Page 19 of A Match Made In Fall

I try to stay in touch with my family as much as I can since I’m across the country, but between hockey, travel, and the time difference, it’s not always easy. Sometimes days go by before we can catch each other at the right time.

A few days ago, my brother Logan told me he was planning to propose to his longtime girlfriend. They’ve been together since high school, so nobody in the family was exactly shocked, but it’s still a huge step. Logan’s always been mature. He’s guy who had his life figured out at a young age. Career in finance, marriage, and family. He’s checking the boxes one by one.

It’s still early on the West Coast, but I call him anyway. If you can’t annoy your brother first thing in the morning, what’s the point of having one?

He answers after a few rings. “Hello?” His voice is rough and raspy.

“Rise and shine, brother,” I say. “It’s a beautiful day to be alive.”

He groans dramatically. “You seriously couldn’t wait a few more hours to call? It’s still dark here.”

I laugh, leaning back against the couch. “I’m returning your message because it sounded urgent. So give me the update. Did you propose?”

“Yes,” he says flatly.

“What did she say?”

There’s a pause. “What do you think she said?”

I grin. “I don’t know. Maybe she asked for time to think about it?”

“You’re funny,” he says with a groan.

“I try my best.”

“She said yes,” he finally says, and even though he’s half asleep, I can hear how happy he is.

A smile spreads across my face. “Wow. My little brother’s getting married. This is very exciting.”

“I know,” he says with a chuckle. “It feels weird saying that out loud.”

“I’m happy for you, Logan. Even though Ivy has been around forever, it’ll be nice to officially have a sister.”

This reminds me of my conversation about siblings with Isabella and her brother.

“Thanks, Austin.”

Suddenly I’m reminded how long it’s been since I’ve been home for anything important. Birthdays, holidays, now engagements. I’ve missed a lot.

“Alright,” Logan says, yawning again. “Now can I call you back at a normal hour?”

“I’ll be stuck in practices and meetings all day,” I tell him. “Coach is going to be in rare form after losing two straight games.”

“Yeah,” he says carefully. “I wasn’t going to bring it up, but…what happened? You guys looked unstoppable against the Panthers, and then everything shifted. It was like watching two different teams playing.”

“Don’t remind me,” I mutter, dragging my hand down my face.

The losses were bad enough on their own, but what made them worse was knowing we should’ve won at least one of them. We stopped playing like us, and then it all just fell apart. Once we got behind, we couldn’t catch up.

“Sorry. But it’s still early in the season. There’s plenty of time to turn things around.”

I sigh. “That’s the goal. How’s everything else there?” I ask. “Other than you getting engaged—which really isn’t that big of a deal.”

He snorts. “Fine. Work is steady. A little stressed about emptying my savings for a fancy wedding.”

I smile. My brother the finance guy and he’s always been a saver.

“Well, I need to send you an engagement gift…”