Page 18 of A Match Made In Fall

I’d be lying if I said I’ve never wondered whether my name has come up in conversations amongst other organizations.

I have mixed feelings about this because I love playing for the Bears. This organization gave me an opportunity, the fans are great, and this team has become my family. But another part of me knows a change wouldn’t necessarily be the worst thing either. A fresh start can be good for a player. New systems, coaches, and different expectations can give a much-needed push to improve and grow. It would give me a chance to stretch my wings a little and prove myself somewhere new.

And there’s also the fact that my entire family is back on the West Coast. I’ve spent years living thousands of miles away from them, missing holidays and other events you don’t realize matter until you’re constantly away. Sometimes the distance affects me more than I realize, even though this is the life I chose.

Regardless, there’s no point obsessing over something I can’t control, especially in sports. There are trades, injuries, coaching decisions, and more situations that are out of my hands. For as long as I can remember, I’ve tried to take things as they come instead of resisting the unknown. Whatever’s supposed to happen usually finds its way eventually.

“Hey. I just got off the phone with Abby,” Nick says, sitting down beside me.

I pat him on the shoulder. “Oh no—I’m so sorry. Did she call off the wedding?”

He glares at me. “What? No, of course not.”

I let out a breath. “Oh good.”

“She actually wanted to talk about you,” he says.

I shrug. “Well, I can’t really blame her for that.”

Nick rolls his eyes. “Yeah, well, she wanted to talk about you and a certain woman who just came to town.”

My eyebrows lift. “Really? Who?”

I’m trying to play it off, but I’m pretty sure he’s referring to Isabella.

Of course he shakes his head because he knows I’m full of it.

“Abby thinks it would be fun for us all to go out when we get back. What do you think?”

I nod. “Sounds great. Let’s do it. I’m in.”

“Okay, I’ll tell Abby the good news. She’ll be happy—she loves this stuff.”

This couldn’t have worked out any better because I was going to figure out a way to see Isabella again one way or another. I owe Abby big time.

“Have you heard anything about trades?” he asks, shifting the subject back to hockey.

“Nope,” I say. “You’re probably feeling very relaxed right about now.”

He nods. “Yep. Been there done that. I’ll be with the Bears for the foreseeable future.”

I can see the relief on his face, which is wild considering how upset he was after being traded.

“Are you nervous?” he asks.

I shake my head. “I’m not. I’m open to whatever happens.”

“That’s smart,” he says. “But I don’t think you’re going anywhere.”

“You never know,” I reply.

With one win down and two games to go, I need to stay focused on the present. Then we will head home, and I guess I’ll have a date.

What started as a promising road trip unraveled fast after we lost the other two games. Just like that, all the momentum we’d built disappeared. The energy after the third loss felt completely different from a few days ago. I think we’re all ready to get back home, reset, and move on from this stretch.

At least there’s something to look forward to—Abby already planned a night out for all of us, which means I’ll get to see Isabella again in a few days. It doesn’t erase the frustration of back-to-back losses, but having something to look forward to makes things sting a little less.

After getting in super late, I force myself out of bed because I have a full schedule today. My body feels exhausted, but sleeping in isn’t really an option. I make a protein shake, sit on the couch, and scroll through my phone. I have messages from my parents, one from my brother, and a few others I ignored while I was sulking over the Bears’ losses.