Home Ice.

Chapter Sixteen.

Finn

I get nervous when things are important to me. Everyone does for the most part, but I've always had trouble with it.

When I was a kid, my dad used to tell me that I was a wus. If I was nervous before a big game, he'd say that I was just setting myself up to be the weak link if I'm scared. I believed that for a while, I really did. Probably until I was well into the NHL, honestly. But then the words that Avery said to me when we were at the Draft about how being nervous is good and it just means you care started to sink in a bit more. Being nervous is different than being scared, but being scared isn't a bad thing either.

I was nervous before my first ThunderBirds game. I was nervous before my first Sharks game. Hell, I was even nervous before my first Kraken game - and lets not even talk about the Draft. I was a wreck then. I always thought I'd be a puddle of anxiety on my wedding day, but I'm not.

I'm not nervous at all. Everything in my mind is quiet.

I'm calm, but I'm also really fucking excited. I'm excited to see her, just hearing her voice made me giddy as hell. Knowing she was that close to me in her wedding dress and I couldn't look at her physically hurt. But I knew it would be worth it for when I see her appear at that doorway. The doorway I haven't stopped looking at.

I am real fucking eager, let me tell you. I don't know what the hold up is. I need my girl up here right now. Everyone's sitting here already, everyone is ready. I've said hello to most of them. It's time to get this show on the road.

Oh, yeah. And her mother actually waved at me when she came in. I don't know what her play is there but I'm ignoring it for now. I don't trust her but I'll be damned if she ruins our wedding day. She doesn't matter today.

It's weird being up here alone. Everyone's looking at me, I keep looking down at my suit to make sure everything is in order. I got a new one for this, obviously. I know how much she loves my green suit and when she said she wanted emerald green to be the color of the whole thing, I knew I needed to get another one.

This one is a bit darker, but still that deep forest color. I'm wearing a black shirt with it since that's what she likes, and my tie and vest are the same green. I also have a black pocket square that I got with her name engraved on the inside. You can't see it, but I know it's there and it's resting right over my heart. Well, it's been hers since we were 18 - it's just living in my body.

I'm watching the door like a hawk so I see it when it opens a bit and when the woman running everything sticks half her body out to give me a thumbs up as if asking if I'm ready, so I give her one distinct and eager nod. She smiles and nods back before she disappears again.

Oh, dear God.

Literally moments later, both doors open up and although I'm still not nervous, my breath gets caught in my throat. It's happening. It's actually happening.

I take my hands out of my pockets and stand with them clasped behind my back. I'm so fucking glad we have such a small bridal party. I just want Aves. I just need to see her.

Cam and Sophie appear at the door way first and a smile climbs it's way to my face again. When all of the shit went down senior year where everyone was saying that I should be with Sophie, I'm not sure I could have ever predicted she'd be a bridesmaid at our wedding. It's the genuine tale of don't judge someone unless you know them. I think we all assumed that she was a bitch purely because she was popular, but she's not at all. She never was.

And I'm really not sure anyone can ever quite comprehend just how grateful I am for Cam. Not only for giving me that advice the day we ran into each other at that Kings game, but for sticking by Avery all these years. He's been a consistent person in her life since she was 15 years old, he's cared for her and been right by her side the entire time. She deserves a friend like him. They both do.