O Goalie Night (The Ottawa Otters #1)

Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

FOSTER

“ J ingle balls…deck those halls…winter wonderland,” Will sings loudly and proudly in the showers, much to the dismay of everyone within earshot.

“Does he seriously not know the words to Jingle Bells?” Austin mutters as he rinses himself off.

“How is he flat and sharp at the same time?” Ben asks when our tone deaf songbird hits a particularly nasty high note.

Will loves Christmas more than any grown man I’ve ever met. He’s a normal person eleven months of the year, but as soon as December hits, he’s insufferable.

“Give it a rest, Prancer!” Austin hollers over his shoulder as he towels himself off. We’re all in the locker room after getting our asses handed to us by the Red Wings. I should be disappointed, and I am, but mostly I’m just excited to get home.

Talking to Beth on Facetime is better than nothing, but it isn’t enough. I’m aching to see her in person, to hold her in my arms .

Will, completely unphased by the team's unfavourable response to his serenading, smiles at the jeers.

“I can’t help that I’ve got the Christmas spirit,” he says as he’s lacing up his boots.

“Anyone want to crowd fund for an exorcism?” Ben asks.

Will’s grin only gets bigger. “Only three more weeks, boys! You can take it.”

“That’s what I told your mom the last time I filled her stocking,” Austin retorts. If he’d said that to anyone else, a brawl would start, but Will just laughs before launching into a jazzy rendition of God Rest Ye Merry Santa Claus.

I choose the seat next to Will on the flight back. This is partly because I’m the only one willing to sit next to him as there is a very good chance he’ll break into song again. It also means I won’t be stuck next to Ben for the next few hours, while I’m thinking about going home to his sister.

“Check it out,” Will grins, showing me his phone. A video is playing of a house with a display of Christmas lights that cover every inch of its exterior. Strings of multicoloured bulbs wrap around the eaves, tracing the roofline in a vibrant cascade of reds, greens, and blues. The windows twinkle with lights in the shape of stars, wreaths, and candy canes, creating a festive glow that spills into the night. A giant inflatable snowman waves from the lawn, illuminated from within, while glowing reindeer graze nearby. The front door is adorned with a lit-up wreath. It’s giving major Griswald family vibes.

“Is that your place?” I ask, recognizing the bright red door as I squint at the screen .

“Sure is,” he answers proudly. “The company I hired just finished setting it up. Isn’t it sick?”

That’s one way of describing it. I should take Beth to see it. She’d probably lose her mind.

“My entire family would spend a weekend getting our place set up back home when I was younger. I wish I had the time to do it myself, but the company I use is great.” He’s still staring at his phone with a dumb grin on his face.

“Wait, aren't you going home for Christmas?”

“Of course.”

“So why get your place done if you’re spending the holidays with your folks?”

He puts his phone away and leans back in his seat. “I miss my family a lot this time of year. All my siblings are in Nova Scotia and they’re always hanging out together, posting pics on Instagram. I guess that’s why I get so into Christmas. When I sing the songs and see the lights, it reminds me that I’ll be home soon.”

We chat a bit more about his family before Will crosses his arms and closes his eyes. He’s snoring within minutes.

I take out my own phone and pull up the message I received a few days ago from Cody.

Cody: Hey Foster. I’m sorry we ran into each other the way we did, but not sorry it happened. I’ve been wanting to reach out for some time, just kept losing my nerve. I’d love to meet up and talk. I take full responsibility for what happened between us. I hope I hear back from you. I miss you.

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve read it. If it were a physical note, the paper would be bent and creased from being opened, read, and refolded.

A couple of times I even typed out a response, but each time hit the backspace button over and over until each word of my message disappeared.

Of course I want to see my brother again, but I’m scared. What if he hasn’t gotten the help he needs and I lose him again? Or what if he has and there isn’t a place for me in his life anymore? What if I can’t form a connection with my niece because I’ve been absent her entire life?

There are a lot of possibilities I’m not ready to face right now.

After closing Cody’s text window, I bring up Beth’s. The last thing she sent me was a selfie of herself in her classroom wearing a pair of antlers and a bright red nose captioning it “this is what you’re coming home to.”

All I could think was: “I can’t wait.”

Even now, I’m grinning at the screen as I think about seeing her in a couple of hours.

“Hey,” Ben says as he approaches my seat, crouching down in the aisle.

The phone slips out of my hands and I panic, attempting to retrieve it. Jesus. You’d think I was looking at naked pictures of her, judging by my reaction.

As usual, Ben doesn’t notice anything that doesn’t directly involve himself. I tuck the phone into my jeans and ask, “What’s up?”

“Are you bringing a plus one to the Christmas party?” The annual Otters holiday gala is less than two weeks away. The owners throw it every year in one of the nicer hotels in downtown Ottawa .

“Wasn’t planning on it.” I want to take Beth, obviously, but I feel like that would set off even Ben’s warning bells. Still, I wish I could invite her. Being forced to be social would be easier to endure with her by my side.

“I figured. Can I have your extra ticket for Beth?”

Well, that worked out nicely.

“Of course.”

“Thanks, man.” He gives my arm a thump with his hand. “I feel bad for ditching her on Sunday. Plus, she’ll finally get to meet Valentina.”

“How are things going with you two?” He’s been acting a bit off this week, less obnoxious than usual.

“Better, I think? She wants me to go to St. Bart’s with her for the holidays.”

I stare at him. “But you’re going home for Christmas to see your family.”

He shrugs. “I know that was the plan. But maybe I can fly them all up for a long weekend in the New Year instead.”

My face must not be doing a good job at hiding what I’m thinking because he starts to get defensive.

“Relationships are about compromise,” he says, sounding more like a self-help book than my best friend.

“Sure,” I hedge, treading carefully. “But what compromises has she made for you?”

“That’s not the point–”

“Well, maybe it should be. Don’t compromises require effort from both parties? A certain amount of give and take? I don’t know much about relationships–”

“You’re right, you don’t,” he snaps coldly.

His words hit like a physical blow, causing me to sit up straighter in my seat. I take a second to recover before giving him a curt nod. “Alright, man. Forget I said anything.”

“Fozz, I’m sorry. I’m really tired and in a shitty mood cause we lost. I don’t mean to be an asshole.”

It occurs to me that Ben is apologising for being an asshole a lot lately. He may claim that Valentina is the best thing that’s ever happened to him, but I’m far from convinced.

“It’s fine. The ticket is yours. I hope everything works out.” When he doesn’t move to leave I add, “Get some rest, man.” Then I close my eyes and wait for him to leave.

I don’t open them until I hear him stand and go back to his seat. I take my phone out again and look at the picture of Beth, letting her impish smile soothe the sting left by Ben’s words. Maybe I don’t know much about relationships, but for her, I’m ready to learn.

She’s talked about missing her family a few times since she got here and I know how excited she is to have everyone home for Christmas. She’ll be gutted if Ben ditches them for his girlfriend.

My thoughts are interrupted when Will snores so loud he actually wakes himself up.

“What?” he asks sleepily, rubbing his eyes. “Are we home?”

I shake my head. “Another half hour or so, buddy.’

He pulls out his phone and I think about the decorations he showed me. It gives me an idea.

“Can I get the contact for the company you used for your house?”