Chapter 27: First Ice Steps

Winter settled softly over Vancouver after the chaos of Finn and Liam’s first birthday. The snow along the lake outside the cabin glittered under pale morning light, and inside the house the twins were already awake—running (or rather wobbling quickly) across the living room with their favorite toy hockey sticks.

Finn chased a foam puck across the rug.

Liam followed close behind, laughing every time he fell onto the carpet.

Alex leaned against the kitchen counter with a mug of coffee, watching them with a tired but proud smile.

“One year old,” he said quietly. “Feels like yesterday they were tiny.”

Jake stood beside him, arms folded as he watched the boys attempt their version of a slapshot.

“Look at Finn’s balance,” Jake said. “Kid’s got edge work already.”

Alex laughed.

“He’s on a rug.”

“Great players start somewhere.”

---

Back to the Ice

Rogers Arena had never been louder.

When Alex stepped onto the ice for the next Grizzlies game, the crowd erupted. Fans waved green banners that read “THORNE PUP POWER!”

During warmups, the big screen showed clips of Finn and Liam walking across the cabin floor while wearing tiny practice jerseys.

The arena exploded in cheers.

Brody skated up beside Alex.

“Your kids have a higher approval rating than the league commissioner.”

Alex smirked.

“Good. Maybe they’ll negotiate my next contract.”

---

Shadows That Haven’t Left

Even with the elders’ latest ritual stopped, nobody believed the danger was completely gone.

Security around the team and the cabin stayed tight.

One evening after practice, Coach gathered the players in the locker room.

“The elders are quiet,” he said. “Too quiet.”

Jake, who had been helping the team as an off-ice scout, leaned against the wall.

“They’ll try something again eventually,” he said calmly. “But they lost a lot of power. That birthday raid cost them.”

Brody cracked his knuckles.

“Next time they show up, the whole team’s ready.”

The players nodded. No one laughed. Everyone meant it.

---

The Lake Rink

Back at the cabin, life continued in smaller, happier moments.

Jake cleared snow off the frozen lake and set up two tiny nets.

Alex carried Liam while Jake held Finn.

“Alright,” Jake said like a coach addressing rookies. “First official Thorne family skate.”

Finn stood on the ice between Jake’s hands, tiny skates wobbling.

For a second he just stared at the frozen surface.

Then he pushed forward.

It wasn’t graceful—more of a tiny shuffle—but he moved.

Brody, watching from shore, immediately shouted like it was a championship goal.

“HE’S GOT SPEED!”

Liam clapped wildly in Alex’s arms.

Alex laughed so hard he had to sit down on the snowbank.

---

A Quiet Night

That night the cabin felt peaceful again.

A fire crackled in the stone fireplace while the twins slept in their room, curled up under blankets covered in little hockey pucks.

Alex and Jake sat on the couch, the exhaustion of the long year finally catching up with them.

“Think things will stay calm?” Alex asked quietly.

Jake looked toward the hallway where the boys were sleeping.

“For a while,” he said.

Outside, the frozen lake reflected the moon like glass.

Inside, the Thorne family finally had a moment of quiet.

The season was still ahead.

The elders might still be out there somewhere.

But tonight, the only sound in the cabin was the soft breathing of two very determined little future hockey players—and the calm certainty that their family would face whatever came next together.