Chapter 75

Six months later...

Emma stood at the rink-side boards, watching four-year-old Charlotte skate circles around three-year-old Frankie, who was more interested in making snow angels on the ice than actually skating.

“She’s got your competitive spirit,” Alek observed, joining Emma at the board with two cups of hot chocolate.

“And your grace under pressure,” Emma replied, accepting the warmth gratefully. “Look how she helps him up every time he falls.”

They were at the grand opening of Toronto’s newest community hockey center - funded by the Mitchell-Volkov Foundation and designed to make hockey accessible to children regardless of economic background.

“Mama! Dada! Watch this!” Charlotte called out, executing a wobbly but determined spin on the ice.

“Beautiful, sweetheart!” Emma called back.

Around them, the arena buzzed with families trying skating for the first time, local news crews documenting the community investment, and politicians who’d