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EPILOGUE
TWO YEARS LATER
OAKLEY
"That's the last of them." Ava wipes her hands on herSeattle Sealsweatpants as she sets the last of the food down on the shiny white countertops of our newly purchased home.
The giant grin I’m wearing hasn't seemed to budge since the moment Ava finally agreed to move to Seattle.
The past two years have been a bitch. Between flying to games and then back to Vancouver to see my family, it was a lot. The airport was practically my second—third—home. And all the late-night calls made Skype my best friend. Being in Seattle quickly became a gigantic pain in my ass. Of course, that doesn't mean it was all negative. I'm living my dream. I was just living it without my other half.
"I still can't believe this is ours. I don't even know what to do with all this space." Her voice echoes from the kitchen
"I'm glad you like it, baby," I murmur in her ear when I reach her and press my chest against her back.
She's leaning against the sink, staring dreamingly out the window at our backyard. I wrap my arms around her waist and rest my chin on her shoulder. The sight before me hasn't stopped blowing my mind since the minute our realtor showed it to us.
The slightly damp green grass waves back at me as I stare out the paned glass. I fell in love with our vast backyard instantly. We were so lucky to find a house with this much land within city limits. The first thing I thought of when I saw it was building an outdoor rink. Ava laughed at my childish excitement over such a lame request, but nevertheless, I got her to agree to it. Just like I got her to move to Seattle.
When Ava graduated three months ago, I did everything in my power to convince her to move to Seattle. I had been living in the same two-bedroom apartment for the past two years, and with a new contract with the Seals looming in the distance, it was only a matter of time before a decision needed to be made.
I quickly adapted to my new team. Although it was a lot more difficult adjusting to the higher level of hockey than I would like to admit, I am proud to say that I am doing exceptionally well now. I guess that's the main reason why I don't want to sign with any other team. I've grown to love it here.
I won't lie and say the move was easy on Ava. She had to find a job here in only a few months and figure out how to say goodbye to her family. I know leaving them was hard on her. Hell, it was torture for me to leave mine. It still is torture to be so far away from them, but the spam of texts I receive each day from my mother help put my mind at ease.
"Shoot! It's almost seven. I can't let them see me like this!" Ava shrieks. She pecks my lips and bolts upstairs to get ready. She still has no idea how breathtaking she already is.
We decided on throwing a housewarming party once we finally finished unpacking and all of our new furniture was delivered. It's been an intense few weeks, but looking around at the well-decorated space around me, it's all been worth it.
The doorbell rings and I hear Ava swear from our bedroom as I make my way to the entryway, chuckling as I do.
I spot Morgan when I walk past the tall window beside the front door. She stands on the porch, waiting for Matt to lug her bags up the icy sidewalk.
I pull open the door with a teasing grin on my lips. "Did you bring your whole house? I didn't know you were moving in."
Morgan scoffs before stepping inside and pulling me in for a quick hug. "You couldn't be so lucky as to live with me."
"Please take her!" Matt shouts from the door, trying to catch his breath when he drops the bags onto the ground beside him.
Morgan whips around to glare at him. "Where are you hiding my best friend? I haven't seen her in forever."
Rolling my eyes, I point to the staircase and laugh under my breath. Her eyes light up before she bolts up the stairs.
"I guess it's just us, buddy. How was the flight?" I ask, turning my attention to Matt. I bend down and grab a few of their bags in my hands.
"Thanks, man. It was alright. Pretty quick. We could have driven." He flings a duffle bag over his shoulder after shoving his shoes off and pushing them to the side.
"Your room is down the hall. Hopefully, it lives up to Morgan's standards," I joke.
Matt laughs in response as we head down the hallway. We pass one of the bathrooms and our office before reaching their room. I give the door a quick shove. It swings open, and I flip on the light before dropping their bags down beside the queen bed in the middle of the room.
"This is your spare room? It's nicer than our bedroom back home," Matt gasps, shock evident in his tone.
"It's all Ava. She has a talent for this shit, man."
She really does. There was nothing special about this room, or any of the rooms for that matter, until she started designing them.
"Send her my way sometime. Morgan's idea of interior designing is slapping a throw pillow on the couch."
