Page 164 of The Home Game

“I’m glad you had fun,” Matty said. “I love watching you skate. Your dad did a great job teaching you.”

“I wish he could see me now,” Eli whispered, eyes big and a little teary, and Matty had to blink really hard to keep from crying.

“Oh wow, I do too,” Matty said, reaching out to hug Eli, his heart aching. “But, you know, I bet he’d be really proud of you if he could see you. Your mom too. And I know it’s not the same, but Antoni and I are gonna be here to cheer you on as much as possible, okay?”

“Yeah,” Eli said with a sigh, leaning into Matty a little. “That sounds good.”

“Now, how about you get changed and we can go home and have some dinner?”

“Okay.” Eli shrugged out of their jersey. Something got snagged when it was partway off and Eli flailed. “Ugh, crap. I’m stuck!”

“Need some help?” Matty asked with a laugh.

“Yes please.”

Matty found the issue and helped Eli get untangled, tugging off the jersey to reveal a flushed and disheveled kid in a pink Fisher Cats tee.

“Thanks,” they said with a bright grin.

Matty was relieved that the sad moment had passed without too much fuss but he made a mental note to talk to Antoni about it later.

Maybe they should talk more about Bethany and Corey with the kids. Matty knew there were photo books and some DVDs in the living room but Antoni never went near them and Matty hadn’t seen the kids reminiscing either.

“Matty! You’re back!”

He glanced up to see Antoni and Alexis walking over.

“Hey there, big shot,” he said, holding out a hand for a high five. “You’re looking good on the ice! I saw your goal earlier and I was impressed.”

Alexis glowed. “I got a few of them today!”

“Awesome. You’re doing better than me,” he teased.

Alexis grinned. “Maybe I can give you a few tips.”

Matty threw his head back at the chirp, then held his fist out for her to bump. “Nice one.”

Eli zipped up their bag and bounced to their feet. “Okay, I’m changed.”

“Ready to go home?” Antoni asked, smiling brightly at them both.

“Yes. I’m starving,” Alexis said.

“Snacks are in the SUV,” Antoni said. “Protein bar, applesauce, and sports drink for you, Alexis. Cheese and salami and chocolate milk for you, Eli.”

“Aww, I wanted to ride with Matty,” Eli whined.

“Me too!” Alexis said. “I want to tell him more about practice since he didn’t get to see it for long.”

Antoni shrugged. “So grab your snacks from my vehicle and ride with Matty, if you want. He can have your gear stinking up everything and give my poor nose a break.”

Matty laughed and picked up Eli’s bag. Bad smells were pretty much inevitable in hockey so Antoni was going to have to get used to them. “Sure, you can both ride with me,” he offered.

“I get shotgun!” Alexis called as she walked toward the exit for the lobby.

“Hey! No fair! You cheated!” Eli took off after her like a shot.

The kids squabbled playfully and Antoni rolled his eyes at Matty and took his hand, following in their wake.

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