Page 35

Life grew wheels in March of 2021. Before I knew it, the regular season was over. Playoffs held a different feeling this year. With my finals over early in April, I was free to attend the games. The first round was against Winnipeg. I was grateful the game was at home.

I joined my girls an hour before game time. For the first time, I was experiencing playoff jitters. The energy at Chaunette's house was electric. We each wore custom denim jackets, unique to each of us. Mine bore Tyler's last name, emblazoned over the large number one. The elbows had black and red stripes, just like the jerseys. On my left arm, right above the stripes, was the American flag. For Alex, it was the Latvian flag. On the other arm, the Blackhawks logo hovered proudly. Various black and red stars adorned the fabric. The front of mine had a captain's 'C,' as well as the words 'The Holy One' underneath it.

For Lyndsey and Tayler, underneath their collars read 'Future Mrs.' I loved the ideas of these jackets, and it seemed like playoff tradition. It was fun to study the inside jokes on the other women's jackets. We all looked nearly identical, with our outfits and hair. I assumed that was the idea. Even little Andy Shaw and Zoé Lehner were outfitted with little jean jackets and bouncy curls. The boys were wearing their dad's jerseys instead. The kids left the house early to watch warmups while the rest of us pregamed and enjoyed each other's company.

We were unstoppable as a group. I knew that the Winnipeg women would be here as well. It was a competition in its own. While our boys were battling it out on the ice, we were supporting them as wildly as possible. I felt the growing stress.

This was only the first game. There would be three more after this. That was, unless we tied the series. Then the games might go on and on until game seven. The daunting road ahead made my head spin. This was only the first round.

I settled back into my seat in the United Center. The Madhouse was wild today. The fans hadn't been shy about showing up. Our group was surrounded by people of all ages decked out in red. I let out a heavy breath as the national anthems began. Tayler squeezed my hand. When the singing had concluded, she leaned over.

"Ready for playoff hockey?" I managed a weak smile. I felt too sick to respond.

Oh, please let Tyler do well. Let them win this round and move on.

&&&

I should learn not to worry about Tyler. After the first game with an easy score of three to zero, the team went on to win the series four to one. The second game had been hectic, and they'd lost in double overtime. The loss only made them come back stronger. Especially when we played the Blues. The longtime rivalry generated a hatred that left me even more concerned for Tyler.

We hadn't talked much over the phone during the series. If the games continued, I had a feeling that trend would persist. I didn't mind. He needed to focus. He needed to win. And I wanted him to prevail just as much as he did.

Once again, the first game of the series was at home. I was exhausted from traveling back and forth, but this game was worth my sleep-deprived state. Like the first four games, Tayler squeezed my hand during the anthem. My heart thumped in my chest. It was go time.

I sucked in a breath as the puck went down. Tyler scooped the puck away, quickly gaining possession off of his win. I watched him sail down the ice, sending an early shot on net. It didn't go in. I groaned as the opposing team took the puck back down the ice.

The forward didn't get far before Adam hit him into the boards. I let out a collective whoop with the rest of the arena. It was a solid hit, enough to shake the puck loose and send it up to Pat. Before Patrick's stick had touched the puck, Tyler was already flying into the neutral zone. He positioned himself into a perfect place to receive the pass. With Alex up the left, Tyler redirected the puck to him. The three worked like clockwork, passing circles around the Blues.

It was only a matter of time before one of them scored. First, Pat laid off a perfect shot that was deflected in the front of the net. Tyler was there, tipping the puck straight past the Blue's tender. I let out a whoop at the sound of the goal horn. Tayler jumped, cheering.

"Let's go boys! First blood!" She flung an arm around me, singing loudly along with the goal song. I joined her just as enthusiastically.

On the next face off, all hell broke loose. Tyler had gone off the play, with Drake replacing him and Kirby taking Pat's place. Going after the puck, Adam took a nasty elbow to the face. The hit sent Adam to the ice and caused Alex to fly after the culprit. Drake and Kirby went after other players as well, engaging with fists. The game reminded me of a similar game earlier in the season, where a brawl just like this one had happened.

Lyndsey was gaping at the ice, watching Alex trying to start a fight. I was just as thrown off. The line had been catapulted into a full battle. Around the arena, the fans were thunderous.

Once everything was settled, I sat back heavily. It was only the first period. This was going to be a long game. A long series. I let out a sigh.

The rest of the game wasn't too bad. We retained a solid two to zero lead for the remainder of the game. I was able to relax when the last few minutes of the period resulted in an empty net goal. A nice shutout for Robin, and one goal for Tyler. We were chipper as we headed back to our cars.

Tyler would be home later, heading straight to bed. He'd be exhausted. I knew that from the last round. I'd received a grunted greeting, then I didn't see him again until the next morning. At least I knew what to expect this time.

