I whistle as the Leopards start to find their groove down on the ice.
"That's incredible, Zo."
She shrugs, like it's nothing. Like raising three boys and running a household as a teenager is just what you do.
"They turned out okay. Mostly. Beck still can't do laundry without calling me, but the other two are functional adults.Ish."
"Probably helps when you live next to the beach, right?" I chuckle, picturing three giant hockey players sprawled on the sand half way across the country.
Down on the ice, the game has opened up fast.
Seattle pushes hard in the first five minutes, testing our defense, cycling the puck low in the corners. Samuel barks from the bench, and I can see Nico's hands moving in sharp, agitated gestures already.
Beside us, Morgan is riveted. She's standing on her seat, foam finger clutched in both hands, narrating every play for everyone around us.
"THAT'S ICING! THAT'S DEFINITELY ICING! THE REF ISBLIND!"
The woman beside Zoey turns around with wide eyes, and Zoey smiles apologetically.
"She's passionate."
"She'sright," I mutter, rising to join Morgan on my feet while watching the ref wave off the call. "Thatwasicing.BOOOOO!!!"
Morgan whips around, foam finger swinging. "Can Ibootoo, Mom?"
Zoey shoots yet more daggers my way.
"Morgs, check this out." I lean toward her, pinching my nose and dropping my voice into an exaggerated broadcaster's nasally tone. "And Jensen takes the puck at the blue line—fakes left, goes right—OH, he's through the defense like a hot knife through butter!"
Morgan giggles, then mimics my tone. "And the crowd goes WILD!"
"The arena is SHAKING!"
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS HOCKEY!"
We're both start doing the voice, narrating every pass, every hit, every whistle like we're calling the game for national television. Pretty soon, Morgan is laughing so hard she's barely staying on her seat.
And Zoey…
Zoey is staring at me.
She's not looking at the ice at all. She's looking atme, her chin propped on her hand, her lips curved into something soft.
"What?" I ask.
She shakes her head, dropping her eyes to the popcorn. "Nothing."
But the smile stays.
The first period ends 1-0 Seattle, and the Snow Leopards come out swinging in the second. Gabe levels a Seattle forward with a check so clean the glass shudders, and despite the flinch I make, the arena erupts around us.
Morgan screams so hard her spiral straw flies out of her cup. I retrieve it from the floor, wipe it on my jacket, and hand it back.
"Five-second rule."
Zoey's eye twitches again. "That isdisgusting."
The Snow Leopards tie it up midway through the second period with a Theo snipe from the slot that rings off the post and in. The goal horn blasts, the lights go purple and gold, andCLAWS OUTflashes bright purple across every screen.