Page 19 of Trade It All

“You’re doing amazing,” she says, pulling back just enough to look at me like I’ve done something worth praising.

I huff out a quiet laugh. “Pretty sure that’s them.”

“Still counts,” she says, brushing a piece of hair back from my face before letting her hand fall.

Mia shifts closer, smiling warmly, Samantha and CeCe right there with her, Lacey tucked in just behind but still watching everything like she doesn’t want to miss a second of it. Penelopeleans forward slightly in her seat, her attention flicking between the ice, her son Matty, and all of us like she’s used to holding both at once.

And Lennon—she’s right there with them too, her smile soft and easy when she looks at me, like I’ve always been part of this instead of something they added in later.

“You good?” Addie asks quietly this time, her voice just for me.

I nod. “I’m good.”

She watches me for a second like she always does, like she’s deciding whether to ask more, then lets it go with a small smile.

“Sit for a second,” she says, nudging my arm lightly.

I hesitate. I shouldn’t. There’s a game happening. A job I’m supposed to be doing. But I sit anyway. Just for a minute. Layla shifts closer immediately, pressing into my side like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and one of the twins is passed into my arms before I can even protest. I adjust automatically, settling him against me, his small weight grounding in a way that quiets everything else for just a second.

“See?” Addie murmurs. “Natural.”

I shake my head, smiling down anyway. “Don’t start.”

“Too late,” Lennon says softly, her tone warm.

“How is it down there?” Penelope asks, leaning forward slightly.

“Loud,” I say, glancing back toward the ice for a second. “Fast. They’re… locked in.”

“That’s how you know it’s going to be a good one,” Mia says.

I nod, even though I don’t fully know how to explain it. I just feel it. And sitting here, tucked into this group, surrounded by the kind of easy warmth that doesn’t ask anything from me, it feels… steady in a way the rest of the arena doesn’t. Different than it used to. Since everything with Luka, something shifted. They didn’t just let me stay around. They pulled me in. Made space without making it a thing. And I don’t question it. Not right now. The whistle blows, the crowd surges, and the moment breaks naturally, like it was only ever meant to be this long. I hand the baby back carefully and push to my feet.

“I should get back,” I say.

Addie nods. “Go. We’ll be right here.”

They always are. I smile once more, then turn back toward the aisle, lifting my camera as I move, slipping back into the rhythm of the game like I never stepped out of it at all. Back to work. The game builds from there.

Faster. Harder. Tighter.

Every second stretches, every play feels like it could tip the balance until finally—it does. The goal hits. The horn sounds. And everything explodes. The crowd erupts so loud it feels like it shakes through the floor beneath me, the glass buzzing under myfingertips as the guys come alive on the ice. Sticks raised. Bodies colliding. Energy spilling over in a way that feels earned.

I don’t lower the camera right away. I just stand there for a second, smiling.

The real one. The one that slips out before I can think about it. Then I catch myself and move again, following the aftermath from behind the glass, capturing what I can as they celebrate, as the moment settles into something bigger than just the final score.

And then I head for the tunnel. The energy follows us. It always does. The win carries through everything, through the noise, through the way the guys move like they’ve got something still buzzing under their skin. Fans lean over the railings, calling out to them, reaching for high fives, throwing congratulations into the space as we pass.

I move through it easily, camera up, catching what I can. Until I see them. Three guys standing off to the side, pressed back just enough to let everyone pass. They’re laughing, calling out to the players, clapping shoulders as the team moves through. It’s normal. I don’t think anything of it. Until one of them looks up. And sees me.

His face lights up instantly. “Maddie—” I barely have time to react before he’s stepping forward, closing the distance like it’s nothing. His arms wrap around me, pulling me in tight. “Hey,” he says, laughing. “That was insane.”

Tyler. Of course. I relax into it automatically, my hands coming up without thinking.

“I know,” I say, pulling back just enough to look at him. “That was—”

“Wild,” he finishes, grinning. “They looked good.”