Unlike last time, I didn't stay up. Instead, I changed into my pajamas and got ready to fall into bed. I was too tired to check my phone, but I assumed he hadn't texted me. He was either still in meetings or he was already driving home. Either way, he would be back soon. I crawled under the covers. I snuggled into the soft blankets.

Shifting on the edge of the bed made me stir. I barely cracked an eye, but I didn't have to see to know who it was. I let my eyes close again. Tyler lifted the covers, sliding next to me. I didn't complain when his large hands pulled me to him. A faint smile crossed my face. I was too tired to say anything, but it was better that way. All I needed was the faint kiss that he brushed on the top of my head. I didn't mind the stubble from his playoff beard as much as normal. In fact, the gesture made me drift right back into sleep.

When I woke again, the warm presence next to me was gone. I pouted heavily. I knew he had practice and meetings, but I had been hoping to see him before he left. A yawn took over my features. I stretched, letting my legs and arms wake up. When I finally got up, a sound startled me. From the kitchen, the whirring of the blender made me jump. I grinned.

As I danced out of the bedroom my eyes were graced by Tyler standing at the counter. He smiled when he saw me. I stopped at his side, waiting for a kiss. The blender slowed as he finished making the smoothie. Once it was off, he leaned down to peck my lips. I made a face as the tickle of his steadily growing beard.

"Thought you snuck out of me without saying goodbye."

"Would I ever do that to you?"

"You did a few times." Tyler smiled sheepishly at me. He poured the smoothie into a travel cup.

"Sorry, H. I gotta go. I love you." He kissed me again.

"Ok. I love you too. Be safe, don't work too hard." He nodded at the door.

"I'll be careful. Bye."

I was reluctant to watch him leave. I knew that things would continue on like this if the team went onward. Only a few more weeks, Halle. Then he's yours for the summer.

My mind traveled to summer plans. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do during the warm months. Tyler had told me he would be staying right here in the city so he was able to work out and be as ready as possible for the next season. Dylan would be here as well for the majority of the summer. That gave Tyler someone to work out with. And it gave me a best friend to hang out with.

He wasn't completely ruling out solo vacations, but it couldn't be anything like the previous year. We already had two weddings to worry about. Jon and Lindsey, and Alex and Lyndsey. Tyler was a groomsman in Alex's wedding, so we would be traveling to Minnesota for the event. Despite the pre-existing commitments, I knew one thing for certain. After the Vegas trip for awards, I wanted my parents to come visit the city I called home. It was a little too early to ask them, but I desperately hoped they would be able to come.

I wanted to show them all the sights, and the arenas. I wanted to show them the apartment I'd worked so hard on. The place that Tyler and I called home. I wanted to show them the campus that I'd learned to love. I wanted them to see the places where I'd fallen in love. Something told me they'd love this Windy City. How could they not? It was enthralling and captivating. Unique and busy. It was home.

An alert from my phone made me jump. I'd left the device to charge on the counter. Obviously I'd never turned the ringer off. The notification was a text from my mom. I had to smile. Did she know I'd just been thinking about her? It felt like it.

I called from my iPad as soon as I'd changed and brushed my hair. My mom picked up, grinning at me.

"Hey sweetheart! It's been so long since we've done this. How are you?" As I watched, my father and Hannah popped into the picture. I waved at them.

"I'm really good. Finals finished a bit ago. Now I'm just super stressed because of playoffs."

"We've been watching! Tyler has been kicking butt!" My dad's enthusiasm made me laugh. "Is he there?"

"No, he left for film like half an hour ago." I caught my slip. So did my mom. My dad was oblivious.

"Oh, that's too bad. Would've liked to give him some pointers." I could read the storm on my mom's face.

"So you're not at Tayler's."

"Er. No. I'm at my place. Ty and I's place." I tilted the screen so they couldn't see my face. Why hadn't I told them sooner? I was kicking myself.

"I knew it. Johnny owes me twenty bucks." I was confused.

"What?"

"Johnny said you were living with Tayler, but I know she's with that Dylan boy. Why would she be living in Chicago and not be with him? Where else would you go? Is it still the apartment with Kirby?"

"No, it's a new one. We moved in around March. I got to decorate the whole thing. I mean, with the help of an interior designer of course. You know I can't match anything."

"Well you have to give us a tour now that you said that." I smiled, getting up from the couch.

"Ok. I'll act like you're walking in the door." I flipped the camera when I reached the doorway. "Walking in...here's the kitchen." I knocked my fist against the stone countertop. "Real quartz. I love how smooth it is. All black cabinets. The matte. I love it."

"Very beautiful, sweetie." I carried the iPad into the dining area.

