He nods and then there’s a knock at the door. I leave Lily to tell Finn all about Millie and Peanut and head to the door. Claire stands on the other side. She’s a college student who’s been looking after Lily for extra money for the last six months. They seem to get along, so it works for me.

“Hey, Claire. Money’s on the table and Lily’s been fed,” I tell her.

Claire smiles and goes to say hi to Lily. I kiss Lily goodbye and then drag Finn away by the collar of his shirt.

“We’re co-captains. You’re right, we can’t be late,” I remind him.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go,” he says, rolling his eyes.

We head out to my car. Finn tosses his gear in the back and hops into the passenger seat. I slide in behind the wheel, and we’re off.

“So, who’s this lady Lily was talking about?” Finn asks as I drive.

“Just a neighbor, I think. Her name’s Millie. She has a puppy named Peanut.”

“Millie, huh? She hot?” Finn smirks.

“Shut up, Finn.”

“What? It’s a valid question. I knew a Millie once, and she wasfuckinghot!”

“I know.” I’ve heard this story way too many times. The woman he brought to a hotel, who snuck out the next day and he hasn’t seen her since.

“So…is she hot?” he repeats

“She’s... yeah, she’s beautiful,” I admit.

Finn laughs. “I knew it. So, you gonna ask her out?”

“Focus on the game, man,” I say, trying to change the subject.

“Fine, fine. But you should totally ask her out,” he insists.

“I don’t think that is an option, actually.”

“Why?” My mind goes to the man she was with, how he watched her the entire time. He was clearly enamored with her.

“Drop it, Finn.”

We reach the rink, and Finn’s out of the car before I even park properly. He’s practically running to the entrance.

“Dumbass,” I mutter, grabbing my gear and following him.

Inside, the rink is buzzing with activity. Players are everywhere, warming up, stretching, and gearing up. I spot Coach Nate and give him a nod. He nods back, eyes narrowing slightly at Finn.

“Glad you made it on time, Finn,” Coach Nate says, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Finn grins sheepishly. “Wouldn’t miss it, Coach.”

We head to the locker room to finish gearing up. Finn’s already in his skates, tying them up as fast as he can. I pull on my skates and adjust my pads.

“Ready?” I ask, standing up.

“Born ready,” Finn says, smirking.

We head out onto the ice, joining the rest of the team. The cold air hits me and I take a deep breath, feeling the familiar rush of excitement. Practice is intense, as always. Coach Nate pushes us hard and by the end, we’re all exhausted, but satisfied.

“Good practice,” I say to Finn as we head back to the locker room.