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My mom did just that. She waited until we were back inside and my siblings had scattered. I was now cornered in the kitchen, facing the interrogation again.

"How did you meet him?"

"He fell into my lap at that game last year."

"That's when you first met him?"

"Technically. Although he got my number when he played Carolina. Emily's car wouldn't start and the only mechanic at the arena was a bus mechanic. That meant we had to talk to the guy in front of the whole team. Tyler recognized me from that game up here."

"That sounds too perfect." My mom was smiling at me. I nodded. I knew it. "So...you flew up to Chicago to see him in January." I nodded to confirm the statement. "But you two fell off until summer because he was busy...then he came to stay with you at the beach?"

"Yeah. He had a few weeks off before he had to go back to training camp for this season."

"And you stayed in the same house...by yourselves?" I knew what she was getting at.

"Yes, Mom. And no, we did not have sex while we were there." My mom visibly relaxed.

"Have you...yet?"

"Uh, yeah. But only once. We wanted to fix things more, but it kinda just happened. We've really only seen each other two times since we fixed things in September. Once in Chicago and once at my apartment. The second time it was only for a few hours since he had a game and we ate ice cream to celebrate my birthday."

"I hope you're being smart. And safe. I know you love this boy, but you have two more years of school and a whole career ahead of you." She was right, like always.

"Tyler respects my commitments as much as I respect his. He wouldn't ask me to leave school for him. Lynds did it. She got through college while Alex was in Chicago. I can do it too. Everything has been going well. And now I get this break for a bit, so I get to go back to Chicago and stay with my friends."

"You're not staying here for all of Thanksgiving break?" My mom looked surprised.

"Nope. Tay is picking me up at eleven tomorrow and we're flying back. Lynds or Alex will pick us up. We get a girls week before the boys come back."

"But you'll come home for Christmas?"

"Can't. We're going away, remember?"

"Right. Doesn't he have family to visit for Christmas?" I bit my lip, debating if I should tell my mom the truth.

"Um...not really. He's not exactly in contact with his mom. They haven't talked in a few years. She wasn't very supportive of him."

"He doesn't talk to her at all? What about his father?"

"Neither are in the picture." My mom looked concerned.

"Has he been on his own for awhile?" I shrugged.

"Yeah. He was supported by his coaches a lot, and they helped him get here. So not completely alone."

"And now he has you." I nodded.

"Personal support system. I know you're on the fence, but just trust me. I'm old enough to handle myself."

"I'm just worried about how fast you've moved. It seems like you've only just met him."

"It's been a year, almost. We patched things up. And now I'm happy. The happiest I've ever been. I have a perfect balance. School, Tyler, and my girls. I feel on top of things and I'm confident in my work. I have an awesome support system. Now I just want to get through school so I can graduate. I'm hoping to get something related to the aquarium and the lake up there."

"Sounds like you have it all figured out." Her voice had dropped slightly. I caught the note of sadness.

"What's wrong?"

"When did you grow up? You're still eighteen in my mind. But here you are, a fresh twenty year old. You have a boyfriend, you're traveling all over, and you've made a whole new set of friends. All while maintaining school. I guess I should let you live, right?" I bit my lip. Here was the real reason of my visit. The permission for something major.

"Yeah, but I do have one question. I've already looked into this a lot and talked to my advisors, but I need your support. I would like to transfer to the University of Chicago in the second semester of this year. They have the programs I want, and all my credits will transfer without issues. It's around the same cost, but I won't need to worry about finding an apartment."

My mother didn't respond. Her face was a foreboding sight.

"You've really thought about this? Why don't you want to be at Duke anymore? And move in with Tyler?" She sounded angry. I winced.

"Because it just doesn't feel right anymore. I like my classes a lot, but I don't have the same burning desire to stay there. I've already looked at Chicago and I like the location and professors. I'm lonely in my apartment and I don't have friends on campus. In Chicago, I'd move in with Tayler. Not Tyler. But just the fact I have more friends up there, it's closer to here, and the city feels more like home than Durham."

"And you've thought about this a lot?"

"Absolutely. Since October, anyway. I need to decide soon."

"Let me sleep on it. Is there anything you can send me about it?"

"Yeah, I have some emails and info sheets. I'll forward them to you when I can. Please just think about this seriously Mom. I really want to go to Chicago for school."

"I will. It's just hard to understand. You worked so hard in high school to get into Duke. How can you want to throw that all away?"

"Because I changed, Mom. I met some people that changed my life and made me want to grow and become myself more. It's really hard to live so far away from the people I care about."

