Page 103 of Hat Trick Daddies

Ally’s face lights up, and she nods. “Yes! I’d love to.”

We scramble to gather her skates, digging through a nearby storage closet until we find a pair in her size. Once laced up, we head to the rink.

The crisp chill of the ice greets us as we step onto the gleaming surface, the sound of blades slicing through the frozen expanse echoing in the empty stadium.

At first, Ally is hesitant, her movements cautious as she adjusts to the feeling of skating with her growing belly. But soon enough, she’s gliding effortlessly across the rink, her laughter ringing out as we skate alongside her.

“You’re really good at this,” I say, marveling at her skill.

She smiles, her cheeks pink from the cold and the exertion. “This is where my dad used to bring me to learn. Every summer when school was out, we’d come here to skate. This place…it’s always felt like home.”

We take turns spinning her in slow circles, guiding her by the hand as she twirls with practiced ease. Brooks watches from the side of the rink with an indulgent smile on his face.

Seeing her joy, the light in her eyes as she moves across the ice, makes everything feel perfect.

The guys and I marvel at Ally’s ease on the ice, even with her new, delicate condition. Her movements are graceful, fluid, as if the rink is an extension of her.

Brooks watches her with a mixture of pride and tenderness, and I can’t help but feel the same.

“You weren’t kidding,” Tyler says, skating up beside her. “You’re putting us to shame.”

Ally laughs, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Well, I did have the best teacher.”

We continue skating while Brooks supervises, the four of us one cohesive unit. The silence of the stadium, broken only by the scrape of our skates and our laughter, feels sacred.

It’s a moment I wish I could freeze in time, a snapshot of pure happiness, untouched by the complications of the outside world.

As we take a break at the edge of the rink, Ally leans against the boards, her breath visible in the cold air. “Thank you,” she says softly, looking at each of us in turn. “For this. For everything.”

Brooks reaches forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You’re our everything, Ally. This is just the beginning.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

Brooks

Ally’s bellyis much larger, a beautiful, round testament to the new life we’re all waiting to meet at any day now.

Every night has become its own rhythm, a rotation of Ally spending time in each of our beds. It’s seamless, natural, and somehow, it never feels strange or forced.

We’ve called off group sessions until the babies are born. Ally’s belly is getting far too big and the doctor has been clear about the need for her to take it easy now that she’s late into the pregnancy.

We’ve fallen into a kind of unspoken harmony, each of us feeling loved and fulfilled by her in a way we never thought possible.

I’ve caught myself marveling at how effortless this all feels, how right it is. The way she lights up every room she enters, the way her laughter echoes through the house, making it a home, it’s everything I didn’t know I needed.

And as her due date has crept closer, I’ve found myself feeling a new kind of excitement, one I haven’t felt in years. The idea of holding those babies in my arms, of seeing Ally as a mother, it’s almost overwhelming.

The quiet of the night is shattered by Ally’s sharp intake of breath.

I jolt awake, disoriented, as a cool dampness seeps through the sheets. Ally groans, clutching her belly, her face pale in the dim glow of the bedside lamp.

“Brooks,” she gasps, her voice tight with panic. “My water…it broke.”

It takes me a second to process her words, but when it clicks, I’m on my feet in an instant. “Okay, okay,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel. “Are you okay?”

She cuts me off with another groan, her hand flying to her belly. “I think…I think the contractions are starting. They’re close together already.”

I grab the hospital bags we packed weeks ago, flinging them over my shoulder. I’m grateful that I’m out of the huge leg brace now. It’s much easier to do things like this.

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