Page 115 of Power Play

It’s a feeling. A moment when you know that your team is going to win. It happens too when you realize you’re about to lose. The level of desperation is through the roof. Our team is trying to play defense, and hopefully they’ll have a chance toscore again, while the other team shows its claws. They’re ready to rip us a new one in their attempts to score.

“Hoping to win?” I ask a Pittsburgh player, mostly to play on his nerves but also because I’m shit at controlling myself when I’m nervous.

It wasn’t my brightest moment for sure because the next thing I know he’s slamming into me, and then the net, and then both of us smack into the boards. A whoosh of air springs out of my throat when he punches me in my gut.Fucker.

Before I have a chance to hit him back, the guy is ripped away from me. My teammates crowd him, with Roman holding him by his collar. It takes a while for the linesmen to pull both teams away from each other.

When the game resumes, Roman dives into the crease to help keep the puck out of our net, preserving our lead at the fifteenth minute. The score is still three to one.

Freezing the puck in the corner for the last nine seconds of the third period brings us a win.

The California Thunders have won the Stanley Cup for the first time in the team’s history. The first time in my fucking career! I’m on cloud nine, I swear.

“We fucking won!” I yell, skating at full speed to my teammates.

The euphoria, the happiness, the vividness of the scene. I don’t see anyone clearly, let alone think clearly, but a thought still appears in my mind. It makes my smile wider.

I won, and my career is going great.

It’s time to win in my personal life too. This time forever.

“You allowedfifteen goals on sixty-three shots in the three previous games,” Alexandra, a hockey reporter, tells me, a dashing smile on her lips. “Tonight, you made seven saves in the first period, eight in the second, and ten more in the third. What’s your secret, Clay?”

She caught me on my way to the locker room, when all I wanted was a shower. But I still stayed to have a little chat with her.

“I’ve been trying to distance myself from everything before the game,” I comment. “I think the fact that my family is here with me, that they flew to Pittsburgh to support me and my team, did the trick. Yesterday, I spent the evening watching TV with my girlfriend and playing with my daughter. They both gave me a boost of confidence, filled me with positive energy, and fueled my desire to win. They are my motivation, my biggest fans. They inspire me to be the best of the best, and when I stepped on the ice today, I really felt that. I was ready to win, and we did.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet.” She tilts her head to the side. “Though I didn’t know you have a daughter. It’s a great surprise, and I’m very happy for you.”

I grin, realization dawning on me. I called Maya my daughter on national TV. “Thank you. Bye, Alexandra. It was a real pleasure talking to you.”

“The feeling is mutual! Thank you, Clay. Bye.” She waves and turns on her heel, her eyes scanning the crowd for someone else to talk to.

I better go change.

I have a very important question to ask.

“And why are we here again?”Layla asks, pulling on my hand to make me halt in my tracks. “Clay, I asked you a question.”

“I forgot my helmet,” I lie. Damn, I’m so nervous, my bowtie feels like a noose. “Once I pick it up, we can go meet the others. Okay?”

“Fine.” She squints at Maya, who’s walking by her side, her fingers wrapped around her palm. “Are you warm enough, sweetheart?”

Maya nods, her pigtails swaying back and forth. Her steps are carefree and light. She’s clearly enjoying herself.

We walk straight to the ice rink, and the moment Layla realizes where we are, she pauses. “I thought you said you forgot your helmet.”

“I kinda lied,” I admit.

“Wh—” She falls quiet because she sees our friends standing on the ice in a half circle.

Colt and Ava with their kids. Roman and Nevaeh, Drake, Dean, and Dylan. I invited Angie, but with the twins being only three months old, she stayed home with her mom and sister. Though, based on the phone in Drake’s hand, I’m pretty sure she’s seeing what’s happening.

Layla lets go of Maya’s hand, and she goes to stand beside Michael. With a deep breath, I get on one knee in front of Layla. Her eyes, full of unshed tears, are glued to me.

“Layla, I don’t think there are enough words in my vocabulary to describe how much I love you. Nothing feels right. Nothing feels like enough. My feelings for you are bigger than this universe, bigger than the history of humanity. From the moment I first saw you at the coffee shop, my life changed inways I couldn’t anticipate. Since the moment I first kissed you on campus, I knew you were it for me. There wasn’t a single hesitation, not the tiniest doubt. I always knew you were the one for me, even when we were apart. Even when we didn’t see each other. I felt your heart from miles away because it was beating in time with my own.

“You are my everything. My favorite girl. My best friend. With you, I know anything is possible, and I know that for you I will do absolutely anything. There are no borders I wouldn’t cross, no wishes I wouldn’t fulfill for you. You make me a better person, and every moment that I get to spend with you, I am reminded of how lucky I am.

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