37. Epilogue
Aaron Miles
Today’s a big day, and I can barely contain my excitement. After waiting all this time, I’m this close to getting everything I’ve ever dreamed of.
“If it isn’t a future Stanley Cup champ,” Marissa says, sauntering around the edge of the corridor.
I chuckle, leaning against the kitchen bar. “Don’t jinx it now.”
“It’s called having faith ,” she says as she sidles up close to me, that perfect smile of hers lighting up her face.
She intertwines her fingers with mine, a nd I draw her toward me. “Thank you for believing in me,” I say, kissing each of her knuckles.
“You got this.” She kisses my cheek, and my eyes flutter shut. I can see myself holding the cup, Marissa’s eyes glittering with pride as she cheers from the stands. On her finger, the sparkling engagement ring that’s currently sitting in the drawer of my bedside table. I’ve been through it a dozen times. When she gets on the ice after the win, I’ll ask her to marry me. But now, as I stand in our kitchen with her sweet lips pressed against my cheek, I’m rethinking everything.
“Marissa,” I say, opening my eyes and locking gazes with her. “I love you so much. You make me happy and whole, and you have for such a long time.”
She tilts her head to the side. “I love you too. What’s—”
“Marry me, please. I don’t want to wait any longer to start the rest of our lives together.”
She does a double take, a smile pulling at her lips. “Aaron.”
“I know we’ve only been dating for a couple of months, but we’ve loved each other for years. I don’t need to date you to know you’re the love of my life, Marissa. I knew it the second we met.”
Her cheeks flush pink, and she no ds eagerly. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”
My heart booms, glows, and kicks up a happy dance in my chest. I cup her face and kiss her, slowly and tenderly, savoring each graze of her lips against mine, knowing that this is just the beginning of something special and beautiful.
“You’ve made me the happiest man on earth,” I whisper, my heart still soaring in my chest. Who needs the Stanley Cup after this? “Oh, wait. I have a ring.”
“You do?” she asks, her eyes widening.
“Of course. I bought it the week we started dating.” I give her a wink before jogging to my room to fetch it.
When I come back, I drop to one knee and open the red leather box.
“Oh my,” she says, her eyes fluttering. “It’s gorgeous.”
I take the ring from the box and slide it on her finger. It’s a simple white gold band with a pale blue zircon set at the center, reminding me of Marissa’s beautiful eyes and the calming effect they have on me. A perfect fit. Just like us.
Leaning forward, she cradles my face with her hands and drops a kiss on my lips. I hug her tight, standing up, and she giggles as I twirl her.
“Thank you for saying yes,” I murmur into her neck. “Now I’m even more pumped for a win tonight.”
“You’ll get it,” she says, leaning back to look at me. And if my heart was soaring before, the confidence in her eyes launches it high into the stratosphere, sending flutters through my chest.
“What if we lose?”
“I’ll still marry you,” she says with a chuckle.
“Phew,” I breathe out, making her laugh harder. “Good, because that’s all that matters.”
This is it. The glittering Stanley Cup is in the building, and if we win tonight’s game, that trophy will be in our hands. Our series has been amazing so far. With just one loss and three wins, we’re tonight’s favorites.
That doesn’t help with the pressure, though. My teammates’ faces are stone cold, in full concentration mode, and the locker rooms have never been so quiet. Even Adler doesn’t have a silly joke to crack. Instead, he keeps re-taping his stick.
As for me? Every time I feel the doubts creep in, I close my eyes and see Marissa’s confident face. And if that doesn’t help, I replay the moment she said yes, and my breathing regulates. We haven’t told anyone yet, not wanting to derail attention from tonight’s objective, but hopefully, we can announce it to everyone at the after party.
“We got this, boys,” Hawthorne finally says, his strong voice booming. “Let’s bring it home tonight, okay?”
We all cheer and clap, bold smiles and hard resolve on every face in the room. He’s right. We can do it.
“Gentlemen,” Coach says, entering the locker room. He looks as tense as us, but there’s a gleam of anticipation in his eyes. “We’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. You know what it feels like to lose the cup this close to the end. We won’t let it happen again. Not in our own arena. There’s nothing better than winning the Stanley Cup at home, I can promise you that. So, tonight, we fight. Tonight, we play hockey. Play with confidence. Play with focus, and play with everything you’ve got. Trust each other. Believe in the team.”
We whoop, whistle, and applaud, pumped by Coach’s words. I fist bump Adler and Beaumont next to me.
“Adler, you announce,” Coach says, handing him the sheet of paper. “Let’s rock and roll!”
