Page 93 of Rookie Rules

"I'll see you at the rink," he said.

Then he left.

Rowan stood in the hall until the outer door closed. The house resumed its familiar silence, but familiarity no longer made it useful.

In the kitchen, two bowls sat on the island. Luca's was half full. The clean food container waited beside the sink, returned because Rowan had kept the first evidence and Luca had noticed.

Rowan put the leftovers away. Washed both bowls. Dried the counter.

The routine restored every surface.

It did nothing to the empty hook by the door.

The season had an end date. Rowan had written that into the arrangement because endings known in advance looked manageable.

For the first time, he understood the rule did not protect him from loss.

It required him to choose it.

Chapter 15: The Goalie After

Gabriel's game began before anyone else's.

He arrived at the crease during warmups, scraped each post with the edge of his skate, and set his water bottle in the same place above the net. Left post. Right post. One slow loop through the blue paint. He took the first shots low and controlled, steering rebounds toward the corners while Benji worked at the opposite end.

Luca had watched the ritual for eight games without learning whether it calmed Gabriel or simply gave anxiety no room to speak. From outside, discipline and fear could use the same movements.

The team entered 5-3. Cameras followed Luca and Rowan during line rushes. Almost none stayed on Gabriel unless a shot reached him.

That was the arrangement around goalies. Their work became visible when something got through.

Before the anthem, Gabriel lifted his mask and looked toward Nolan.

"First five clean," Nolan said.

Gabriel nodded. "One read."

The defense tapped sticks against the ice.

Luca recognized the wish inside the phrase. Not no shots. Not perfection. One readable problem at a time.

Northstar gave him three on the first shift.

The first goal was not Gabriel's fault.

Luca knew because everyone on the ice had contributed something worse.

Mateo lost the puck at the offensive blue line. Rowan turned to cover the middle. Luca chased the carrier instead of taking the late man. The pass crossed beneath two sticks and reached a forward alone at the far post.

Gabriel moved left to right and nearly got there.

Nearly had no place on the scoreboard.

0-1, four minutes into the game.

Gabriel pushed upright, collected the puck from the net, and sent it toward the official with the same precise motion he used after a routine save. His mask concealed whatever the goal had changed.

At the bench, Rowan spoke before anyone could explain themselves.