Page 162 of The Home Game

“Yeah. Okay.” Antoni leaned in, pressing his forehead against Matty’s. “Thank you.”

You never have to thank me for loving you and wanting to be with you, Matty thought, his heart aching a little from not saying the words aloud.

But this wasn’t the time or the place.

So all he did was wrap an arm around Antoni’s shoulders and let him snuggle close. He looked great right now, all cozy in a Fisher Cats hoodie and jeans as he watched Eli’s practice.

Alexis was in the next rink over and Antoni said he’d been trying to alternate watching both of them. Matty had already peeked in on her to see how she was doing and he’d made it in time to see her score a goal in the drill they were doing.

“Hey. How’s Eli doing?” Matty asked with a frown as he nodded at the kids out on the ice. “Anyone hassling them?”

“It’s been good so far,” Antoni said. “I’m always holding my breath but …”

“Yeah, I hear that.” Matty watched Eli skate for a few minutes, trying not to be distracted by the feel of Antoni’s hip pressed against his own and the warmth of his palm on Matty’s thigh.

According to Antoni, Corey had taught both kids to skate. Alexis had been playing hockey for years but Eli was just getting into it.

“What drills do they have them running?” Matty asked.

Antoni looked blankly at him but Elena—who sat on the other side of him, watching two of her own kids—laughed. “Today, it has been stick handling, passing the puck, and instruction on how to correctly hold the stick.”

Right now, they were practicing their skating and doing laps around the ice.

Impressed, Matty said, “They’re going pretty well.”

“Eli, or all of the kids?” Antoni asked.

“Eli.”

Antoni chuckled. “See, you know, I totally support Eli being non-binary but this is where the English teacher in me admits that occasionally the language gets confusing.”

Matty chuckled too, leaning in to speak in Antoni’s ear. “I’d like to have an English teacher in me right now.”

Antoni playfully knocked their shoulders together. “You’re terrible. Such a dad joke.”

Matty felt a little pang because he wanted that.

He wanted to be the kids’ dad. Not to take away who Corey was or what Antoni was doing raising them now. But another person there for them. Another father figure.

And, yes, Matty knew he was doing that already and the title shouldn’t matter but somehow it felt like it did.

“Hey, you okay?” Antoni said, his voice husky and concerned as he squeezed Matty’s thigh. “You looked a little sad there for a minute.”

“Yeah, I’m good.” Matty turned his head to kiss Antoni’s forehead. “Just thinkin’ about things.”

“I’m here if you want to tell me about them.”

“Not right now but I will,” Matty promised.

“Ugh. The honeymoon phase. You two are sickening,” Elena said with a sigh as she dug a protein bar out of her bag.

Antoni scoffed. “Like you should talk. You and Anton have been married how long? And you’re still grossly adorable together.”

She gave him a little smile, flicking her long brown hair over her shoulder. “We are cute, yes?”

“Seriously,” Matty said, laughing. “And I hear congratulations are in order, huh?”

With a wry smile, Elena pressed her hand to her midsection, her glossy pink nails flashing. “Yes. Number six is on the way.”

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