Page 109 of ICED
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
MAYA
Lila’s already halfway through packing the night before the trip, her little suitcase bursting at the seams with all the things no sensible person would think to bring on a hockey weekend.
She plucks out a unicorn swimsuit from the pile and holds it up with pride. “Bear said he’d teach me to swim in the hotel pool,” she says, her eyes shining with excitement.
I glance at the unicorn suit, glittery and pink with sparkly hooves printed on the sides, and can’t help but smile. Owen has been so patient and gentle with Lila these past few weeks, and the way she’s attached to him is almost heartbreaking in its sweetness.
“Okay, sweet pea,” I say, “we’ll bring that along. But only if you promise to stay close and no cannonballs off the deep end.”
She giggles, stuffing in a tiara, three books, and an armful of stuffed animals that look ready for a hotel invasion.
I’m sitting on the bed next to her, trying to organise my own suitcase without making the same chaotic mess. Clothes for the weekend, toiletries, snacks for Lila, and of course, my laptop in case I need to keep up with the bakery back home.
This whole away-game thing still feels surreal to me. A weekend trip with Owen and the team. The fact that they’re inviting me and Lila to come feels like a tiny miracle. I’m notjust the girl who bakes anymore. I’m part of something bigger.
And Lila? She’s buzzing with excitement, practically bouncing around the room as she zips and unzips her case to add more glittery stickers.
“Do you think Bear’s teammates like me?” she asks suddenly, looking up with big hopeful eyes.
I reach over and squeeze her hand. “They do. They think you’re magic.”
Lila beams. “Like my sprinkles!”
The bus ride the next morning is noisy and chaotic, just like I expected. The team is in full form, joking, singing, and making a lot of noise for eight in the morning.
Jacko squeezes my hand every now and then, his quiet presence grounding me amid the hockey chaos.
Dylan’s there too, grinning wide when he sees Lila sitting next to Maya, her fairy wings tucked under her coat.
“Hey, little fairy princess,” he says, making Lila giggle. “Ready to cheer the boys on?”
Lila nods enthusiastically, clutching her unicorn swimsuit and tiara.
Mia, Dylan’s girlfriend and the team’s physio, slides into the seat across from us with a friendly smile. She’s already got that easy, confident vibe that immediately makes me feel less like an outsider.
“Hey, Maya,” she says, leaning forward. “Lila’s got the full fan package, huh?”
I laugh. “She’s definitely ready for her first hockey road trip.”
Mia glances at Lila’s suitcase. “Unicorn swimsuit, fairy wings... sounds like we need to make a pit stop at the gift shop for some official Raptors merch, right?”
Before I can answer, Murphy’s voice cuts in from across the aisle, a little sharper than usual. “Sophie’s staying back,”he says. “Due any time now. Can’t exactly concentrate knowing she might go into labour while I’m away.”
The bus quiets a bit. I glance at Jacko, his jaw is tight, but his eyes are soft.
“I get it,” I say gently. “She’s lucky to have you.”
Murphy nods, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, well. I’m just worried sick.”
Mia puts a comforting hand on his arm. “You’re doing everything you can from here. And Sophie’s mum is with her so she’s in good hands.”
When we finally pull up outside the hotel, Lila presses her face to the window, eyes wide.
The place is stunning; gleaming glass walls, a lobby full of shiny marble, chandeliers dripping like frozen waterfalls. It’s not the kind of place I’m used to, that’s for sure.
Jacko grins beside me. “They don’t mess around.”
