Epilogue
GARRETT
Almost two years later.
“That sweater looks good on you.” I elbowed Liam playfully as we laced up our skates. “Feel weird, wearing a different number?”
Chuckling, he looked down at the fifty-five on his sleeve. “It’s different, that’s for sure.” He touched the same number on my arm and grinned. “I like it, though.”
“Me too.” I did. In fact, I was still surprised he’d wanted to wear it.
Or that he’d be wearing it again on next month’s dads’ trip.
Not that he ever passed up an opportunity to go to a hockey game, but he was always there as Liam St. Clair.
Tonight, and on the upcoming trip, he happily—proudly, even—wore my son’s jersey.
When Chris had suggested Liam come along on the dads’ trip, he’d jumped at the chance. No one had protested him bringing along two dads. In fact, one of the rookies had shyly asked if he could also bring his two dads along. That was an instant and unanimous yes.
Tonight, we were in Pittsburgh. Like the rest of the Phantoms and their families, we’d come to the otherwise quiet arena for the annual family holiday skate.
Hand in hand, Liam and I walked up the chute, then glided out onto the ice. Some heads turned, and some of his old teammates did double takes, but I didn’t think it was because of us, per se. They just weren’t used to seeing Liam St. Clair in a Chris Kane jersey.
I wasn’t used to it either, but I definitely liked it.
Chris and Liam had formed a unique bond.
Professionally, Liam had been a mentor and an idol for Chris.
They’d become friends while Chris was a rookie.
Now that Liam and I were together, they’d joked about their stepfather-stepson dynamic, but their relationship had mostly stayed the same.
It was part of why I’d been so surprised Chris had asked him tonight and on the dads’ trip.
“It’s not weird to you, is it?” I’d asked him. “Thinking of him as something like a stepdad?”
Chris had shrugged. “I mean. it kind of is? But he’s still just Saints, you know? The fact that he’s dating my dad… Like yeah, technically he’s a stepdad—sort of—but he’s still Saints. Does that make sense?”
It did. Maybe it wasn’t the most traditional dynamic between an adult child and his parent’s partner, but it worked for them. It worked for us.
My other kids had quickly warmed up to Liam as well. The older two were a little uncertain at first because he was only nine and ten years older than them, but that hadn’t lasted long.
“If someone had asked me how I felt about my dad dating someone less than a decade older than me,” Nick had said last Christmas, “yeah, it would’ve been weird.
But seeing you two together—you’re obviously happy.
You obviously respect each other and love each other.
Maybe it’s just because I saw how miserable you were with Mom.
I don’t know. But the age just doesn’t factor in when I see you with him. ”
“To be fair,” Ally had pointed out in another conversation, “they were super young when we were born. Anyone who’s even a little bit younger than Dad is going to seem weirdly close to our ages.”
She had a point. And to my still undying relief, she was here tonight along with her other siblings. Liam and I skated up to join them, and we all chuckled as Ally’s husband struggled a bit in his skates.
“You all make this look so easy,” Lewis said. “It’s hard!”
“You get used to it,” Ally said with a laugh. “It’s easier if you start young, though.”
“That’s the truth,” Liam said. “And speaking of…” He nodded past us, and we all turned.
Right then, Chris and Jasmine were stepping out onto the ice with my parents on their heels. Asher, now a toddler, had a tiny jersey to match his dad’s… and a pair of tiny skates.
While my parents carefully stepped out onto the ice behind him, Chris skated away from the bench so others had room to enter and leave the sheet. Then he crouched and eased Asher down onto the ice. As we all skated toward them, Asher took his first tentative steps in his skates.
Of course Chris was holding his hands, so when the blades slipped, Asher didn’t fall. Instead, Chris skated forward slowly, gently tugging his son along with him, and my grandson giggled with delight.
The whole family was immediately around him, snapping photos and filming on our phones. Even Liam crouched down in front of them and took an adorable photo of Asher giggling between Chris’s skates.
Watching the whole scene, I smiled to myself.
This was so much more than I’d ever imagined I’d have after my kids had cut me off.
I’d reconciled with them—all of them—and I’d done it in time to be there for some of the most precious moments of their lives.
Not only that, I’d met a man who my kids adored and who was a mentor to Chris.
My dad appeared beside me and patted my back.
We exchanged smiles, but neither of us said a word.
I supposed we didn’t have to. Somehow, after the darkest, loneliest years I’d ever experienced, I was surrounded by more love and light than I’d thought possible.
Even after almost two years, it still blew my mind.
