Shane didn’t think. He just reached out a hand and placed it on Ilya’s forearm, where it rested on the table. He hadn’t expected Ilya to say any of this, but looking at Ilya now, Shane knew heneededto say it.
“My mother died when I was twelve years old. She lost her battle. This foundation is for her. It is to help people like her, so they do not have to fight alone.”
Ilya looked down at the table and sniffed. Shane patted his arm, wishing he could hold his hand or kiss his hair. His chest felt tight, and his eyes burned.
After a long moment where you could have heard a pin drop in the crowded room, Shane spoke. “Thank you, Ilya.”
He went on to explain the hockey camps they would be hosting in Montreal and in Ottawa that summer, with all proceeds going directly to the foundation. He named some of the organizations they planned to focus on when they made their first donations, and he announced his mother, Yuna, as the director and treasurer of the foundation. Neither he nor Ilya could imagine a better person for the job.
He ended by talking about their website, where people could make donations online, and then opened the floor to questions.
When it was over, Shane pulled Ilya out of the room. He texted Hayden.Need you to guard the door again.
Shane herded Ilya into the bathroom and pushed him back against the door as soon as it closed. He confirmed that the room was empty, and then said, “Oh my god. Come here.” He stood on his tiptoes and kissed him. “I didn’t think you’d say any of that.”
“Neither did I.”
They kissed again, completely unhurried, and Shane really hoped Hayden had gotten his text.
“I wanted to kiss you out there,” Ilya said.
“I wanted to climb into yourlapout there. I’m so fucking proud of you, Ilya. I’m...proud to bewithyou. I want you to know that, even if we keep it a secret, I’m proud to be with you.”
“I know. Me too. When the time is right, we will stop being a secret.”
Shane still wasn’t sure when that would be. They had talked about waiting until one or both of them had retired, but that seemed like much too long a wait. Shane felt he could easily play for another ten years at least.
“Are you sure you need to go back to Ottawa today?”
“Yes. And you are flying to Chicago tonight.”
“I know,” Shane sighed.
“This is why I want my pilot license. Would be faster.”
Shane groaned. “Please don’t get your pilot license. I will be very mad if you fly into a mountain and die.”
“Aw. Sweet.”
There was a knock on the door, followed by Hayden’s voice. “Hey, uh, could you guys wrap it up, maybe? I kinda need to get in there for legitimate bathroom reasons.”
Ilya sighed and stepped aside, and Shane opened the door.
“Good press conference, guys,” Hayden said as he strode past them toward the urinals. “Sorry about your mother, Ilya. That sucks.”
Ilya gave Shane a look that saidthis is your best friend?Shane ignored him.
“You think it went okay?” Shane asked Hayden.
“For sure. It’s like, powerful, right? Rivals coming together for a greater cause. I mean, no one in that room knows you guys are all in love and shit.” He finished at the urinal and went to wash his hands. “But the way you were looking at Ilya, Shane, I thought people were gonna figure it out. Hell, I thought you were gonna start sucking face in front of the whole world. Like Hunter.”
“No way,” said Shane.
“We have better control than Scott Hunter.”
Hayden flicked the water off his hands, then rubbed them on his pants. “Would have been memorable, though.”
“Not really what we wanted the focus to be today,” Shane said.