"And I guess making new friends isn't an option? I trust your judgement. You're twenty. You're not a teenager anymore. You know what you want. I'll talk to your father about this, and we'll go from there. I'm going to bed." She hugged me tightly, placing a kiss on the top of my head. I watched her retreat up the stairs. Toad bumped against my hand. I patted his head lightly. I hoped my parents would agree to my plan. I knew it wasn't what they'd been expecting or had wanted for my life.

It wasn't what my plan had been either. Graduating high school, I'd been dead set on going to Duke for all four years and graduating with stellar grades. I would've gone through as much schooling as possible to achieve my dream of being a marine biologist. Once I was ready to get a job, I would've moved somewhere like Florida, Hawaii, or even some Caribbean island to work with a marine life organization. And little eighteen-year-old me had envisioned a future where I was married to my work. I wouldn't have time to worry about a husband or kids. At the time, I saw no problems with that.

I was slowly starting to realize what my life might become. Would I be happy being known as the wife of Tyler Dewalt, the hockey player, for the rest of my life? Would I get bored in a life where I wasn't pursuing my dreams? Even if I did graduate and get a job with my degree, it wasn't like I'd be working often. If we got married and had kids, I wouldn't be able to work for a few years. Money wasn't exactly an issue, but I knew I'd be itching to do something.

I let out a sigh. I started up the stairs after my mom. It had been awhile since I'd seen my room. A year, basically. I wondered if Hannah ever took stuff from here like she did when I was still in high school.

The door was slightly ajar already, the big elaborate 'H' hanging from it. I smiled at the letter. I flicked the light switch on that was just inside the door. The cover of the switch was the same color and material as the letter on the door. The set had been a birthday gift one year in my early teens. Now, the set up almost seemed childish. Had my tastes changed that much in the past two years?

I surveyed the gray room. My bed was in a corner, neatly made. All my things were just as I'd left them. Seashells scattered on my dresser, a fake succulent sitting on my desk, and hanging pictures fluttering on the wall. I studied the photographs. Most were of Emily and I. Some were of my brothers and sister, or the dogs. There were so many beach pictures from the past few summers. It made my heart ache for what could've happened. I knew that when June hit, I wouldn't be on Kiawah Island. I'd be with Tyler, and wherever his summer vacation took him. My childhood of working and living on Kiawah was over. The thought saddened me, but at the same time I was excited for the new opportunities.

Finally, I sat on my bed, sighing again. Checking my phone told me that Tyler was on a train to Ottawa already. I sent a quick text to him.

I sighed. I'd been hoping I could talk to Tyler for awhile. I wasn't tired yet, but I'd try to lay down anyway.

In my childhood bed, I fell asleep with thoughts of how much my life had changed. I'd been thrown into a spotlight that was completely reinventing what I thought about myself. Somehow, it was in a positive way.

&&&

Tayler and I were happily seated next to each other on the plane, watching a movie together. We'd already been through one in the airport, where our flight had been delayed for two hours. Finally, we'd gotten on the plane that would take us right into Chicago. It was later than we'd anticipated.

Tayler was a welcoming change from traveling by myself. I couldn't have asked for a better friend. I'd known her for only a few months, yet I felt like I'd be lost without her. Something about her personality perfectly complimented mine. We never tried to outdo each other, which was a massive step up from previous friendships. I wished I'd known her all my life. She'd grown up in the county over from mine in Toronto, which was crazy to think about. Our high schools had played each other in sports. What were the chances?

I wondered what life would've been like if I'd grown up with Tayler McMahon as my best friend. It seemed like we were destined to be friends. I only wished we'd found each other sooner. Out of all the wives and girlfriends of the Blackhawks players that I'd met, Tayler was by far my closest friend.

The memory of the hockey team made me jump. I pulled my earbuds out, tapping Tayler.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you. The Blackhawks Instagram account started following me. I don't know why they didn't before, but now they are."

"Because of that sweet makeover I did on your account." I laughed. She was probably right. Tayler had shown me some pretty editing combinations to make my images match and look crisp. I'd made my account public, which gained me quite a few more followers than I'd had before. Especially when Tyler had tagged me in the picture from October. I had been expecting rude comments all over, but they were the opposite. Only a few were related to Tyler or hockey. The rest were supportive compliments from women and accounts I didn't know. Of course, I wasn't going to complain about that.

"Maybe the account followed you because you signed up for the charity dinner on Friday." My mouth formed an 'o.' She was probably right. Most of the team would be there, along with the Lady Hawks. I supposed I was a part of that group now. I'd promised Tyler we would be doing a lot of charity work soon. In fact, I'd been starting a write-up plan for our own custom organization. I hadn't brought the idea up yet, but I was excited.

