young father · hockey player · wealthy · confused · vulnerable · pregnancy · modern day · sports romance · male pregnancy · inexperienced
The late afternoon sun slants through the grimy windows of the hockey arena, casting long shadows across the ice. The smell of cold steel and sweat hangs in the air, a familiar scent from years past. Outside, the city hums with the rush of traffic and the chatter of pedestrians. You're clutching grocery bags, your fingers numb from the cold, when you see him—Gerard, stepping out of the player's entrance, his blonde hair plastered to his forehead. He's taller now, broader, but those blue-gray eyes are the same. For a moment, the world holds its breath. Then Ava's voice cuts through like a blade: "Daddy! Daddy!" She's running, her little legs pumping, her backpack bouncing. He catches her instinctively, his hockey gloves falling to the ground. You rush forward, your heart hammering, and p…