Page 184 of Offside Rules

I was filling an order for a baby shower. He stood on the other side of the counter with his phone in his hand, smiling at me.

"They want me back."

I cried into his shirt–happy tears. Then he pointed out that I was still holding a piping bag. We both had to change.

On the ice, he sends a puck toward the net, then follows Hunter toward the tunnel as warmups end.

My stomach tightens again.

Ellie sees it and rests her hand over mine.

"He worked hard to get here."

"I know. I’m proud of him."

"He knows that too."

For tonight, I’m going to try to behave like someone who believes the medical professionals who cleared him.

The Hawkeyes are tied when Hunter gets the puck back to Wolf near the blue line. Wolf looks toward the net, shifts, then sends it across to Aleksi.

The pass comes back.

Wolf shoots.

For a second, I can’t see where the puck went.

Then the goal light comes on.

I’m on my feet, screaming loudly enough that I’ll probably have no voice tomorrow.

His teammates crowd around him. Hunter catches his helmet between both gloves, saying something that makes Wolf laugh, and I press my hands over my mouth before I start crying.

Ellie hugs me anyway.

When Wolf skates toward the bench, he looks up.

I’m still standing.

He points his glove at me, and I point right back.

"Yes, you," I tell him, although there’s no chance he can hear me.

He grins.

I’ve seen that grin across our kitchen, over the steering wheel of Sprinkles, and from his side of the bed while he makes some comment about my television choices.

Seeing it here again nearly undoes me.

They win by one, and I’m still smiling when Wolf finds me after he finishes with the press.

His hair is damp, his tie is crooked, and he drops his bag beside us so he can pull me into his arms.

"Good game," I tell him.

"I heard you yelling from your seats."

"You did not."