I laugh. “She once called it ‘mafia connections’—with a twinkle in her eye.”
“Who knows?” Ellie chuckles.
“Probably better we don’t know.” I pull Ellie with me as I walk around the big shiny silver cup and come to a dead halt when I’ve found what I’d never thought to see when my career ended.
I don’t know how many times I’ve seen my name written in front of me. A few hundred times? A thousand?
I sob and tears spill out of my eyes. My name has never looked more beautiful. And I know for sure that it never caused me to cry before. My next sob is muffled when the strongest woman I know pulls me against her shoulder.
“Congratulations, big guy.” She folds her arms around my middle and holds me close. “I know this isn’t the way you imagined it,” she murmurs against my ear.
I lift my head up and swallow. “No, it isn’t. But… I don’t always know what’s best for me.”
Ellie laughs. “I won’t argue with that.” She brushes the wetness from my cheeks—a futile effort as new tears stream out of my eyes.
“C’mere.” I put her head on my chest, where my heart is beating faster than ever before, and set my chin on her head. “How could I know what I wanted, if I didn’t know you existed?”
She giggles against my chest. “I’ll never forget the look in your eyes when you first saw me.”
Heat creeps up my neck. “I’m sor—”
Her index finger covers my mouth faster than I can say the word. “Don’t.”
“But—”
“I don’t want to look back. Only our future matters.”
“Our future, that sounds perfect.” I stare at the Stanley Cup in front of me. This thing is as beautiful as it once looked to me, but it symbolizes my past while I hold my future in my arms.
“This is perfect,” I whisper into Ellie’s hair. More perfect than in any of my dreams.
“You know you still have your day with the Cup.”
I nod. The old me would have thrown a mega party and invited people, who themselves would invite people I’d never met before. To brag. To feel like I was… special. A king.
“Are you still with me?” Ellie waves her hand in front of my eyes.
“I love you.” I lift her chin with my hand and bend down to kiss her.
“I love you too,” she says against my lips. “Are you all right?”
“Better than ever before. Lord Stanley and I, we had a meaningful discussion.”
“And?”
“I always thought winning the Cup would be about me. But… I don’t want it to be. I’d like to spend my day with the Cup with the youth hockey program. Give the little boys something to dream about. Give them something to fight for. Give them something to… love.”
“Isn’t there a girl program too?”
“Uh… sorry. We’ll make little boys and girls happy.”
She gives me a quick kiss. “You’re a good one, Michael King.”
“The best.” I kiss her back.
“Cocky, aren’t we?” She winks.
“You know how to handle me.”
She nods. “Most of the time. So, do you want to watch the game?”
I don’t trust my voice, so I nod.
“Good. Because a certain someone can’t wait to see his first live hockey game either,” a familiar voice says from behind us.
I spin around as fast as the cane allows it. My mom’s hand covers her tear-stained face as she stands in the doorway with Johnny right in front of her.
“Mitel sad?” He runs to me and throws his little arms around my good leg. I’m grateful for the cane again. How such a small body can cause such an impact is still a mystery to me, but he sure as hell can. Thank God I won’t be the one standing in his way when he’s on a mission to shoot a goal. Unlike me, Johnny is hero material.
I walk to the couch in the back of the room and pat the seat on my right for him to sit down. Instead, he climbs onto my lap. Smart little boy.
“I’m not sad, Johnny.”
“But you’re,” he huffs, “trying.”
“Crying, Johnny. Yes, I’m crying, but people don’t only cry when they’re sad. Sometimes they cry because they’re so happy they’re overwhelmed by emotions.”
“Huh.” He looks me up and down with a tiny frown on his face. Can’t fool the kid. I didn’t completely lie to him. In truth, I’m crying because my dream is over and, with it, my old life. It’s hard to let go of something that has been with you for over twenty years, but I’m also crying because I’m grateful for the new opportunities, the new challenges, and most of all, for… love.
“Wat’s that?” He squirms on my lap and turns to the shiny object in the corner.
“That’s the Stanley Cup.”
“Tanley Tup,” he repeats. Oops, how could I forget to tell the little guy about the most important trophy in the world until now. We’re watching Hockey Night in Canada together now and I’m pretty sure after today he’ll want to watch every single Ice Tigers game. And I’ll let him.
“Utly.” I look from left to right to make sure no one heard him insulting the holy grail.
“You think it’s ugly. Why?”
He lifts his shoulders so high they nearly meet his ears.
“Johnny, the Ice Tigers have the Stanley Cup here because they won the championship. Only the winning team gets the Cup. Do you understand?”
He nods. “Oh.” Yeah oh might be an accurate description. Then he jumps from my lap.
“Don’t touch it. If you touch it before you win the championship, you’ll never win it.”
