Waiting patiently on the side of the rink, Ally watched in awe as Reggie soaked up the spotlight. She shone like a star, graciously accepting the accolades from her teammates, smiling for every media photo and fan selfie. She was truly in her element.

Ally blinked back fresh tears. To think she’d almost derailed this, that she’d almost let her own fears stand in the way of Reggie pursuing her dreams…

“Mom!” Reggie finally broke free of the crowd and made her way over, grinning up at Ally with that megawatt smile, her big blue eyes dancing with pure joy. Ally held out her arms for a hug, and sent another silent thank you to Roscoe as she pulled her daughter close. He’d made this moment possible—for both of them.

“You are incredible,” Ally said. “Absolutely unstoppable.”

“Did you see me?” Reggie was practically vibrating in Ally’s arms, and when she finally pulled back, her smile was even bigger. “I can’t believe I scored two goals! Roscoe says it’s super hard to hit the bar like that. Even Nick was jealous. But he played awesome tonight, too. Everyone did. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

“You guys make a great team,” Ally agreed. Then, with a wink, “But you’re the best one out there for sure.”

Reggie rolled her eyes. “You have to say that. You’re my mom.”

“Not true.” Ally laughed, tucking a damp lock of hair behind Reggie’s ear. “You might recall that even as your mom, I wasn’t always the biggest fan of this hockey thing.”

“Oh, I recall.” Reg folded her arms across her chest, cocking a smug grin. “But then one day you fell in love with the coach and became the biggest NHL fangirl ever.”

Ally opened her mouth to deny it, but of course she couldn’t. No, she wouldn’t—not after everything she and Roscoe had been through. She had fallen in love with him—that was the plain truth of it. She loved him still, and no matter how torn up she felt, she wouldn’t disrespect what they’d had by trying to downplay it now.

“You’re right,” she said softly. Her voice was thick with emotion; she was grateful for the cover the noisy crowd provided. “And you’re here tonight all because of him. It had nothing to do with how I feel about him. Roscoe convinced me to let you play because he believes in you, honey bunch. So, so much. Just like I do.”

“You said feel. Not felt.”

“I… did say feel. I care a great deal about Roscoe.”

“No kidding.” Reggie held her gaze a long time, narrowing her eyes as though Ally were some puzzle she might be able to figure out if she stared at her long enough.

Ally wouldn’t give her the opportunity, knowing she’d never stand up to her daughter’s scrutiny. Reggie was just too damn perceptive.

“I’m really proud of you,” Ally continued, blinking away her tears as she tried to steer the conversation back to the main event—Reggie and her hockey. “You’re so brave, baby. Really. I look at you and I see this spark, this drive. Whenever you set your mind to something, you just… You go out there and find a way to make it happen. I know I’ve been overprotective since Dad died—especially with hockey—but honestly, I’ve always admired that about you.”

Reggie shrugged like it was no big deal. “Who do you think I got it from?”

“No idea.” Ally laughed. “I keep hoping you’ll find a way to bottle it, though. Until then, I’ve got Samantha Hart on auto-play, helping me find my inner warrior goddess.”

“Yeah? How’s that working out for you?”

Ally lowered her gaze, suddenly feeling like she was the child and Reggie the parent.

“Seriously?” Reggie said. “I can’t believe you’re actually making me say this out loud.” She pushed the hair out of her face and blew out a breath. “Listen. After Dad died, you’re the one who figured out a way to keep us going. You made sure I had food on the table and the bills got paid even when I know getting out of bed was the last thing you wanted to do. After we started running low on money, you decided to move us all the way across the country to a new city, and you went out and got a job, and you made it so we could be close to Aunt Clarissa because you knew that would help us figure stuff out. Even when you were deathly afraid I’d crack my head open on the ice, you still decided to set all that aside and let me play. And then out of nowhere, you started dating again, even though it scared you and even though it didn’t exactly work out as planned. So pardon me in advance for the language, but sometimes there’s only one word for the job.” Then, with a wicked grin, “You’re fucking fierce, Mom.”

Ally laughed through fresh tears, offering a smile that was equal parts amusement, pride, and relief. Reggie never ceased to amaze her. How had Ally gotten so lucky to have such an incredible daughter? How had Reggie survived everything they’d been through?

When Dan died, he’d taken pieces of their hearts—pieces they could never hope to get back. In the immediate aftermath of the accident, Ally’s soft, carefree, vibrant daughter had become hard and cynical, withdrawing into a world of darkness so impenetrable, Ally worried she’d never come back. Back then, Ally did her best to keep the two of them afloat, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t worry they’d both eventually drown, dragging each other into the deep until there was no more air to breathe.

