arms once more, stroking a hand reassuringly along her back. She relaxed into me, nuzzling her face into the fabric of my hoodie.

“I’m proud of you, Cupcake,” I mumbled into her hair.

She let out a deep breath, sinking even further as she murmured, “Me, too.”

“Game is starting!” Charlie called from the living room.

Zoe pulled back to glance through the doorway and then up at me.

“We better get in there before she gets tired of waiting and just eats all of the popcorn herself.”

I was glad to see a grin back on her face.

She wasn’t wrong, though. I could only imagine how much Charlie had already snuck, and before she’d even had dinner. I kissed Zoe’s forehead and then released her to grab mine and Charlie’s plates. Following Zoe into the living room, I was very surprised to find the popcorn bowl sitting on the coffee table, seemingly just as full as it had been when it left the kitchen.

“Zoe can sit in the middle,” Charlie announced, patting the couch cushion beside her. “I’ll share her tonight.”

I raised a brow as I handed her pizza to her. “Oh, you’ll share her, huh?”

Zoe bit her lip to hide her grin as she took the middle seat, but I knew she was eating it up. Taking advantage of Charlie’s generosity, I all too eagerly plopped down on the couch next to Zoe and draped an arm along the back of it behind her. I only needed one hand to eat pizza.

The game had gone into double overtime and way past Charlie’s bedtime. When I glanced over at her, she’d tucked herself under Zoe’s arm, chocolatey cheeks smushed and eyes barely open. It’d be a miracle if she made it to her bed on her own.

With the game over, I removed my arm from around Zoe and pushed myself up off the couch.

“All right, Tot. Come here.”

I held my arms out, and when it became apparent that she wouldn’t be moving anytime soon, I reached down to scoop her up. Her head lolled against my shoulder, but she did at least manage to lazily drape her arms around my neck. Her legs hung further down than I remembered, little feet knocking against my lower thighs as I stepped around the coffee table.

“I’ll clean up the popcorn and then meet you in there,” Zoe offered.

We both knew Charlie would be upset if Zoe didn’t join me to tuck her in. I made a pit stop at the bathroom, one-handedly wetting a washcloth and wiping away the special popcorn residue from around her mouth.

“Do I need to brush your teeth for you, too?”

Charlie giggled from the crook of my neck before lifting her head. “No. That’s silly.”

We worked together, her holding her toothbrush while I squeezed toothpaste onto it. When she was ready, I held her out over the sink for her to spit.

“Good?” she asked, baring her teeth at me.

I pretended to inspect them thoroughly before giving a satisfied nod. Zoe caught up to us just as I’d gotten Charlie into pajamas and under the covers. There wasn’t a need for a bedtime story tonight; Charlie couldn’t keep her eyes open a second longer now that she was cozy in bed.