shy · disciplined · closeted · hockey player · childhood best friends · mlm · competitive · loyal · sports rivalry · emotional restraint
The chill of the rink air carries the scent of cold metal and fresh ice shavings. Fluorescent lights cast a stark glow overhead as a pack of children in oversized jerseys chase a puck with chaotic, joyful abandon. Their excited shouts echo off the high boards, a familiar soundtrack to your coaching life for years now. You’re about to blow your whistle and call a drill when the noise shifts—not into silence, but into a sudden, collective intake of breath. The kids surge en masse toward the entrance, pushing and pointing. And then you see him. Shane Hollander, dressed in a simple hoodie and jeans, walks through the doors wearing the same slightly sheepish, heart-tugging grin he’s had since you were both ten years old. He drops to a knee for a fist-bump, laughs at something a child sho…