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But my attention shifts up straight to Juliet who’s jumping up and down out of her seat, clapping her hands and pointing at me.
I can see her mouth to me. “You did it! You did it!”
It was all worth it.
Everything that happened to get Juliet and me to this place.
The fake marriage—the deportation—losing each other only to realize that we’re each other’s priority. It was all worth it.
And now I’ve done what I needed to do to honor my father.
This feels like a chapter I can close now with my dad. I’ll still never get those missed years back, but coaching his team for the last three years made me feel a closeness to him I haven’t felt since he passed. It’s brought me healing that I didn’t think I could achieve.
“My Haynes, you have a visitor,” one of the security guards says.
Assuming it’s Juliet, I step out of the locker room to see her and whoever she’s brought down with her. But the second I walk out past the door, I see Sam Roberts.
“Sam,” I say, my eyes widening at the sight of him in Wisconsin when his team isn’t playing.
“That was a great game, Haynes,” he says, walking over and shaking my hand. “You made good on what you set out to do. Your family must be very proud of you.”
Hearing him say that means a lot. I’ve looked up to Sam for so many years.
“Thank you but I’ll admit I’m a little surprised to see you here.”
“I came to watch you win the Stanley Cup, and to offer you a coaching position for the Hawkeyes. It wouldn’t be the head coach position next season but Coach Bex is talking about retirement. He just doesn’t want to leave until he finds a replacement he trusts to take over for him.”
Sam’s offering me a coaching position?
It’s tempting, I can’t deny that. And now that I can apply for a work visa in the US and Juliet and I still have the penthouse, which Juliet uses when she’s working in Seattle, it would be an easy transition.
“That’s an appealing offer, Sam. It’s something I really need to think about, and Juliet has to be in on this decision.”
I made a big decision once without my wife and it ended in us almost not finding our way back to each other. I won’t make that kind of call again without her input.
“Of course. I understand. Take your time and enjoy your win. You earned this one. The position will be there if you decide to take it. You’re coach Bex’s first pick,” he says.
I see Juliet headed down the hallway with baby Enes on her hip and my mom in tow.
“Sam?” Juliet calls out.
“I was just leaving,” he says, smiling down at Enes and rubbing her back. “You two have a beautiful family and I’m happy it all worked out for you. I was rooting for you since day one.”
“I know you were,” Juliet says.
Sam turns back to me. “Just remember, I’m only a phone call away.”
“I’ll think about it,” I say, reaching out for Enes and taking her into my arms.
Then Sam nods and heads back down the hallway.
“Sam came to watch the game?” Juliet asks with wide eyes.
She’s surprised too.
Enes plays with my lanyard while I bend down and kiss my wife’s forehead.
“He offered me the assistant coaching position for the Hawkeyes,” I tell her and my mom.
