The Brick Wall

Chapter 60

Curtis POV

Leave her.

Does she mean just leave her in a long distance relationship? Or leave her broken hearted?

It's the last thing I want to do.

"When I know something, you'll be the first person I tell," I answer her honestly as the car pulls up to the front of the arena, a different side than I'd been to earlier in the day.

"Thank you," Collins says, leaning over to kiss my cheek.

We bypass Will Call as the team associate had the tickets sent to my phone. Oddly enough, I'd gotten two sets. One set was sent when I agreed to come out, the next was sent this afternoon with a message that said "These will be better, use them." It was signed Reese Altman, the goalie coach.

So yeah, we're using the tickets he sent.

"Have you ever been here?" I ask Collins while waiting in line for our tickets to be scanned.

"No, always wanted to though."

At least we're in agreeance with that.

There hadn't been enough time for me to see the locker room this morning. If there had been I'd probably have begged to walk out on to the ice. Coach Kinkaid had said maybe next time, and I'd been clinging to the meaning of those words ever since.

Please, let there be a next time.

We followed the concourse signs, going up an escalator to the second level before stopping at an attendant. He double checked our seats with the entryway and pointed us inside. I felt that twinge in my chest, the same feeling I got before a game. The feeling of coming home to what you know, what made you who you are, and I wasn't even stepping foot on the ice.

Collins squeezed my hand as we stepped out of the concourse and into the arena. "Wow," she muttered. I can't imagine this being too exciting for her, she grew up with a brother playing in the NHL. "This is incredible."

"You've seen better, right? Following Coach around the country to games."

"You forget, I was a toddler when he was drafted. I think I went to maybe ten of his games over the years, and they were all local to us."

I begin to descend the steps following the attendants directions while Collins is busy looking around. I keep a firm grip on her hand, hoping she doesn't trip down the stairs. "Remind me where local was for you?"

"D.C." Her answer was rather short, but I didn't miss the tremor in her hand when she said the city.

Suddenly I come to stop thanks to the jerk of her hand in mine. "What's wrong?"

"This can't be right."

I look around where I'm standing, which happens to be at the end of our row. "What do you mean?"

"Look where you are, Curtis. Double check your tickets again."

"It's right, darlin. The goalie coach sent them to me. He's got us-"

"Right behind the net?" she finishes for me as we shuffle down the aisle, stopping directly behind the Dallas net.

I lean up against the glass, looking out of the ice. "Right behind the net," I answer rather whimsically, feeling like a kid in a candy store. I may be on the opposite side of where I'd like to be in this arena, but the day has given me some sort of hope that this could really be in my future.

"This is where you and Len will be when I make it here. Right here, in these two seats. Of course I'll have to make it three for when Ma can come, too." I'm saying all the words towards the ice, but loud enough that she can hear me.