Epilogue— Cooper
EPILOGUE— COOPER
M aple Falls, or what should’ve been named Pine Falls, was a nice town, but there really is no place like home. The only thing that would make it better is Blair living here in Tennessee. Thankfully that’s happening in the next few months. We’re handling the long distance very well so far, but after several visits and a lot of Zoom meetings, Blair announced she was moving. At first, I think she only did it to test if I was listening in on the Zoom meeting. Confession: I was listening—that time anyway.
The Wolves are having a great season, and I haven’t played this well in a few years. Coach Jake continues to ask what happened to me during those weeks in Maple Falls. He laughed when I told him I fell in love. He still doesn’t believe it, although he’s jaded when it comes to love since his long-term girlfriend just ended their relationship.
When Blair came to her first Wolves game, she introduced herself as my publicist. It didn’t take long for the team to figure out there was more to the story. It’s become quite the scandal, and while I don’t enjoy being in the spotlight—Blair is definitely worth it.
Playing for the Ice Breakers truly has sparked something in me I didn’t know existed. My career is thriving, and so are my relationships. Since leaving Washington, I’ve stayed in contact with all the guys. I even wished Dan the Man a happy birthday. I think he was as surprised as I was after I sent the message. Truthfully, it was Blair’s idea.
Estelle is happily living her best life in retirement. Although she says her husband drives her crazy sometimes. She started playing pickleball, thanks to my suggestion—and loves it.
It’s interesting that I went through most of my life with very few people I could count on. Because of this, it was just easier to keep people at arm’s length and put up a wall to protect myself. When Estelle came along, she started knocking down the walls and became my family. My connection to her led me to Blair and a future I never expected.
“Are you ready?” Blair asks excitedly.
“Sure.”
“Don’t be nervous.”
I roll my eyes. “I never get nervous.”
This is only partly true. I don’t get nervous when I’m playing hockey, but this is a whole different experience.
I’m on my way to meet my girlfriend’s parents for the first time in person. Blair says her father is a die-hard Wolves fan, but I’m still dating his little girl. I’ve heard plenty of stories about meeting the father of the woman you love. Maybe I should’ve asked if Mr. Radcliffe owns a shotgun.
We pull up in front of a cozy brick house that’s fully decked out for Christmas. The house is illuminated by twinkling lights, full garlands all around the front porch, and a huge wreath on the door. I see where Blair gets her love of the holidays.
“Are you okay?” Blair asks, giving me a concerned look. “You look pale.”
I nod. “Yeah, fine.”
We get out of the car and the driver helps unload our bags from the trunk.
Before I know what’s happening, the front door of the house flies open and Blair’s parents come running out.
“You’re here. My baby girl,” Mrs. Radcliffe squeals throwing her arms around her daughter. Blair looks just like her mom, and she gets her feistiness from her too. I’ve spoken to her on the phone, and she never hesitates to make her opinions known.
“Cooper!” Blair’s dad shouts.
“Nice to finally meet—” I hold out my hand to shake his, but he pushes it aside and throws his arms around me and gives a tight squeeze.
Okay, so I guess we’re hugging.
“Look at you,” he says, grasping my shoulder. “No wonder you have such power on the ice. What do you bench press?”
“Um, about 305?” I offer.
“That’s impressive. I was just watching some of your playoff games—you’ll have to tell us all your stories.”
“Sure.”
“TJ, give him a minute to breathe,” Mrs. Radcliffe says. She also hugs me, but it’s gentler than his bear hug. “Cooper we’re so happy to have you here.”
“Thank you.”
“Hi, Dad, remember me—your daughter?” Blair snaps.
“There’s my girl,” he says.
The next few minutes are loud and chaotic as we carry our bags inside the house. Their home is exactly how I imagined it would be—warm and welcoming.
Blair’s mom has prepared a ton of food, and it doesn’t take long for me to begin to relax. It’s been a very long time since I felt this welcomed and it’s nice. This must be what it feels like to have a loving family.
Blair and I are sitting close together on the couch, her knees resting on my leg. Her parents, or TJ and Katie, as I was instructed to call them, are in their respective recliners. The glow of the Christmas tree is brightening up the whole room. We end up talking for what feels like hours—about hockey, Maple Falls, and life. After Blair’s parents head to bed, she and I are curled up on the couch talking.
“Thank you, Blair, I say, kissing the top of her head.
“For what?”
“For giving me a reason to smile.”
It’s wild to think that a few months ago I was going through the motions, just existing. I was content with my life as it was—only because I had no idea what I was missing. Now I can’t imagine life without this woman. My publicist, my best friend and … hopefully my future wife. And I owe it all to Maple Falls.
THE END