“It’s not one of his better games, I’d guess.”

“You aren’t blaming yourself, are you?” Juniper said, picking up on my misery.

“Sorta.”

“He’s a professional. You’re not responsible for how he plays. He needs to put on his big-boy boxers and not let his personal life interfere with his game. And his graceful entrance on the ice was a classic. He’ll be living that one down forever.” Junie laughed her ass off, not caring about Easton’s bruised ego.

“It was funny,” I admitted. “And you’re right, I’m not responsible for his on-ice performances.”

“I’m always right.”

We’d ordered out for pizza, and I’d almost gotten a smile out of Heath when I told him he could stay up and watch the hockey game since it wasn’t a school night. The Blackhawks were his team, and they happened to be playing the Sockeyes. Hailey forgot she was mad at me and snuggled up next to me with Rusty purring on her lap. Rusty was my old tabby. I’d had him since I’d been fourteen. He’d been with me through so much good and bad in my life.

“Who are you talking about?” asked Heath from between us.

I met Juniper’s eyes over Heath’s head. She shrugged and left it up to me to explain.

“No one you’d know,” I said, taking the easy way out. It was intermission, and they were showing the salmon being tossed back and forth in Pike Place Market.

“Can we go to Seattle and throw fish?” Heath asked.

Maybe there was a God, because my son just gave me a segue.

“Sure, we can do that. What would you think about moving to Seattle?”

“And leave Nana and Grandpa?” Hailey stuck out her lower lip and shook her head. “I don’t want to move.”

Heath didn’t say anything.

“If we move to Seattle, we can eventually get that dog you’ve been wanting.” Bribery wasn’t beneath me.

“We can?” Hailey perked up and was all smiles for a moment. Then her frown made a reappearance. “What about Nana and Grandpa?”

“They’re moving somewhere warmer, honey, so they aren’t going to be living here either. They’ll come visit.”

“Okay,” she said, somewhat mollified.

“If we move to Seattle, I can throw fish?” Heath had a one-track mind, and his pleasures in life revolved around hockey. So much like his father.

“Yes, you can.”

“When can we move?” Heath nodded vigorously. This was the most enthusiasm I’d seen from him other than when he was playing hockey since his father had died. He even smiled at me. I wasn’t naïve enough to think we’d gotten over that hump permanently, but we’d turned a corner. Tomorrow, he’d probably be back to sullen and angry, but hopefully, those moments would become less and less.

Hailey watched us, quiet for once, and yawned. “Hockey is boring.”

“You can go to bed.”

“No, I’m fine.”

Things were looking up. They were behaving like my children once more.

An hour later, I put both of them to bed.