Chapter 27

                                    

                                          
Lena's View:
I sat beside Mr. Carter, the man who had been a constant in my life for as long as I could remember. His enthusiasm about the art above the rink, something I had always taken for granted, now felt different. He spoke with such pride, his voice reverberating with a depth of emotion I hadn't realized before.
"I never really understood it until now," he said, his gaze on the mural above us. "But knowing the story behind it, the history... it makes it all the more meaningful. And I'm proud that Ethan was a part of it."
I smiled, not sure if it was the pride in his voice or the warmth in his words, but it made my heart swell. He was proud of Ethan, of the team, of everything they had been through together, and it was a beautiful thing to witness. I could see it now, how deeply it mattered to him—how deeply it mattered to both of them.
Just as we were talking, the boys began to pour out from the locker rooms, their jerseys glowing under the rink lights. But Ethan was missing.
The moment dragged on, the seconds feeling like hours. I could feel my heart thudding in my chest as I looked toward the door, hoping for a glimpse of him. Then, finally, there he was. My dad was standing in the doorway, his eyes scanning the team, his expression unreadable, until the last boy made his way out, and Ethan stepped onto the ice.
The sight of him, that moment, felt like everything stopped. He looked different, somehow. Maybe it was the way the light caught his face, or the way he moved, but there was something undeniably powerful about him in that moment. The way his eyes searched the rink, first finding my dad, then sweeping across the stands, and finally, landing on me.
And then he smiled.
The world felt like it shifted, like a weight lifted. His smile was wide and open, as if all the barriers we'd built between us had come crumbling down. It was a smile of recognition, of hope, of connection, and my heart raced as I saw it. He was back. Really back.
It wasn't just the game. It was something more. He was fighting for something bigger now. And in that moment, I realized I was fighting with him. Whatever happened next, whatever came next, I would be there. I would stand beside him, as he had done for me so many times before.
Ethan's dad, standing beside me, caught my eye and gave me a nod, his grin widening. It felt like something had finally clicked, like we were all on the same page at last, after all this time. I could feel the weight of everything we had both been carrying lighten, if only for a moment.
Ethan, my Ethan, was back. And that, in itself, was all I needed.
As the game began, the energy in the rink shifted, electric and filled with anticipation. We all found our seats, my eyes still catching glimpses of Ethan as he skated across the ice, his focus sharper than I'd ever seen it. Mr. Carter leaned forward beside me, his voice low but filled with enthusiasm.
"You see that group over there?" He pointed to a small cluster of men sitting by the rink, all of them dressed in suits, their eyes sharp and calculating as they watched the game unfold. "Those are the scouts. They're here for a reason."
I followed his gaze, the realization sinking in. These weren't just fans in the stands; these were the people who could change everything for the team, for Ethan. There was a palpable tension in the air as I wondered if Ethan knew they were watching him. Did he feel the weight of their gaze, the expectation hanging heavy?
Mr. Carter turned to me with a knowing look. "We've got a deal, Lena. Keep an eye on them, see if they're impressed." His smile was almost conspiratorial, a silent pact between us.
I nodded, my heart racing as I tried to focus on the game, but I kept coming back to those scouts. The pressure was mounting, and I could only imagine what was going through Ethan's mind out there.