"Dining table. Seats six. Haven't actually had a meal yet here. Now the living room. This part...I can turn it on and it's oil flame. Pretty cool. Ty likes to watch football or basketball games here. We have a nice view of the water and everything here." I displayed the window. Hannah let out a little sound of joy.

"Oh...it's so pretty Halle."

"Thanks Han. I love it. The bedroom is my favorite." I pushed the door open with my toe. "Don't mind the bed, I haven't made it yet. But these..." I let my hands hover the frames on the wall. "This is Tyler's rookie jersey. The one they gave to him at the draft. And this picture is the game where he got his 140th point. This one is from last year with his trophies." I panned to the other wall. "There's space for more if he wants to add anything."

"There's nothing about you." My mom sounded slightly disappointed.

"What have I done that that's worthy to be put on the walls? Not much."

"You could put stuff from the beach."

"That would ruin the aesthetic. I want everything to match. I'm moving to the bathroom now. This is kinda messy too. I had to tear it apart last night when I took my makeup to Chaunette's place."

"Who's Chaunette?" Hannah chimed in quietly.

"She's Andrew Shaw's wife. Has two of the cutest kids you'll ever meet. I babysit them sometimes."

"Are you going to St. Louis?" My dad sounded excited. I smiled.

"Yep. We all went up to Winnipeg and then down to Nashville for games three and four. We'll be doing it again."

"What happens if he goes on? What round is it?"

"It's the finals Mom." She looked startled.

"Really? Wow. Who do they play?"

"Not sure yet. I'm saying Tampa Bay. They're doing really well this season and they're reigning cup champs."

"It's a possibility...Lightning has that really strong Russian forward and that goalie, right?"

"Yeah. Vas and Kucherov. They're decent. Elvis is better."

"You guys have a super solid goalie pairing. I would feel safe with either of them in net. 'Specially Robin. Dude's a brick wall." I smiled.

"Robin's a really cool guy off the ice too. Ok, you're distracting me. Guest room time." I left my room and the bathroom. The guest room was still untouched from its original decorations. I displayed it with one hand. "Now if you two come visit you have a place to stay."

"What about me?" Hannah protested. I grinned, walking over to the couch that faced the TV. The set up was similar to my own room, but this room sported a full couch instead of armchairs.

"Pull out bed in the couch. Don't worry Han, I've thought about it. Here's the bathroom that guests use."

"Wow Halle, how big is this apartment?" My mom actually sounded impressed. I smirked.

"Decent size. I'm not done yet either. There's one more room. I think you'll like it, Dad." I walked them to the WineGame room. "Ping pong table to help reflexes. Tyler and the guys sometimes spend hours in here. There's also all this equipment Ty uses to stretch out and get the lactic acids moving."

"All I care about is that trophy case." My dad's eyes glinted. I laughed, moving closer to the glass.

"There's a few trophies in here so far. Some memorabilia too. The mini Calder and the mini Art Ross, since they don't get to keep the real ones. Here's some significant pucks from his rookie year. Bottom three are first hat trick, and the top two are his first NHL goal and then his 140th point. He's got more pucks but we don't have all of them out. To the left, that's the one he signed his first contract with."

"You set that all up for him?" My mom sounded pleased.

"Yep. He had no idea what I'd be decorating the apartment like, so this was a surprise." I turned to motion across at the empty bar. "There's also that, but I use it for schoolwork and not alcohol. Obviously. Now you get to see my favorite part." I went to the panels on the wall, pressing the buttons. As the wall slid open, my mom and Hannah let out sounds of interest. "Tyler's side first. He doesn't have too many things. You'd think he would go nuts with clothes but he really doesn't. It's mostly his suits in here. All his T-shirts and other clothes are in the dresser in our room. My side is a lot fuller."

"Well show us!" My mother's tone was demanding. "Jim, do you see this? Our daughter is living my dream. I would've killed for a walk-in like that."

"I hear ya, I hear ya." My dad disappeared from the frame. I giggled.

"It's ok Mom. You can live spontaneously through me." I headed into the closet, flicking the light on. My mother cooed.

"Oh, wow. I absolutely love that Halls. When did you get so many clothes?" I shrugged.

"They've just kinda been appearing. Especially when I have to go to all these different parties and events. I have to keep up with what everyone else is wearing."

"Sounds exhausting."

"It is. But I don't mind. I actually kind of love it. It's weird. I wouldn't have liked this life a few years ago. I would've thought it was too tiring and too busy. But now I love it. I wouldn't change it for anything." My mom smiled at me.

"I'm glad you're happy. Your father and I will have to come visit soon. How does that sound?"

"Ty and I would love it Mom. Like I said, guest room is all ready for you."

"Tell Tyler we said good luck! Bye Halls."

I said my own goodbyes. After the talk with my family, I felt refreshed. It was time to take on another playoff game. It was time to inch closer to the finals.