Tyler earned so much money, and something in me didn't feel right when I wasn't giving back. I'd been in contact with Jonathan Toews and his fiancé, since they had started a school-related charity under Jon's name. Mine wasn't under the school category, but it was similar to his idea of eating fresh and healthy vegetables.

For now, I was content to work with the team itself in their charity events. This was an upscale dinner party that had a silent raffle of various team items and signed things. It benefited those less fortunate who didn't have Thanksgiving dinners. It would be a fun time to dress up and meet fans, while also supporting locals. Tayler and I had purchased similar dresses together over FaceTime a few weeks ago. They'd arrived at Tayler's only a few days prior. Tayler's fit perfectly, so I wasn't too worried about mine fitting. We were practically the same size. She was only a bit bustier than I was, which shouldn't be a problem in the dress I'd purchased.

My attention returned to the iPad screen in front of us. Tayler unpaused the movie. I was too excited to fully comprehend the rom-com. This upcoming charity would be my first time in front of the entire team and the coaches and other important figures of the organization. I had to make a good impression. I was nervous for the event. Even with the girls I was friends with at my side, the thought of fans everywhere was daunting. It's only the start, Halle. Tyler will be going to things like this for the rest of his career. Get used to it now.

I shook my head in an attempt to clear it. When I finally looked at the screen, Tayler paused it.

"Oh! I forgot to say something too. Dyl and Tyler are doing that Puck Personality thing for the NHL soon. And I think Tyler might be up for a Spittin' Chiclets podcast soon." I stared blankly at her. Tayler's eyebrows shot up. "Please tell me you know what both of those are."

"Uh...puck personality sounds familiar...but I don't know what 'Spitting Chiclets' is." Tayler looked offended.

"Wow. Ok...um. So it's these guys that used to play in the league that started a podcast. They interview a bunch of different players around all the teams. Crosby, MacKinnon, McDavid. Ya know. The top guys. Except Tyler is the top guy now. And he hasn't been on the show yet. So he's next."

"Oh. That's cool I guess. Will it be home or at an away game?"

"Probably away. Also, Tyler is most definitely going to the All Star Game. As long as he wants to. I'm thinking Pat will be going again. Not sure about anyone else." Tayler grinned. "You're in luck. It's in Florida. How awesome is that? Ty basically gets a whole week off and you guys get to relax on the beach. Totally jealous."

"Hey, you never know. Dylan might get to go." Tayler shrugged.

"That'd be awesome, but I doubt it. Tyler I'm sure of. Pat, maybe, but he is getting older. I say yes for this year so it's his tenth. After that he's done. I wonder who else from around the league will go." She rapped her chin, then began to list players.

"McDavid, definitely...Barzal again?"

"What about Matt Tkachuk and Mitch Marner again?" Tayler looked surprised that I knew them. "Oh, and Quinn Hughes."

"Yeah they'll probably go. I keep forgetting Tyler grew up with them. See I can brag about Dylan growing up with McDavid. And Brinsky, but he doesn't count."

"Don't let Lynds hear you say that. You know she hates when people get on him for playing with Connor and trying to 'outshine' him." Tayler waved a dismissive hand.

"Yeah yeah. Anyway, I really hope you get to go and experience it. The kids love it. Sometimes it gets a bad rap for being boring and the players don't try hard enough. But you have to look at all those happy kids wearing their favorite team's jersey and hoping they get pucks from their favorite players. That's who they do it for. Not crabby old men that sit in their basements and complain."

"That's totally my dad." I let out a laugh. "Used to complain because there weren't games for a week. He had no excuses to keep the kids out of the basement." She snapped her fingers.

"See? Exactly. He doesn't have to support it. I think it's awesome."

"Me too. I know Ty was bummed he didn't get to go last year, especially since Quinn went."

"Yeah...I remember. Quinn was last minute replacement though. If anyone in Central didn't come he'd have totally been invited." I shrugged.

"It all turned out good. I wouldn't have been able to see him if he'd gone. Who knows what would've happened. Maybe I wouldn't be here."

"Ah, yes. The fateful first kiss." I blushed. Tayler leaned into me. "I don't even know the details. Don't get too red."

"Because you'd tease me relentlessly."

"Absolutely. Still think you should tell me. I'm quite interested to know how you seduced solemn and scary Tyler Dewalt."

"He's not solemn...or scary. What are you going on about?" Tayler shrugged.

"See a man beat up another player like he did last month and you always remember that." My smile dropped. Tayler's voice rose at the look on my face. "Jesus! I'm kidding Halle. Tyler couldn't scare me away if he tried. He's so sweet with you. Hard to be afraid of a guy who brings his girl flowers every day and calls her 'honey' all the time." She was teasing me, but the words still puffed my chest. I had to agree. Tyler treated me like a princess. I couldn't ask for anything better.