Johnny drops his hand as if he burned himself. Oh yeah, the little guy will hold the Cup one day. I’ll do anything in my power to make that happen.
Before we leave the room, I eye the first love of my life again, tilting my head in true Johnny fashion. He might be right; the Cup isn’t as pretty as I always thought it to be. Not even the holy grail of hockey is flawless.
Why would it be? Perfection is boring.
“Thank God your mom is taking care of Johnny. I’m ready to collapse.” Ellie plops onto our bed.
“Too bad.” I close the bedroom door behind me.
Ellie turns to me. “Why is that?”
“I have a surprise for you, but if you’re too—”
“What’s the surprise?” She jumps up and walks over to me.
“I thought you were too tired?”
“I kind of like your surprises these days.” She steps on her toes and kisses me. Hm, yeah, that’s nice.
I chuckle while my chest expands to twice its size. Who would have thought Ms. I-don’t want-your-gifts would ever look forward to surprise ones? “Then I’m doing a good job. Close your eyes.”
“Are you blindfolding me again?”
“Just close your eyes already.” Though I might do that later.
I wait for her to comply, then place the cane next to the bed, dim the light, and turn the music on. The first chords of “Moon River” flood the silent room.
Ellie opens her eyes and blinks, but I put my finger over her lips before she can say anything.
“Will you dance with me?” I hold out my hand to her in an old-fashioned gesture.
“Yes.” Her voice sounds breathless.
I pull her close, place her head on my shoulder, and sway to the song’s rhythm. Who would have thought I’d enjoy slow dancing?
Ellie’s head flies up, nearly knocking into my chin. “Michael where is your cane?”
I chuckle. “Next to the bed.”
“But… how?” She presses her hands against my chest and looks down at my legs.
I shrug. “Danny and I have been working a lot lately to build up the muscles around my knee. And the warmer weather helps with the pain. I can already walk short distances without the cane. It’s still a long shot, but he thinks I’ll be able to skate again—not like a pro hockey player, and most likely with an aid. I think it could be fun.”
“I’m so happ
y for you. I guess I will just have to cuddle a little more during the winter to keep your leg warm.” Tears trail down her cheeks. Happy tears.
“Yes, to more cuddles.” I bend down and kiss them away. Then I place her head on my shoulder again.
I put “Moon River” on loop. Let’s see how many rounds my knee can endure.
If it were up to me, this moment would never end. It’s peaceful. Beautiful. A rare moment of complete contentment.
I twist her slowly around and drop my chin on her head. It’s time to ask my girlfriend an important question. “Ellie, do you want to… have a baby with me?”
Her head shoots up from my chest, and she gasps. Tears stream down her cheeks again. “Are… are you sure?”
“How about we practice tonight?” I wipe away the wetness and meet her lips with mine.
“Practice is very important,” she says once I lift my mouth off hers again.
“So is the warm-up.” I wink.
She buries her head against my chest and giggles. Me. Her. It’ll never get old. Don’t ask me how, I just know.
She’s everything. We’re everything. Michael and Ellie—not to forget Johnny and whoever will join our family in the future.
Life will not always be as perfect as this moment. Life won’t always allow us to laugh. But we’ll have each other no matter what.
I’ve been fighting gravity long enough.
The fight is over. I’ve found peace.
The End
Want to get a glimpse of Nessy’s story?
Click here for a bonus epilogue
Can’t get enough of the Ice Tiger’s world?
Click here for Tyler’s story (Ice Tigers 1)
Click here for Matt’s story (Ice Tigers 2)
Author’s note
If you have enjoyed this book, it would be tremendous if you were able to leave a review. Reviews help indie authors so much!
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Fighting against Gravity
Thank you!
Also by Isabella Cassazza
Ice Tigers Hockey:
Defying Gravity – Ice Tigers Book 1
Center of Gravity – Ice Tigers Book 2
Fighting against Gravity – Ice Tigers Book 3
Counteracting Gravity – Ice Tigers Book 4 (Coming 2020)
Marini Family:
Gianluca, Coming September 22nd, 2020
About the Author
Isabella Cassazza lives in Europe. She has been an avid reader from an early age, and when she’s not writing, she usually has a book in her hands. Other than that, she enjoys a good hockey game, equestrian sport and chocolate—lots of chocolate.
For more books and updates:
www.isabellacassazza.com
Acknowledgments
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Michael’s story. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I think it’s safe to say his was an… extraordinary one.
Thank you to everyone who helped me to get the word out about my third book. You’ll never know how much I appreciate your help.
Thank you to Donna and Virginia from Hot Tree Editing and Ellie and Rosa from My Brother’s Editor. I couldn’t have done it without you.
Thank you to my family. Your support means the world to me.
Fighting against Gravity: A Standalone Enemies-to-Lovers Sports Romance (An Ice Tigers Hockey Romance Book 3) Page 25
