Page 180 of Say Yes to the Nemesis

The cameras eat it up. The crowd loves it. But underneath all the performance, there’s something real. Something that feels like family.

After the game, when the cameras have stopped rolling and the crowd has dispersed, the six of us end up at center ice. Ellie is flushed with excitement, her jersey damp with sweat. Jake is scrolling through the photos he took, showing Calla his favorites. Jay is talking to one of the Hope Pantry volunteers about setting up regular donations.

Wren wraps her arms around me from behind and presses her face into my back.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“For what?”

“For making this happen. For caring about something just because I care about it.”

She turns me around in her arms so I’m facing her. “You don’t need to thank me for loving you.”

“Yeah, I do. You turned my crazy idea into something real. Something that’s actually going to help people.”

“You did the hard part. You got up there and told your story.”

“Only because you believed I could.”

She stands on her tiptoes to kiss me, and I can taste salt from the tears she cried during my speech.

“I’m proud of you,” she says against my lips.

Before I can respond, Ellie crashes into both of us, wrapping us in a hug that nearly knocks us over.

“That was amazing,” she says. “I’m so proud of both of you.”

Jake appears next to us, camera in hand. “That speech was incredible, man. Really moving.”

“Thanks. And thanks for documenting everything today. Ellie’s right, you’re good at this.”

“It’s easy when you’ve got good subjects.”

Jay claps me on the shoulder, and when I look at him, his expression is different than it was this morning. Still gruff, still protective, but warmer, somehow.

“Good speech,” he says simply.

“Thanks.”

“I mean it. You did good today.”

Calla appears beside Wren and pulls her into a hug. “Okay,” she says, loud enough for all of us to hear, “he’s growing on me.”

“Just growing on you?” Wren asks.

“Fine. He’s been around and I’ve liked him. Ryan’s a likable guy. But now, I like him foryou. He’s good for you and he’s good for causes that matter. It’s a home run.”

“That’s high praise coming from Calla,” Jay tells me. “She doesn’t like anyone.”

“That isn’t true. I like plenty of people,” Calla protests. “I just have standards.”

We’re all laughing when one of the photographers asks if we want a group photo at center ice. We arrange ourselves without really thinking about it. Wren in her Hope Pantry jersey, me next to her. Ellie and Jake on either side of us, bundled in their Hope Pantry gear. Jay and Calla standing behind us, his arm around her shoulders. I get Coach T and Evelyn out onto the ice.

It wouldn’t be a family picture without them.

As the photographer counts down, I look around at these people who’ve somehow become my family. Ellie, who’s been my constant since the day she was born. Jay, who’s moved from tolerating me to actually approving of me. Calla, who’s decided I’m worthy of her sister-in-law. Jake, who fits into our chaos like he was always meant to be here. Coach T and Evelyn, standing between me and Ellie.

And Wren. Wren, who made my dream happen just because she loves me. I put my arm around her waist and love the little shiver that I can feel running down her spine. My beautiful, smart, funny girlfriend.