Trip to Your Heart - A Hockey Fanfiction

Kids' Practice

Claude waved at me with the spatula when I came downstairs. He was fixing pancakes for breakfast and I laughed at his goofy greeting.

"Nice to see you smiling," Claude said.

"It feels good," I ignored the stab of guilt in my stomach.

"And you didn't stir at all last night," he smiled at me. I couldn't bring myself to crush his happiness by telling him that I hadn't slept a wink, so I just nodded. "You want chocolate chip, right?" He asked.

"Yes, please," I replied, setting the table.

We ate breakfast quietly and went off to practice within the hour. I focused my gaze on the passing scenery as Claude drove. Music played quietly in the car, but I didn't sing along. I focused on reinforcing my mental wall to hold the floodgates closed for the day.

Claude didn't seem to notice my silence, and if he did, he didn't say anything, for which I was grateful. We arrived a little early and Claude walked me to my office. He kissed me softly on the lips before walking down the hall to the locker room. I let myself into my office and set my things down.

I sat behind the desk and fiddled with the calendar on it as I waited for the guys to finish getting changed so I could go check on them. Cara came to see me a few minutes later, "Hello, Estelle Gerard," she singsonged. She was positively glowing.

"What's gotten into you?" I smiled at her and she blushed, ducking her head.

"Aww, shucks. How'd you know?" She asked.

"Know what, Cara? I don't know anything, that's why I asked. I just know that you're happy," I laughed.

"I thought you didn't know anything," she teased.

"Someone is feeling sassy. Is there a guy involved?"

Cara gasped, "Have you been stalking me?"

"Oh, so there is a guy involved," I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively at her.

"Yeah," she ducked her head.

"Is it Wa-"

"Stop!" She screeched, slapping a hand over my mouth, "He might hear you," her voice was lower. I licked her hand and she screeched again.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded.

"I told you now!" She protested.

"When? Where? What happened? It is him, isn't it?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's him. We walked in together and he asked me to go out for coffee after practice," she whispered.

"And you said yes?" I stage-whispered back.

"Well, of course I did. Do I look stupid to you?" She flipped her hair over her shoulder and I laughed. "Not funny, Estelle Gerard."

"On the contrary, Car-"

"Hello, ladies, we are ready for you," Wayne poked his head in the door. He nodded to me and grinned brightly at Cara, whose caramel toned cheeks flushed a rosy color.

"We're on our way," I replied, standing, taking the blushing beauty by the arm, and dragging her after Wayne.

When we entered the locker room, I was surprised to see that it was more crowded than usual. Each guy had one or two smaller hockey players at his stall with him. Cara and I exchanged a glance before attending to the players we knew would need our services.

Steve held out his wrists so I could inspect them. The one he had injured before was swelling again. "Steve, do you need new gloves or something? Or do you purposefully go out of your way to block shots with this wrist?" I sighed.