The past couple of off seasons had been amazing, not to mention so busy that Liam had barely had a chance to settle into retirement.
This summer especially had been packed with excitement.
Jasmine and Chris’s wedding was two weeks after the playoffs ended.
A month later, my first granddaughter was born to my eldest son and his wife.
And in early September, with my boyfriend between Chris and my ex-wife in the pews, I’d walked Ally down the aisle. I’d nearly cried during the father-daughter dance that I’d never let myself imagine happening for real.
The family skate went on, with kids on up to grandparents moving around the ice where the Phantoms usually played.
Last night, there’d been a bloodbath of a game out here.
They’d lost, and Temo had a black eye from the fight he’d been in, but it had been entertaining. Tomorrow, they’d play Cleveland.
But for tonight, it was just the Phantoms and their loved ones, skating lazily around and enjoying the festive spirit.
Liam took my hand. “Having fun?”
“I am. What about you?”
“Yeah.” He gave a wistful smile and looked around. “I always felt kind of lonely on family skate night. Especially if my parents weren’t in town yet.” He squeezed my hand as he turned that smile on me. “Definitely don’t have that problem tonight.”
“I should hope not.” His parents would be in town in time for Christmas, of course, but I was glad he didn’t feel alone tonight. And that he didn’t have to miss this at all just because he wasn’t an active Phantom anymore.
He was still part of this family, though. Something told me that even if Chris and I weren’t in the picture, the guys would’ve invited him and his family anyway. Retired or not, he was much a part of this team as he was an indelible part of its history.
He’d also joined the coaching staff at the start of this season.
He hadn’t even bothered taking his first of retirement to relax and catch his breath.
Instead, he’d accepted a job as a skills coach.
The prospects raved about him, and the veterans—even when they were chirping him—were thrilled to learn from him. They all loved him.
I could relate.
“Oh, hey!” Marcus skated up to us, a microphone in hand and a cameraman on his heels. “Do you gentlemen mind doing a quick interview?”
Liam looked at me, and we both shrugged.
It wasn’t anything new. We’d had cameras in our faces a lot.
The press of course wanted to grab any coverage they could of Liam, but they were also buzzing because we’d make history on the upcoming dads’ trip.
Not only would we be the first same-sex couple to accompany a team on the trip, it would be the first time a former player came along as an active player’s stepfather.
“How does it feel?” Marcus asked. “Wearing a former teammate’s jersey?”
Liam laughed, tugging at the jersey in question. “I’m happy to wear it. Even if I’m not officially his stepdad.”
I chuckled. “You’re close enough.”
“Yeah, but it’s not official or anything.”
The reporter quirked his lips. “Have either of you given any thought to making it official?”
My first instinct was to get annoyed; he actually knew better and didn’t usually press for personal things. Especially with Liam.
But before I could think or say anything, Liam said, “Actually, I’ve given it a lot of thought.”
I turned to him. “You have?” Of course we’d talked about it, but this wasn’t a card we’d ever showed in public.
Wait. Was he…
“I have.” Liam’s smile was huge. “And I don’t want to just think about it anymore.”
Then he was down on one knee on the ice, a thick, diamond-covered band in one upraised hand.
“I was going to do this on Pride Night, but… I can’t wait anymore.” He squeezed my hand. “Will you marry me, Garrett?”
My answer didn’t require any thought, but it did take me a moment to get my mouth to work properly. When I finally did, I had to laugh as I said, “Of course I will!”
Grinning, Liam rose, moving as easily as he ever had from the ice to his feet, and he pulled me into a kiss.
All around us, people cheered and shouted so loud, the arena almost sounded like there was a game tonight, not just a sedate family skate.
My kids and parents came over to congratulate us, and it was like something out of a dream.
I was engaged to the man I loved, surrounded by my family.
It was… God, it was hard to believe it was real.
It was, though, and when everyone had finished hugging us and gone back to skating, it was just Liam and me, standing there together on the ice with that ring on my hand.
It was like a dream, but it was real, and it was perfect.
“Not gonna lie,” I whispered. “I did not see that coming.”
He flashed a toothy grin. “That’s the whole point of a surprise, isn’t it?”
I laughed and reeled him in for a soft kiss.
When he drew back, Liam touched my face, and his expression as soft. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Then he kissed me again.
It would never stop feeling miraculous that I was back in the lives of all four of my kids.
And somehow, on top of that, I’d met—and was marrying—the love of my life.
Maybe I hadn’t fucked my family up beyond repair after all.