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I laugh until my stomach hurts. Until I don’t feel nervous about Columbus or awkward about being “the little sister.”

Right now, I’m not just Mandy Fields, law associate and Nate's girlfriend.

I’m one of thepuckwives.

And it feels damn good.

***

We arrive at Nationwide Arena just before puck drop and meet Allison and Ben at the main entrance.

"Mandy, Mandy!"

She wraps me in a tight hug while Ben offers a warm smile and short side hug. Grace and Haley introduce themselves, and within moments, everyone is chatting like old friends. I give her the tickets and she chuckles.

"Who would ever have imagined that we would be going to watch Nate Jones play hockey?"

"I know, right?" I laugh as we make our way through the gate.

Inside, the WAG (wives and girlfriends) section crackles with anticipation, the sound of cowbells and goal horns already ringing through the halls. Grace and Haley flank me as we walk down the row.

"You good?" Haley whispers.

"Terrified. Excited. Possibly both," I say, heart pounding.

Grace nudges me. "Well, you look hot. You'll make him sweat."

"Front row of the WAG section," Haley grins. "You better scream loud."

"You don’t have to worry about that," I laugh, heart pounding with anticipation.

To our right, Allison and Ben settle into their section. I wave back at them, heart swelling. It’s all really happening.

The lights dim. Music blasts. The Acers skate out to roaring applause, despite being the visiting team.

The game begins.

The first period is a rollercoaster. Columbus scores early on a power play, their fans exploding with noise. But the Acers answer back late in the period, Connor sneaking in a rebound off a point shot from Parker.

Nate racks up two gritty blocked shots and gets into a shoving match behind the net that earns some colorful gestures from Coach Stephens on the bench, mostly aimed at the refs. There’s one near-fight after James chirps the goalie and gets whacked in the back of the leg. Tension is through the roof.

By the second period, the score is locked at 1–1. Every shift is a battle, every play tighter than the last. The whole arena is practically vibrating with tension.

Midway through the second, the Blue Jackets make a breakaway. It’s a heart-stopping moment until Nate lays out, clean and hard, disrupting the play and sending the puck back up the boards.

He turns toward the bench…and freezes.

His eyes lock on me.

For a heartbeat, time stops.

I lift my hand, giving him a small, shaky wave.

He nods, expression unreadable under his helmet. Then he turns, focused and fierce, and skates off with renewed energy, just as a fight breaks out near the boards, sending gloves flying and fans roaring. The refs struggle to separate the players, whistles shrieking as fists fly and helmets clatter.

Nate doesn’t flinch. He barrels into the next shift, knocking an opponent off balance and drawing a retaliatory slash. The ref’s arm goes up—penalty and power play for the Acers. The Acers set up quickly in the offensive zone, puck movement crisp and relentless. Parker threads a pass to James, who dishes it to Connor on the wing. Without hesitation, Connor rifles a wrist shot past the goalie’s glove. Goal! The bench erupts, and the Acers take a 2–1 lead, capitalizing on the momentum.

As the players clear for intermission, the Acers head down the tunnel. Just before disappearing into the tunnel, Connor and Parker glance toward our section. Grace and Haley wave like maniacs. I do too, jumping up and down.