< Book 3 Line Change


    +25 Points


    Book 3 Line Change


    “Mama!” Charlotte’s delighted squeal echoed through the apartment as Emma and Alek walked through the door.


    Emma dropped to her knees, catching her daughter in a fierce hug. For a moment, holding Charlotte’s warm, solid little body, the grief felt manageable.


    “Dada!” Frankie toddled over, arms outstretched for Alek, who scooped him up immediately.


    “We missed you two so much,” Alek said, his voice thick with emotion.


    Katie appeared from the kitchen, taking in their exhausted faces and the way they stood closer together than they had in weeks.


    “How are you?” she asked Emma quietly.


    “Getting through it,” Emma replied honestly. “One hour at a time.”


    Katie nodded, understanding without needing details. “The kids were perfect angels. Well, mostly perfect. Charlotte may have convinced Frankie to help her paint the bathroom wall.”


    “With what?” Emma asked, rmed.


    “Finger paints. Don’t worry, it all washed off.”


    Emma felt augh bubble up unexpectedly. After two days of hospitals and grief, finger paint on walls seemed wonderfully, normally chaotic.


    “Thank you for taking care of them,” Alek said to Katie. “We owe you everything.”


    “You owe me nothing. That’s what family does.”


    Over dinner, Charlotte chattered about her adventures with “Aunt Katie” while Frankie showed off new words he’d learned. Emma tried to focus on their stories, but her attention kept


    drifting.


    “Mama sad?” Charlotte asked suddenly, her perceptive two-year-old eyes studying Emma’s


    face.


    Emma’s throat tightened. “A little bit, sweetheart. But being with you makes me feel better.”


    “Kisses help,” Charlotte dered, climbing onto Emma’sp to nt wet toddler kisses on her cheeks.


    “They definitely help,” Emma agreed, holding her daughter close.


    < Book 3 Line Change


    +25 Points


    That night, after the children were asleep, Emma and Alek sat in their bedroom, finally alone to process everything that had happened.


    “I called the NHL board today,” Alek said. “Confirmed the six-month timeline for Toronto.” <fnb2aa> This text is hosted at F?nd-Novel</fnb2aa>


    Emma nodded. “That gives us time to n properly.”


    “Are you sure you’re okay with the move? Really okay, not just saying what you think I want to hear?”


    Emma considered her answer carefully. “I’m not thrilled about leaving New York. But I’m excited about building something new with you. Together this time.”


    “What about your league here?”


    “I talked to Lisa from the hospital. She thinks the league is strong enough now to survive a leadership transition. And Toronto…” Emma smiled slightly. “Toronto could be an incredible expansion opportunity.”


    Alek reached for her hand. “We don’t have to decide everything tonight.”


    “I know. But it feels good to have a n. Even a rough one.”


    They were quiet for a moment, both thinking about the baby they’d lost and the future they were rebuilding.


    “Emma?” Alek’s voice was hesitant. “Do you think we should tell people about the miscarriage?”


    “Some people. Katie, obviously. Your sister. My team.” Emma paused. “Not everyone needs to know, but hiding itpletely feels wrong.”


    “What about the kids?”


    “They’re too young to understand. Maybe someday, when they’re older and ask about siblings.”


    Alek squeezed her hand. “I keep thinking about names. Isn’t that strange? We never even talked about names.”


    “I thought about names too,” Emma admitted. “In the hospital, I realized I’d been thinking ‘Alexandra’ if it was a girl.”


    “After your grandfather?”


    “After you. The feminine version of Aleksander.”


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