But now she looked into Reggie’s eyes and saw a ferocity there, a determination that could only come from staring into the mouth of utter darkness, facing your demons, and finding the strength to fight your way back.

For so long, Ally had felt weak and broken. She’d always felt like getting out of bed every day was the barest minimum—barely a step above complete neglect. But now, Reggie was helping her see things in a different light. Perhaps getting out of bed in those days was a greater act of courage than she’d realized. A small act, but an important one. One that had allowed her to keep going, one foot in front of the other, taking every moment as it came, all the way up to this one, right now.

Maybe there was some truth to Reggie’s words, she realized. Maybe they’d faced some of those demons together, and come out stronger for it.

“Well. I don’t know if anyone’s ever accused me of being fierce before,” Ally said with a laugh, “but I guess I’ll take it.”

“You guess?” Reggie gave her the signature eye-roll. “Come on, Mom. If Samantha Hart were here, she’d tell you to own that shit.”

“Hey!” Ally laughed. “I’ll own that shit, but you’ve definitely burned through your curse quota for the month. Let’s not push it.”

“Okay, okay.” Reggie looked out across the ice, where some of the team was still celebrating. Even some of the Rochester kids were still out there, goofing around with the Buffalo kids. Ally tried to imagine the Tempest and some rival NHL team doing the same thing. The idea almost made her smile, but of course it only got her thinking about Roscoe again.

God, what a mess she’d made. If she could go back to that night and do it all over again, maybe she’d—

“So,” Reggie said, breaking into her thoughts, which was probably for the best. “Everyone from the team is going to Pasquale’s for pizza and ice cream. I guess there’s a Jack & Jill Java in the same plaza, so some of the parents are going to hang out there to wait for the kids. I mean, it’s like literally right next door, so you could even spy on us if you wanted to. But I hope you don’t want to. But either way, do you think I could go? Just for a little while? Like I said, it’s right next to where tons of parents will be.”

Ally bit back a smirk. “I see you’ve done your homework for this sales pitch, as usual.”

“Please, Mom? I didn’t crack my head open on the ice, so I’m pretty sure the pizza place is a safe bet.”

“Is Nick going to be there?”

Reggie’s cheeks darkened—a feat Ally didn’t think possible, considering how flushed the game had left her—but there it was. “Um. Yes.”

“You really like this boy, huh?”

Reggie bit her lip, her eyes suddenly dreamy. She looked around quickly to make sure none of her friends were within earshot, then leaned in close, whispering in Ally’s ear. “I… I think I love him, Mom.” When she pulled back, she was smiling again, shy but bright and beautiful. Ally had never seen that exact look on her face before. “I mean, I know it hasn’t been that long, but we’ve spent a lot of time together on the ice, and texting and stuff, and sometimes you just… You know. Right?”

Ally nodded. Yes. Sometimes you just know.

“Should I tell him?” Reggie asked. “I don’t want to freak him out, but I don’t think he’ll be scared. I’m pretty sure he feels the same way. But… What do you think I should do?”

Ally took a deep breath, preparing to talk her out of this. To proceed with caution, let things develop slowly, avoid jumping into anything too quickly, protect her heart at all times…

But when Ally tried to say the words, they wouldn’t come.

Even as Ally’s brain tried to convince her to spout out all those familiar warnings, even as the anxiety threatened to take hold, even as her own vivid imagination served up images of Reggie crying over a broken heart, Ally knew none of that was real. It was simply the aftermath of her grief, all those worst-case scenarios she kept on standby as if—just by spouting them off like a list—she could prevent Reggie or herself from experiencing pain.

It never worked, that old tactic. It was just her way of pretending she still had control.

Roscoe’s previous words echoed in her memory.

“Let me tell you something about control, Ally. It’s a fucking lie. Something we say to convince ourselves it’s okay to get out of bed every day, because the truth is just too fucking dangerous to contemplate.”

He’d been so right about her. Here she was, thinking she’d put up this brave front, this casual attitude, the walls that kept danger at bay, when all along he’d seen right through it, right down to her very core.

She’d never fooled him.

The only one she’d been fooling was herself. Thinking she could just end things, just walk away and pretend like it was for the best.

It wasn’t going to be that way for Reggie. Unlike her mother, Reg was brave enough to put herself out there, to open herself up to the possibility of love, no matter what the risks.

Everyone deserved a shot at their happily ever after.

Dan would’ve wanted you to be happy, too.

