Back to Where We Started From (Miracle)

Chapter 103

The first game to be played was against Sweden, who wouldn't be easy competition. The Olympics hadn't officially started yet, as the Opening Ceremonies wouldn't occur until the following day. Julia had found herself rather bored the last few days, as the team had been incredibly busy. Doc had been true to his word, and Jack spent hours every day doing physical therapy on his knee. Everyone could see how hard he was working, and it was clear that Herb hadn't made a mistake keeping him. Julia was elated when Kathy and Gayle made it to Lake Placid, and she caught a shuttle to meet them in town the morning of the game.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so happy to see you!" Julia squealed as she hugged the girls after finding them in their designated meeting spot at the small cafe in town.

"You too," Gayle smiled. "How's Jack?"

"He's alright. Doc's really working on him. He does physical therapy, like, three times a day every day. He's determined to play," she explained. The three of them got their coffees and sat down at a small table in the window. Julia watched the people passing by on the sidewalk. "It's so different from when we were here before Christmas. I can't believe how many people are here."

"I'm sure that's adding to the pressure for the boys," Kathy said, blowing on her coffee. "How was New York? How was the band?"

"It was really good," Julia smiled. "It was so nice to see them. And I got to introduce them to Jack. Tommy was kind of a jerk at first, but I whipped him into shape."

"And the party?" Gayle asked.

"It was pretty tame compared to parties of the past," Julia laughed before launching into the story of how the rest of the evening went. She filled the two girls in on everything that had happened until their arrival.

"How are the boys? Do they seem nervous?" Gayle questioned.

"Yeah," Julia admitted with a sigh. Gayle started to talk about how nervous she felt for the boys when the bell above the door caught Julia's attention. She perked up when she recognized the two people coming through the door.

"Annie! Joe!" She called, getting up to greet the O'Callahan siblings. She hadn't thought of asking Jack when they would be arriving so she could make sure to see them, which she now regretted. Nonetheless, she was glad to see them.

"Hi, Julie," Annie grinned, pulling her in for a hug. Julia had to admit that she felt a wave of relief at Annie's warm welcome. She was acutely aware that the O'Callahans knew about the Christmas Eve incident, and she was glad to see that at least one of them still liked her.

"Hey, Julie. It's good to see you," Joe greeted with a smile that reminded her of Jack.

"It's good to see you guys, too. This is Gayle, Buzz Schneider's wife, and this is Kathy, Rob McClanahan's little sister. Gayle, Kath, this is Annie and Joe. They're Jack's brother and sister," Julia introduced the groups. Everyone exchanged polite greetings, and after grabbing a couple cups of coffee, the O'Callahans joined the girls at their table.

"Has Jack been a demon since he got hurt?" Annie asked with a knowing look that told Julia the family had experienced that side of Jack before.

"He was...something," Julia laughed. "At first. He shaped up pretty quick."

"I'm sure he was nicer to you than he's ever been to anyone else," Joe scoffed.

"Do you play hockey, Joe?" Kathy asked, looking over at Joe, who sat on her left.

"Actually I play baseball," Joe told her proudly.

"Joey wants to play for the Red Sox someday," Annie informed them all, making Joe's face turn red. "Right now he plays for BU."