My Hockey Alpha



The laughter and music from the party seemed distant now, a stark contrast to the piercing silence that followed Enzo's announcement. I could feel the tension, the mix of shock and disbelief that clouded the room.

"You're... not coming back?" someone asked.

Enzo shook his head. "Not to the team, no. I'll be leaving for six months. After that, if all goes well, I'll be traveling the country to help teams. It'll be a long of long-distance traveling."

"Why Enzo? Why now?" Derek, one of his teammates, blurted out, his voice a blend of confusion and hurt.

Jessica, always the emotional one, added, "We're a family here, Enzo. You can't just leave us hanging like this."

I watched Enzo, looking for signs of regret or doubt. But instead, I saw the weight of the decision pressing down on him. He glanced my way, and our eyes met briefly, communicating more in that split second than words ever could.

"I get it. This isn't easy to hear," Enzo said, his voice trembling ever so slightly but still firm as it always was. "But sometimes, we need to make tough decisions for ourselves, for our own growth. I never planned for this opportunity, but now that it's here, I have to seize it. It's my calling. Always has been."

A murmur of voices broke out, a cacophony of confusion, anger, and sadness. Through the tangle of emotions, I could sense the underlying love and respect everyone had for Enzo.

After a deep breath, he turned to me and murmured, "I need some fresh air." I nodded, understanding his need to escape. This announcement had been a long time coming, and it went just as well as either of us expected, which was to say that it hadn't gone all that well in the slightest. With that, he made his way out, the heavy wooden door shutting behind him with a definitive thud.

Understanding nods and a few sniffles resonated around the room in Enzo's absence. But I couldn't linger any longer. My heart ached to be with Enzo, to offer him comfort in this moment of vulnerability.

However, as I was on my way to join Enzo outside, I was suddenly stopped by two familiar faces. Both of them, with their arms folded, wore expressions of concern mixed with a tinge of curiosity.

Lori, with her keen eyes, was often too observant for her own good, while Jessica had that uncanny ability to coax confessions out of even the most closed-off people.

"Nina," Lori began, her voice soft, "how long have you known about Enzo's decision?"

Taking a deep breath, I admitted, "A couple of months."

Jessica raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "And you kept it a secret from us all this time?"Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

I nodded, meeting her gaze. "It wasn't my secret to share. Enzo needed to come to terms with his decision, and he wanted to be the one to break the news."

Lori bit her lip, her gaze probing. "What are you going to do, Nina? With Enzo being miles away and you being alone here? It's not going to be easy. Especially not in this house."

As Lori spoke, she gestured around. The house that we had renovated, Richard's old house, was beautiful and warm now. But it was also situated quite a ways outside of the town, with woods on three sides and a cliff leading to the ocean on the fourth side.

It was both remote and dangerous, especially since Lewis was somewhere out there still and would probably relish the idea of ransacking Richard's old home again just for kicks.

*Life rarely is," I replied with a chuckle, but the weight in my heart at the thought of Enzo being away from me for so long was evident. "I'll be fine, Lori. It's essential for Enzo to chase this dream. We've talked about it. We have plans, and we'll stay connected."