The thought came unbidden, so quick and unexpected it made Ally gasp.

“Mom?” Reggie’s brow wrinkled in concern. “You okay?”

Ally smiled. “I was just thinking about Dad.”

“I’ve been thinking about him all night. Do you think he’s watching me?”

“Oh, I know he is. He’d be so proud of you, Reg. Unlike your worrywart mother, he wouldn’t have hesitated to sign those forms.” Ally laughed. “He would’ve rushed out and gotten you your own trading cards. And then he’d spend the rest of the summer telling anyone who would listen about his daughter playing with real NHL guys.”

“That sounds like Dad all right.” Reggie laughed, even as she fought back tears.

Ally cupped her cheek, sweeping away the tears with her thumb. “I think he would’ve wanted you to go for it.”

“For Nick?”

Ally nodded. “For love.”

Reggie gave her that penetrating stare again, but this time, it ended with a grin. “Dad would’ve wanted you to go for it, too."

“You’re right,” Ally said plainly. She knew in that moment it was absolutely true, and hearing it come from Reggie felt like a reminder. A message she’d been ignoring for far too long.

What she’d had with Dan was real love, no doubt about it. He was her first, her husband, and the father of her child—the most important person in Ally’s world. For those reasons and so many more, she would always carry him in her heart.

But Dan was gone, and he hadn’t taken Ally with him. She still had a life to live. She still had love to give, however messy and imperfect that love may be.

And no matter how hard and fast she’d tried to run away from the impossibly inconvenient truth, it always seemed to find her.

Ally was in love with Roscoe. The big, epic, crazy kind of loved that couldn’t be pushed aside or shoved away in a box or forgotten.

She closed her eyes, the touch of him still fresh on her body. In her heart.

When she first met Roscoe, she was deathly afraid of getting close to him, knowing in her heart that he’d be taken away from her, just like Dan had been. But in the end, it had almost been worse. She’d had no control over losing Dan, but losing Roscoe? That was all her doing. She’d caved into her fear. Whether it was fear of getting close and losing someone, or fear of letting him see her most raw, vulnerable pain, or fear of her own emotions, Ally had let that drive a wedge between them, finally shutting out the man who’d given her nothing but patience and compassion. The man who’d challenged her to find her passion again. The man who’d truly loved her.

Shame bubbled up inside her, hot and sticky as tar. She’d finally opened up her heart to him, showed him all the scars, and then forced him to walk away, assuming he couldn’t handle her at her worst, even when he insisted otherwise.

She’d never even given him the chance to try.

Her throat tightened, tears burning her eyes. She glanced out across the rink, suddenly desperate to find him. Certain he’d be right there, looking up at her like before, waiting for her to come to this realization. She’d run out there into his arms and fall on her knees and pour out her heart, and he’d catch her and kiss her and promise her everything would be okay…

But Roscoe was no longer on the ice with the other coaches. She didn’t see him with any of the camera crews or anywhere in the seats talking to other kids or parents. He was nowhere to be found.

Ally sighed, reaching way down deep for another smile. Tonight wasn’t about lost loves and regrets. It was about her daughter. Her strong, amazing, beautiful, tough-as-nails daughter who’d followed her bliss right out onto that rink this summer, and fallen in love along the way.

Just like her mother.

“So I guess I’m telling him,” Reggie whispered.

“Don’t worry, honey bunch.” Ally cupped Reggie’s face again. “When the moment is right, you’ll know exactly what to do.”

And so do you, girl. So do you.

Ally tried to dismiss the nagging voice in her head, but despite Roscoe’s absence, she couldn’t. Because this time the voice in her head encouraging her to be brave and strong and honest wasn’t that of Samantha Hart or saucy Paulette from the Wellshire or even her admirable daughter Reggie.

It was Ally’s own voice, her own personal truth. And she could no more ignore it than she could stop the beating of her own heart.

An idea sparked suddenly inside her, catching on fast and spreading like wildfire until she was positively crackling with its energy.

Time to own your shit, girl!

“Um, Mom?” Reggie asked. “Why are you smiling like a freak?”

“Because I know what I have to do.”

“Um… Okay. Does that mean I can go get pizza now?”

“What? Oh! Of course.” Ally blinked back to reality, and returned her daughter’s smile. Then, after a hug that was only slightly more tight than usual, she said, “Go change and catch up with your friends. Text me when you’re ready to head home and I’ll come get you.”

“Aren’t you going to the coffee shop?”

“Nope.” Ally hiked her purse up on her shoulder, squaring off with renewed determination. “I’m going to find Eva Bradshaw.”