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Part Forty Eight

Kami's POV

As Laura and Coach Q run through all the game plans, I carefully check all my equipment and start mentally preparing myself for the game tonight. We're playing the Blues, who have been surprisingly good recently. I tap my stick three times against the wall as I pass it and head outside to the arena, my sign of good luck before every game. Three taps of the stick, the number three on my jersey, and knock on my helmet three times before I put it on. After all, superstitions are only stupid if they don't work. And mine always work. 

At the end of the second period, we're up 3-2. "Nice work," Hjalmarsson says, tapping my glove as we head back into the locker room. When I get back to my locker, I drink some water and look at the pictures I have hanging up of my family. One of them particularly catches my eye and I smile sadly at it. It's a picture of my brother, Kayden, and I from awhile ago. He's been deployed for the past year and I miss seeing him so much. As we start to get ready for the third period, I tap the picture and give it a little smile, hoping that I'll see him soon and that he'll bring me some good luck. 

Before the third period, they show some videos on the big screen above the ice. A lot of the videos are from people stationed overseas and one of them is from Kayden. I stand in my goal and watch him, my eyes tearing up at the sight of him. 

"Hi Blackhawks Fans! My name is Sergeant Barger and I am deployed overseas in Iraq. I wanted to wish my sister Kami good luck and I hope you'll all cheer her on as one of your goalies. Good luck Kami! I can't wait to see you again!" 

His video is the last to show and the crowd cheers loudly as I raise my glove up towards the screen. "I'm going to win this game for you Kayden," I whisper to myself. 

Halfway through the third period, the Blues get called to take a penalty shot. I take a breath while they prepare it. I don't recognize the skater who is taking the shot, but I focus more on where the puck is. The skater moves quickly towards me and he's about to shoot and then he just stops. I wonder what the heck he is doing when I see him drop his stick and remove his helmet and that's when I almost collapse.

"Kayden!" I scream and skate towards him. He skates towards me and I tackle him, sobbing at the sight of him being there. I hug him tightly, making sure he won't leave me again and the horn sounds throughout the UC as the crowd gets to their feet, cheering and applauding. "Ladies and gentlemen," they announce on the speakers. "Sergeant Kayden Barger, currently serving in our armed forces!"

I can't believe he's here, that he's home safe. "I missed you so much, Kayden," I say, still hugging him. "I missed you so much, too, Kami," he says, hugging me just as tightly. "And I'm so proud of where you are now." He lets go. "I have to go back off the ice, but you go out there and win this, okay?" I wipe away my tears and give him a smile. "I promise I will, Kayden." I skate back out to my net and prepare myself for the remaining half of the period.

We end up winning the game, 4-2, with Andrew getting an empty-netter and the team fist-bumps me on the way back into the dressing room. I quickly undress and change back into normal clothes. The press want to interview me, so I rush through a couple interviews, but then head outside and right outside the dressing room is Kayden. I run at him again and we share another long hug. "Please don't leave," I mumble into his shoulder, happy tears of joy running down my face again. "I don't want you to leave." He rubs my back as he hugs me. "Don't worry. I don't want to leave you either."

Becca's POV

I grab two beers out of the fridge and head back to the den where Andrew and I are watching tv. He's happy after winning the game tonight, especially since one of the goals was his and he came home smiling widely. He flips through the channels as I hand him his beer and I look for something interesting to watch. He flips past Titanic and I give a little yelp. "Go back!" I say, swatting his arm until he clicks back to it. As the movie starts, I snuggle up against him and pull a warm throw blanket over the two of us. 

By the end of the movie, I have tears in my eyes. "You okay?" Andrew says, smiling at me and giving me a little hug. "Yeah," I say, smiling back. "It's just such a beautiful movie and such a beautiful story." I give a little sigh. "Sometimes I wonder if love like that is even possible." Andrew looks into my eyes and brushes a piece of hair away from my face. "I know it's possible," he says softly. "How?" I ask, my eyes locked on his. "Because it exists right here," he says as he leans in and kisses me gently.