Page 250 of Pucking Around

Ilmari has been a brick wall, blocking shot after shot. And the Finnish offense has been amazing, led by Mäkinen. The score has been locked at 1-0 since the end of the second period. Finland is winning. And we’re almost down to the last two minutes of the final period. Canada is ready to try anything to even the score.

“Oh fuck—they’re doing it!” Caleb shouts. “The goalie’s on the move!”

“Ohmygod,” I scream again, watching as the Canadian goalie books it over to the bench. The second his skates are off the ice, their fastest forward goes blasting out. Now their sixth man is an NHL top-scoring speed skater, famous for his slap shot.

“Oh, holy shit! I’m freaking the fuck out!” Right now, Jake couldn’t find his cool with a GPS. He’s a howling maniac, screaming at the Finnish defenders to check and block.

All the action is down in the Finnish defense zone. I can practically feel the concentration surging off Ilmari, even from here. I hate that he’s at the opposite end of the ice. I feel so helpless, but there’s nothing any of us can do. This is his game to win or lose.

The Finns fight dirty, trying to wrestle the puck away from the Canadians. If they can just get the puck loose and down ice, they can score again on the open net. The Canadians know it’s a risk. This is their Hail Mary chance to tie this game.

“Get it out!”

“Come oooon!!!”

The whole arena is going wild. The Finnish fans are trying to match the volume of the Canadians, even though we’re outnumbered 50-1. Mäkinen digs in along the boards, fighting a forward for control. He’s able to slap the puck out, sending it towards the center line.

The heat is off Ilmari as the clock ticks down. Then Canada’s number 10 makes a sloppy shot, and the puck goes spinning towards the corner.

“Holy—goalie goal!” Caleb screams. “Goalie goal! Goalie goal!”

“Oh my god, he’s gonna do it!” Jake practically strangles me as he reaches around to grab Caleb’s shoulder, and now they’re both jumping, jostling me between them.

I hardly know what I’m seeing as Ilmari races after the puck, leaving his net. His defenders hold back the Canadians for all of two seconds as Ilmari turns, lining up the shot on his paddle. With a whack, he sends the puck flying over the heads of the players.

I watch in slow motion, Caleb and Jake screaming to either side of me, as the tiny black puck sails down the length of the ice. It lands in the Canadian defense zone and glides over the ice, straight into the back of the empty net. There’s a moment of suspended animation as the whole arena registers what just happened. Then the cherry lights up, the siren wails, and the score board changes. 2-0.

And then the Finns absolutely erupt. Our section of the stands becomes like a human volcano as we explode with screaming, crying, hugging, and chanting.

“Best game ever!” Jake shouts.

Down on the ice, the Finnish team crowds Ilmari. A goalie goal in the last minutes of a gold medal match? Yeah, there’s no way the Canadians are coming back now. It’s over. Finland wins. Ilmari just guaranteed the team the gold medal.

Tears are pouring down my face as I hug everyone around me, my heart racing. I clench my fist tight, loving the press of Ilmari’s heavy wedding ring against my skin. His ring is safely tucked on my thumb. Tilting my hand, I look down at the stack of three diamond rings I wear as my wedding bands. They twinkle under the bright arena lights.

The guys each picked one. Ilmari’s is at the bottom of the stack, a mirror to theirs in a slimmer style. Caleb’s is in the middle, a thin band of diamonds, nothing flashy. It’s perfect. Jake’s rests on top, four rectangular cut diamonds, dotted with emeralds—green for his eyes. I squeeze my fist tighter, heart overflowing with happiness.

Next to me, Jake pouts.

“Angel?” I say, wrapping my arm around his waist. “What’s wrong?”

He just shakes his head and sighs. “There’ll be no living with him after this.”

I just smile. I think we’re all going to live together just fine.

“God, this is taking forever,”Jake groans, his eyes on his phone.

I roll my eyes, ignoring him. Caleb does the same. Ilmari texted us an hour ago that he was finally free and on his way over to the hotel.

“He’ll get here when he gets here,” I say, shifting against Caleb’s side. As I say the words, there’s a knock at the door.

Jake launches off the other king bed wearing nothing but his athletic shorts, and hurries over to the door. “Fucking finally!”

Caleb and I both laugh. I slip off the side of the bed, snatching up Ilmari’s ring from the bedside table.

“There he is!” Jake shouts, flinging open the door. “Oh—fuck, man—seriously? Like I don’t have enough of a complex already?”

I don’t hear what Ilmari says as I step around the end of the bed, but I see him standing there in the doorway, hugging Jake. It’s new for them. Jake insisted. He may not want sexual contact with Mars, but our Jake is a hugger. Ilmari just lets it happen now, his hands patting awkwardly at Jake’s shoulders. But his gaze is all on me.

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