Page 119 of In My Hockey Era
Lucy’s dad and brothers are already on their feet, their expressions a mix of relief and excitement.
I swallow hard, my voice coming out rough.“Yeah,” I manage.“He’s here.”
Andjeez—I don’t even make it through the next sentence before my throat locks up and my vision blurs.
My mom’s already crying, clutching my dad’s arm, and Connor—Lucy’s older brother—claps a hand on my shoulder, grinning.
“You good, man?”
I let out a choked laugh.“No.Not even a little.”
They all laugh, but I know they see it—how completelywreckedI am.
“Lucy’s doing great,” I add quickly.“And he’s—he’s perfect.”
The guys nod, my mom wipes her eyes, and I exhale, running a hand over my face.“I need to get back in there.”
I don’t even wait for a response before I turn and head back toward the room, my chest still tight, my hands still shaking.
When I step inside, Lucy’s sitting up a little more, looking down at our son like he’s the only thing that’s ever mattered.
And maybe—maybe—she’s right.
I cross the room in three long strides and kiss her, long and deep, my fingers threading through her hair.
She hums against my lips, her free hand fisting in my shirt, like sheneededthis as much as I did.
“I love you,” I murmur, voice shaky.
Her lips twitch.“Ijustgave birth to your child.Youbetterlove me.”
I let out a hoarse chuckle, brushing my thumb over her cheek.“You didsogood, sweetheart.I’m so proud of you.”
She swallows, nodding slightly.“I know.”
I laugh softly, because ofcourseshe knows.
We settle into a comfortable silence, both of us staring down at the tiny human we somehow created.
“I can’t believe he’s real,” she whispers.
“Me neither.”
She sighs, shifting against the pillows.“Hell of a year, huh?”
I huff a quiet laugh.“Yeah.It really has been.”
The past twelve months?Absolutely insane.
A wedding in the Bahamas.Just us, our families, and a private beach where she officially became mine forever.
Lucy stepping away from emergency medicine, finally finding a balance—taking a job with the Stampede’s marketing team, running her podcast full-time,thriving.
A honeymoon in Switzerland, hiking the Swiss Alps, getting caught in a storm, staying in some tiny, candlelit cabin where we barely left the bed.
A Christmas card, mailed to all our friends and family with me, Luce, and our pups Max and Waffles wearing festive holiday sweaters—ridiculous, but also somehow perfect.
Finding out she was pregnant.Watching her belly grow, feeling our son kick against my palm for the first time.
