1989 || Luke Hughes

Chapter 6: Out of the Woods

As we drove through the snow-covered streets toward Luke's family home, my heart pounded with nervous excitement. It was my first Christmas away from my own family, and the thought of spending it with Luke's family made me both anxious and grateful. Luke, my teammate and now dear friend, had insisted that I join him for the holidays in their small town, and I couldn't shake the butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

"You okay, Quince?" Luke's voice broke through my thoughts, concern evident in his eyes as he glanced over at me from the driver's seat.

"Yeah, just a little nervous," I admitted, offering him a small smile. "I've never spent Christmas away from home before."

"You'll love it," Luke assured me, giving me a reassuring smile. "My family is great, and they're excited to meet you."

I hoped he was right. I had heard plenty of stories from Luke and Jack about their family, but meeting them in person was an entirely different matter.

As we pulled up to the cozy house adorned with twinkling lights, my nerves intensified. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, before stepping out of the car and following Luke up the front path.

Inside, the warmth of the house enveloped me, and I was immediately greeted by the inviting scent of cinnamon and pine. Luke's mother, Ellen, rushed over to us, wrapping us both in a tight hug.

"Welcome home, Luke! And you must be Quince," Ellen exclaimed, pulling back to look at me with a warm smile. "It's so lovely to finally meet you! I hate that we didn't meet in Vancouver."

I returned the smile, feeling some of my tension ease at Ellen's genuine warmth. "Thank you for having me, Mrs. Wilkins. It's a pleasure to meet you too."

"Please, call me Ellen," she insisted before turning to Luke. "Why don't you two go put your bags in your room? Dinner will be ready soon."

Luke nodded and led me upstairs to his childhood bedroom, where I dropped my bag on the floor beside his bed. Looking around, I couldn't help but smile at the sight of the familiar hockey posters adorning the walls.

"Make yourself at home," Luke said, noticing my gaze. "I'll be right back."

Left alone for a moment, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves once more. I knew I had to make a good impression on Luke's family, especially since this was my first time meeting them.

Downstairs, dinner was a lively affair, filled with laughter and chatter. I found myself drawn into the easy rhythm of Luke's family, feeling more relaxed with each passing minute. Jim, Luke's father, regaled us with stories from his days playing hockey, while Quinn, Luke's brother, teased him mercilessly about his rookie season.

And then there was Jack and Nico, my teammates and friends, who I was relieved to see. Their presence offered me a sense of familiarity amidst the sea of new faces.

As we sat around the table enjoying Ellen's delicious cooking, I couldn't help but feel grateful for the warmth and hospitality of Luke's family. They welcomed me with open arms, treating me like one of their own.

After dinner, we gathered in the living room to exchange gifts. I watched with a smile as Luke's parents opened their presents, the room filled with the sound of paper tearing and laughter.

When it was my turn, I hesitated for a moment before handing out the carefully wrapped gifts I had brought with me. I had spent hours choosing the perfect presents for each member of Luke's family, hoping they would like them.

The most important though was Luke. I had bought him a simple chain because it broke during our last game and thought that he would like it.

To my relief, they all seemed genuinely pleased with my gifts, and I couldn't help but feel a swell of happiness in my chest as I watched them open them.

As the evening wore on, I grew more comfortable in Luke's family home. We played board games by the fire, sipped hot chocolate, and shared stories late into the night.

As I curled up on the couch beside Luke, feeling content and surrounded by warmth and love, I realized that I had found a second family in Luke's family. And as snow fell gently outside the window, I knew that this Christmas would be one I would never forget.

As the evening progressed and Luke's family stepped out briefly to go on a snow-covered walk, Luke and I found ourselves alone in the cozy living room. The crackling fire cast a warm glow across the room, and a soft melody played from the stereo in the corner.

We sat side by side on the plush couch, our shoulders touching as we talked and laughed, enjoying the rare moment of solitude. Luke's eyes sparkled with mischief as he reached for his polaroid camera sitting on the coffee table.

"Hey, come on. We need to get a picture for the guest polaroid wall," he asked, holding up the Polaroid camera with a grin. The polaroid wall was filled with hockey players who had visited their family home over the years.

I chuckled and nodded eagerly, feeling a surge of excitement at the idea of preserving this memory.

Luke raised the camera, framing us in the viewfinder before pressing the shutter button. The camera whirred and spat out the photo, capturing our smiles and the warmth between us. We took multiple so we could bring them home with us too.

As Luke set the polaroids aside to develop, a lively tune filled the room, and a grin spread across his face. Without a word, he jumped to his feet and held out his hand to me, The necklace I gave him shimmering below his chin.

"Dance with me?" he asked, his eyes shining with excitement.

I couldn't help but laugh at his infectious energy, taking his hand and letting him pull me up from the couch. A surge of pain shot through my chest but I shoved it down as ee moved the furniture aside, creating a makeshift dance floor in the center of the room.

With the music playing softly in the background, Luke and I swayed and twirled around the room, our laughter filling the air. We moved with a carefree abandon, lost in the moment and the joy of being together.

In that fleeting moment, surrounded by the warmth of the fire and the love of Luke's family, I felt a sense of belonging like never before. It didn't matter that I was far from home or that I was spending Christmas in a new place. What mattered was that I was here with Luke's family and I felt loved by them.

As the music faded into the background and we finally came to a stop, breathless and smiling, I knew that this Christmas would be one I would treasure forever. And as I looked into Luke's eyes, I couldn't help but feel grateful for the unexpected gift of his friendship and the love of his family.

your necklace hanging from my neck
The night we couldn't quite forget
When we decided, we decided
To move the furniture so we could dance

Authors note

Im sorry this took forever for me to update! soccer season is starting and I've been busy with it!

I will still be posting they just will take longer to be posted

Next chapter is:

Evermore || Connor Bedard
Chapter Four: No Body, No Crime

Thank you for Reading and all the love!

Love you guys!