"I haven't decided anything yet!" "But you will. And you'll make the right choice because you always do. And then you'll tell me what our new life looks like." Emma stood up, anger flaring. "So now it's my fault that I'm good at making decisions?" "It's not about being good at it. It's about maki
Dinner was chicken nuggets and mac and cheese—Charlotte's favorite—but Emma barely tasted her food. Every time she tried to bring up the Maple Leafs call, something interrupted her. First, Frankie spilled his milk. Then Charlotte decided to tell them a very long, very detailed story about her frien
"Daddy! Did you see my spin?" Charlotte was practically bouncing as Alek helped her out of her skates. "I saw everything, little star. You're getting better every week." Alek's voice was warm, but Emma noticed he kept glancing toward the exit where the blonde woman had disappeared. "Mama looked fu
Emma Mitchell-Volkov pulled her coat tighter against the October wind as she watched her four-year-old daughter Charlotte glide across the ice like she'd been born wearing skates. Which, Emma thought with a smile, she practically had been. "Mama, watch this!" Charlotte called out, attempting a wobb
"If that's what you want, sweetheart. You can build whatever makes you happy." "I want to build a team where everyone gets to play, even if they're not good yet." Emma felt tears threaten. "That's a beautiful idea." "Will you help me?" "Absolutely. Daddy and I will help you build whatever you dr
Six months later... Emma stood at the rink-side boards, watching four-year-old Charlotte skate circles around three-year-old Frankie, who was more interested in making snow angels on the ice than actually skating. "She's got your competitive spirit," Alek observed, joining Emma at the boards with