Page 49 of Pucking Christmas Triplets Surprise

Christopher leans down, his lips pressing softly against my forehead. His presence, steady and reassuring, grounds me in the chaos. “We’ve got this, Josie,” he whispers. “We’re going to raise these three together. And we’re going to make it through this. I promise you.”

I look up into his eyes, finding strength there, and for the first time in hours, I truly believe him.

After some time to catch my breath, Christopher and a nurse help me into a wheelchair. The room is still buzzing with the aftermath of labor, but my mind is already racing toward my babies. We make our way down the hall to the NICU, the sterile walls seeming both too bright and too bleak.

The nurse wheels me to the edge of the room, and Christopher stays close, his hand never leaving mine. I take a deep, shaky breath, preparing myself for the sight before me.

Each baby is in their own incubator, surrounded by tubes and monitors that beep softly, rhythmically. Asher is the closest, his tiny body dwarfed by the medical equipment. I feel a pang in my heart at how small he looks, but when I see his little chest rising and falling, the fear is tempered with a rush of gratitude.

We move on to Leo. His eyes are closed, his little fists curled beside his face. The nurses have already started tending to him, adjusting the wires and speaking in hushed tones. My fingers itch to hold him again, to press him to my heart and protect him from everything in the world.

Finally, we reach Ivy. Her pink hat barely fits her tiny head, and her fragile form seems to vibrate with each breath. My tears return, unbidden and overwhelming. They look so fragile, but also so strong, their tiny bodies already fighting for every moment.

Christopher kneels beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Look at them,” he whispers, his voice filled with awe and emotion. “Our little fighters.”

“They’re perfect.” I reach out, pressing a hand to the glass that separates me from my babies.

Christopher leans down, his husky voice purring in my ear. “They’re perfect because they have pieces of you in them. You make them perfect, because you are.”

I don’t want to say anything other than, “I love you.”

“I love you too, princess.”

EXTENDED EPILOGUE

JOSIE

The cold air bites at my skin as I glide across the frozen lake, the crunch of my skates soothing against the smooth, glassy surface. Christopher’s voice rings through the frosty air, steady and encouraging as he calls out corrections from the sidelines.

“Focus, Josie! Keep your shoulders back! Not too much tilt on the landing!” he barks, his tone sharp in the same way he used to yell at the hockey players at Northridge and now the new NHL team he coaches. The same tone that made my panties wet from the bleachers and completely soaked when he used that voice on me.

I stop for a second, my hands on my hips. “Coach, you're distracting me.”

“Josie, another lap now.” He growls and I pout, sticking my tongue out at him. “Put that tongue away before I use it.”

I suck my tongue back into my mouth, skating back to the starting position as I yell. “Promise?”

He shakes his head, a wide smile on his face as he gives me directions. “Shoulders back! Tighten your core, and watch that tilt.”

I nod, pushing harder, reaching farther with each lap. My body moves in sync with the rhythm, the familiar burn of the ice beneath me. I push off harder, gliding further across the frozen expanse, the wind biting at my face and tangling my hair.

“Come on now, all that smart ass mouth and you’re skating like a grandma!” He taunts.

My body buzzes like it’s on fire and I can feel it—the familiar rush of adrenaline, the clarity that comes with every jump and spin, as though everything else fades into the background. The ice, the cold, the anticipation of the Games—they all blur into focus as my body moves through the motions, pushing the limits.

"Good, Josie. Now double axel. Hold it!" Christopher calls, his voice taking on a note of urgency.

I land. The ice beneath me is firm, smooth, steady.

And then I hear him, his voice cutting through the wind, thick with approval.

“Whew! That’s what we want to see, baby!” He hollers, the words fueling me even more.

I hit the Biellmann spin with perfect ease, my arms pulling tight as I snap into the form, my body twisting and stretching in a fluid, graceful motion. I know he’s beside me now, his footsteps pounding on the frozen ground as he runs alongside me, a constant presence pushing me forward.

With one final turn, my arms unfurl, and I glide to a flawless halt right in front of him, the ice shuddering beneath the force of my stopping. Christopher’s smile is wide, his eyes blazing with pride.

“That’s it, Josie,” he calls, his voice full of triumph. “You’re gold-bound.”

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