Page 52 of Gamechanger

Finn's eyebrows shot up. "Your knitting circle? Moose, I've met them. Half of them are wearing rainbow yarn bracelets."

I waved my hand dismissively. "That's not the point. The point is..." I trailed off, struggling to articulate the fear gnawing at my insides.

"The point is you're scared," Finn finished for me, his voice gentle. "And that's okay. I'm scared too."

I sank onto the couch, the leather cool against my palms. "You are? But you always seem so... confident about this stuff."

Finn leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "Confident? I'm terrified. You think I'm not worried about how this could affect my spot on the team? Or what my family back in Minnesota will say?"

His admission caught me off guard. "I... I guess I hadn't thought about that. You always seem so sure of yourself."

A wry smile twisted Finn's lips. "Yeah, well, fake it 'til you make it, right? But the truth is, every time I step on the ice, I'm scared they'll finally realize I'm too small, too slow, not good enough."

"But that's ridiculous," I protested. "You're one of the fastest skaters I've ever seen. And your work ethic is insane."

"And you," Finn countered, "are one of the smartest, funniest, most caring people I know. But that doesn't stop you from doubting yourself, does it?"

I felt my cheeks flush. "I... no, I guess it doesn't."

Finn stood and crossed the room, sitting next to me on the couch. He took my hand in his, the fingers intertwining with mine. "Look, I can't promise this will be easy. But I can promise you won't be doing it alone."

I squeezed his hand, drawing strength from his touch. "How do you always know the right thing to say?"

He shrugged, a hint of his usual mischief returning to his eyes. "Must be all those romance novels I borrow from your secret stash."

I gasped in mock outrage. "Those are for research purposes only!"

Finn laughed, the sound easing some of the tension in my chest. "Sure they are, big guy. Sure they are."

We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the weight of what we were about to do settling over us. Finally, I took a deep breath. "Okay. Let's talk through this. What exactly are we going to say to the team?"

Finn nodded, his expression turning serious. "Well, why don't you give it a go, and I can let you know how it sounds."

I stood, my legs unsteady beneath me. "Okay, let's do this. You be Coach Fraser, I'll be... well, me."

Finn nodded, squaring his shoulders and adopting a gruff expression that was a surprisingly good imitation of the coach. "Alright, Moretti, what's this meeting about? No more seaweed snacks. I've got a practice to run here."

I cleared my throat, willing my voice not to shake. "Coach, team, I... we... have something important to tell you."

I faltered, the words sticking in my throat. Finn dropped the Coach Fraser act, his eyes softening. "It's okay, Moose. Take your time."

I nodded, took a deep breath, and started again. "Coach, team, Finn and I have something important to share. We're in a relationship. We've been together for a few months now, and it's serious."

Finn smiled encouragingly. "That's good. Maybe add something about how it won't affect the team?"

"Right," I agreed. "We wanted to be open with you all because we value the trust and support of this team. Our relationship doesn't change our commitment to the Lumberjacks or our dedication to helping the team win."

"Perfect," Finn said. "Now, how about we address some potential concerns?"

I nodded, feeling more confident. "We understand this might come as a surprise, and you may have questions or concerns. We're open to discussing those, but we ask for your respect and support."

Finn stood, resuming his Coach Fraser impression. "And what about the media? The fans? Have you thought about how this could affect the team's image?"

I felt a flicker of panic, but pushed through it. "We have considered those aspects, Coach. We're not planning on making any grand public statements. Our focus is on being honest with our team and letting our play on the ice speak for itself."

Finn broke character, beaming at me. "That was great. You sounded really confident."

I let out a shaky laugh. "Yeah? Because my knees feel like jelly."

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