She nodded, but there was something in her eyes — a mixture of exhaustion and something else he couldn’t quite place. Before he could press further, a sharp whistle pierced the air.
“Team meeting in TWO MINUTES!” Maddie announced, sounding remarkably like his old coach. “All assistant coaches to the center circle, please!”
Sunny laughed. “You’ve created a monster.”
“She gets the bossiness from her mother,” Liam said without thinking, then felt the familiar pang that always accompanied casual mentions of Kate.
Sunny squeezedhis arm, understanding without words. After three years, she knew what those momentary shadows meant, and she never made him feel guilty for them. It was one of the countless reasons he loved her.
“I’ll take over Ethan duty,” she said. “You better not keep Coach Maddie waiting. I heard she’s a real taskmaster.”
As Liam skated toward center ice where Maddie was already arranging pucks in a precise pattern, he caught sight of a familiar figure entering through the main doors.
Tyler Reynolds stood hesitantly at the entrance, his five-year-old daughter Emma half-hidden behind his leg. Even from a distance, Liam could see the exhaustion etched on his former teammate’s face.
Tyler had been the team captain when Liam was still playing, a solid, reliable presence on and off the ice. They’d always gotten along well, though they’d never been particularly close. That had changed about six months ago when Tyler’s wife had left him, relocating to California with her personal trainer and leaving Tyler to navigate parenthood on his own.
Liam had run into him at a team alumni event, and recognizing the haunted look in Tyler’s eyes — the same one Liam had seen in his own mirror after Kate died. Liam remembered Tyler’s kindness when he had been struggling, and impulsively invited him to bring Emma to the youth clinic. Tyler had been helping out as team manager since then, though his commitment had been spotty at best.
Today, Tyler looked worse than usual. His normally neat appearance was disheveled, his shirt wrinkled and his hair uncombed. Emma, a usually vibrant child with her father’s sandy hair and quick smile, appeared sullen, her hair messily pulled into uneven pigtails, mismatched socks peeking out from under her jeans.
“Hey,” Liam called, skating over to the boards. “Wasn’t sure we’d see you today.”
Tyler ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, sorry about that. Emma’s sitter canceled last minute, and I couldn’t—” He broke off, sighing heavily. “Anyway, we’re here now.”
“No problem,” Liam said easily, recognizing the familiar signs of a man drowning in responsibilities. “Emma, Hailey was just asking about you. She’s over by the penalty box if you want to go say hi.”
The little girl looked up at her father questioningly.
“Go ahead,” Tyler said, attempting a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ll be right here.”
As Emma scampered off, Liam studied his friend more closely. Dark circles shadowed Tyler’s eyes, and he’d lost weight.
“Rough night?” Liam asked quietly.
Tyler barked out a laugh that held no humor. “Rough night, rough week, rough six months. Take your pick.”
“Want to talk about it?” Liam leaned against the boards, deliberately casual.
For a moment, Tyler looked like he might brush off the question with his usual “I’m fine.” Instead, his shoulders slumped. “Emma had a meltdown this morning because I can’t braid hair. I tried to follow a YouTube tutorial, but apparently, I ‘ruined everything’ and now she ‘looks stupid’ and it’s all my fault.”
“There’s nothing wrong with getting help,” Liam said carefully. “It doesn’t make you less of a father.”
Liam’s mind flashed back to his own struggles — the disastrous attempts at hairstyling, the unbalanced meals, the constant feeling of inadequacy. “You know,” he said slowly, “Sunny’s childcare business might have some openings. They just expanded the after-school program.”
Tyler frowned. “I don’t need a daycare. I need…” He trailed off, seemingly unable to articulate exactly what he needed.
“A Sunny,” Liam finished for him, smiling slightly. “I get it. But her program is more than just childcare. She’s got this whole philosophy about creating stability for kids who are going through transitions. Emma might really benefit from it.”
He didn’t add that Sunny had specifically designed aspects of her program with children like Emma in mind — kids dealing with divorce, separation, or loss. It had been her way of extending her own healing outward into the community.
Tyler looked thoughtful. “Maybe. I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”
“Do that.” Liam clapped him on the shoulder. “And in the meantime, you’re welcome to stick around today. We could use an extra pair of hands when the whole team gets here. They’re like wild animals on skates.”
A faint smile tugged at Tyler’s lips. “Yeah, okay. I can do that.”
As they moved toward center ice where the others were gathering, Tyler hesitated. “Liam?”
