Page 288 of Saving Forever with the Hockey Captain

"I wouldn't miss it."

He skates toward the blue line with all the determination in the world.

His stop sprays snow everywhere except where he intended.

He beams anyway. "Did you see?"

"I did."

"It was better than yesterday."

"It absolutely was."

The grin on his face could have powered the entire building.

When he skates away, Annette quietly slips beside me. "They don't see a hockey captain."

"No?"

She watches another child wave as we walk past. "They see Jamie."

I smile. "I like that better."

"I know."

We continue through the hallway at an unhurried pace.

Nearly every volunteer calls hello. Some ask about my shoulder. Others simply wave before locking up classrooms for the night. No one treats me like a celebrity. They treat me like family.

Annette notices that too. "I've been trying to figure something out."

"Oh?"

"You've never once acted like you're doing anyone a favor."

I stop beside one of the photographs hanging on the wall. It shows the Foundation's opening day years ago.

Fresh paint.

Fold-up tables.

Exactly twelve children.

Mom is standing beside the popcorn machine.

Dad is assembling hockey nets in the background.

And me with a broom because apparently that was my assigned talent.

I smile. "I wasn't."

She looks at me.

"They've all done just as much for me."

She studies the picture. "How?"

I point toward the children. "They remind me what matters."