Page 87 of Puck Me Twice

She shakes her head. “I woke up and you were gone.”

Crossing the room, she makes her way to where I’m standing, immediately folding her arms around my waist and snuggling into me.

“I’ll be here. I’ll always be here.”

She gives me a sleepy smile. “Okay.” She brushes her lips against mine in a brief kiss. “What did Brad want?”

“How did you know it was Brad?”

Vanessa cracks a grin. “Who else calls at this indecent hour?”

Smoothing my hand over her hair, I hold her close. “They want to extend me.”

Immediately, she pulls back to look at me. “They do?”

I nod.

“Of course they do! You’re awesome!” She squeezes me around the middle. “Oh, I’m so happy for you!”

“They still have to work out some details and I have to go into the office to sign the paperwork, but looks like I’ll be sticking around for at least five more years.” I swallow. “After that…”

“After that, we’ll take it as it comes,” she says. “Together.”

“You’re still in this with me?”

She nods. “You and me—we’re the future. We’re going to do this. That doesn’t mean I’m unsure about my feelings. It just means one step at a time.”

With a lump in my throat, I nod. “And you’ll tell me if anything changes?”

Vanessa cups my cheek with her palm. “Absolutely.”

There’s a caw from the other room, and I sigh. “Rupert’s awake.”

“She’s going to be so upset with you,” she chides. “You didn’t immediately tell her.”

“Rupert’s a bird,” I remind her.

“Don’t tell her that,” Vanessa laughs. “C’mon, let’s go get her.”

She’s only been at my place for a few wake-ups, but already she knows the routine, taking off Rupert’s cover and opening the bird’s cage. To my surprise, Rupert immediately flocks to her instead of to me.

“Hey, big girl,” Vanessa says, stroking her feathers. “How was your night?”

“Good girl,” Rupert caws. She nuzzles into Vanessa. “Rupert, good girl.”

I think I finally understand what people mean when they say their heart gets ten times bigger. There’s a warmth in my chest, a fuzzy pressure that takes my breath away and makes my heart beat faster.

Vanessa and Rupert are the two most important parts of my life, outside of hockey, and now… now I get to have all three. It’s something I couldn’t fathom even a few weeks ago, much less four years ago when I first saw her again.

Rupert launches off of Vanessa’s arm and comes to stand on my shoulder. She butts her head against mine. “Good girl,” my parrot says.

Vanessa comes to stand beside me, tucking her head under my chin. I hug her close.

This is what people mean when they say they’ve found their home. If I absolutely had to, I’d give up hockey if it meant I could spend the rest of my life with them.

I’ve found my home.

thirty