Adler announces the lineup, and we yell and cheer at every name, our voices growing louder and louder. Once he wraps it up, we grab our gloves and helmets and head out to the tunnel, high-fiving and chest bumping each other while throwing in words of encouragement.
We’ve got this.
We skate onto the ice, and the arena erupts in cheers. We have the best fans in the NHL, a fact that’s crystal clear again tonight. They’re louder and more excited than I’ve ever seen them. We have to give it our best—not just for us, but for all these people who have supported us through thick and thin.
I glance toward the VIP box and catch a glimpse of Marissa and all our friends. It’s weird to see her so far away during a game, but she was down in the front row for the warm-ups earlier. She’s up there now because everyone’s here tonight. Beth, Hayley, Beaumont’s dad and stepmom, Emma, Auston, Alice, Deacon, and Deacon’s niece, Lola. It was just easier to have them in the VIP section with so many families, especially with Auston’s celebrity status. But it doesn’t matter how far from the ice Marissa is. I know she’ll be as much in the game as I am. Though, she might be feeling too much anxiety to text me her commentary.
The pre-game ceremony starts, and I seize the opportunity to focus on my game.
Finally, the referee calls us into position, and the puck drops.
It was a tough game, with everyon e’s skates carving the ice, brawls breaking out, and the goalies on both sides working hard to defend their nets. But we did it. The countdown to the last minute starts, and we’re already smiling ear to ear. At this point, we’re passing the puck to each other and the other team, not even trying to get it in. With a two-goal gap, we all know it’s over. Beaumont is hopping on his skates, Adler is brandishing his stick high in the air, and even Wilcott is wearing an elated smile.
We watch the clock run out as the announcer and the crowd go wild. The horn blares, and the rest of the guys and all the staff join us on the ice. Helmets and gloves are tossed into the air, mingling with the hats and stuffed animals the fans are tossing.
We all hug, high five, and scream, and I don’t even know what’s happening. I can barely hear anything beyond the blood pounding in my ears.
“Stanley Cup champs!” Adler yells, shaking me by the shoulders. “We did it, bro.”
I draw him in for a hug and slap his back. “Yes, we did.”
Families make their way onto the ice, and my heart accelerates to a breakneck speed. “Hold on a sec, man. I have to find my fiancée.”
He does a double take. “What did you just say? Wait, did you ask her—”
I nod, my smile stretching my face so much it hurts.
His smile mirrors mine. “Congrats, man! I’m so happy for you.” He hugs me again. “Go find your girl.”
I feel bad for a second that he doesn’t have anyone here tonight. No family and no girlfriend to share this win with. “I’ll be right back.”
“Son,” Coach says from behind me, his hand on my shoulder. I turn around, and his blue eyes are shining so bright, it triggers something in my heart. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you, Coach,” I say, falling into his arms, tears welling in my eyes. “For everything. I wouldn’t be here without you. It’s all you.”
He breaks the embrace. “No,” he says, putting both hands on my shoulders. “It’s you . You’re responsible for your own success. You did great, son.”
“Thank you for being a role model for me all these years. You saved me.”
He smiles, a lone tear escaping his eye as he squeezes my shoulders again.
“You did it!” Marissa calls o ut to her dad, her face glowing with pride and happiness. “You did it!”
Coach takes her into his arms, hugging her tight. “Thank you, honey.”
“Congratulations,” Beth says, stepping from behind Marissa. She flashes a bright smile, looking genuinely happy for us despite having broken up with her own hockey player again a few days ago. She shakes Coach’s hand, then gives me a swift hug.
“Thanks.” I steal a glance at Marissa, who’s still talking to and hugging her dad, so I focus back on Beth. “You know, Adler doesn’t have any family or friends here tonight. I’m sure a congratulations from you would make his day.”
Her cheeks flush. “Sure. I was going to tell him later, obviously. But yeah, I’ll look for him.”
As she takes off, my gaze sweeps the ice, but it’s so crowded I can’t see Adler anywhere. Hayley is in Beaumont’s arms a few feet away, kissing him, and I finally turn back to Marissa, eager to have her in my arms.
Coach glances back at me with a nod. “She’s all yours.”
I chuckle, but I don’t wait a second longer. I haul Marissa into my arms, the sound of her giggles mixing with the pounding of my heart. “Congratulations, champion,” she says, placing a long and sweet kiss on my lips. I savor every second of it. Because there’s noth ing more exhilarating than kissing your fiancée on the ice after winning the Stanley Cup.
Except maybe kissing your wife on the ice after a Stanley Cup win, but I’ll get back to you on that.