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“Nobody asked you, Glenn, I think we’ll see that a big risk for the Renegades might end up with a big reward for the entire home team. I’m a fan of the kid. We might just be gearing up for a historical comeback. Back to you on the ice, Alison.”
Thank you for that, Reggie. I don’t have a clue who you are, but I like you. I make a mental note to look these guys up and check out their backgrounds. I bet Glenn has a bone to pick with the Renegades. He’s definitely a prude. His purple velvet jacket is two sizes two small…if you ask me.
I take a deep breath and try to calm my nerves. Without anywhere to direct my sudden onset of nervous energy I pick up my phone and type a text out to Sylvia.
Gia: You there? How’s the energy?
I watch and wait as bubbles appear on the screen.
Sylvia: It’s booming in here. He’s warming up with Carter. They look good.
I bet they do.I smirk to myself. I know what she’s doing. It’s working, and I’m grateful for the mental distraction.
Gia: Keep your eyes on your own husband’s backside.
Sylvia: He’s doing the splits, Gia. Give me a break. A woman only has so much self-control.
Gia: Fine. You get a pass for the splits.
Damn that man and his flexibility. Hockey warmups are their very own form of foreplay. My mouth waters just imagining it. I’d have much rather been watching the warmups down on the ice than listening to the commentating.
Sylvia: How are you holding up?
Good question.
Gia: Good. Nervous, but good.
Sylvia: Understandable. He’s ready. You both are. This is what he’s been working toward.
I know he is. I just need him to be confident in his own ability. This is the first time he’s been out on the ice for a game since the accident. He’s physically prepared, but the mental game is a whole other issue. He thinks he’s unstoppable. To some extent, he’s proven that he is. It doesn’t make me worry for him any less.
Gia: He is, now if he’ll just remember that.
Sylvia: He will. I need you to remember that for me too. Okay?
She’s right. I need to take my own advice. It’s a hard pill to swallow. I want this for him so badly, because I know what this opportunity means to him. Hockey gives him something I can’t. The sport is his passion, and the team is his brotherhood. That night in Chambliss stripped him of so much of his identity. I’m so grateful Sylvia and Carter are there. I’m thankful for their friendship and their unyielding support. Carter is a true leader, and I’m so happy that he’s there with Damien tonight.
Gia: Thank you for this, Sylvia.
I don’t think I realized how much I needed the reassurance.
Sylvia: You did this. You both did. Now, let’s show them what our boys can do.
Our boys. Her thoughts mimic mine. Somewhere along the way it kind of feels like Sylvia and Carter adopted us, and I don’t think I realized it when it was happening but now that we’re here, living it, I don’t think I’d want it any other way.
I grab a blanket and my laptop and sit on the floor next to where I’ve set Astria up with her dinner. Intro music plays and I grab the remote and turn up the volume. I don’t want to miss anything. The players skate out onto the ice and I quickly scan them. I don’t breathe until I see him on the screen.
It’s strange, seeing him in a new uniform, but he looks so good. Who am I kidding? I’m not getting any work done while the game is on. I close my laptop and push it to the side. I wrap the blanket around my shoulders and cross my legs in front of my body.
“Astria, look, it’s Daddy,” I point to where they show him skating back and forth in the net on the screen. I know she doesn’t comprehend that it’s truly Damien underneath all of those pads, but I can’t help but show her.
I’m so fucking proud of him.
Tears form in my eyes, and I don’t try to hold them back. The camera zooms by him, and I don’t miss his smile. His eyes say that he’s serious, but his smile tells me everything I need to know.
He’s ready for this. Just like I knew he was.
It’s time to make a comeback.
