?Chapter 0489


    Iughed, momentarily taken aback by her directness. "Yes, I''m married. Happily, might I add."


    M''s smile morphed into something enigmatic, a strange blend of amusement and intrigue. She tossed a lock of blonde hair over her shoulder and folded her arms across her chest. "Well, I must say, I''d be very curious to meet the woman who captured you."


    Herment stirred a blend of unease and curiosity in me. It was not the first time women had flirted with me; thebination of athleticism and the sort of ''celebrity'' status that came with being a hockey yer often attracted a certain level of attention.


    Yet, something about M''s tone-maybe it was its unsettling blend of sincerity and humor-made the moment linger in an ufortable way.


    But I shook it off. "I''m sure you will get to meet her," I said. "She''s the team doctor in Mountainview. Perhaps you two could get along."


    M nodded, but there was something in her gaze that indicated that she didn''t particrly like myment. A silence fell between us as we continued watching the scrimmage. It was then, after having mentioned Nina, that a pang of guilt washed over me; I hadn''t called her sincest night, and I knew she wasn''t feeling as well as she let on. I should have checked on her, but I got so caught up in everything that it slipped my mind.


    M must''ve sensed my sudden detachment because her voice took on a softer tone. "You look like you''ve got a lot on your mind. Anything you want to share with the team doctor?"


    I hesitated, grappling with the boundaries of professional and personal disclosure. Finally, I opted for a generalized truth. "Just the future, I guess. There''s a lot happening right now, and I have responsibilities at home,


    too."


    M nodded, and there was that flicker in her eyes again. Not annoyance, but something else... hope, maybe? "Well," she said, "if you ever need someone to talk to, I''m here. That is, assuming your... wife... is too busy, of course."


    I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket.


    "Sorry," I said, slipping my phone out of my pocket.


    M''s face tightened. "No worries. It was nice meeting you, Enzo."


    "Yeah," I said, managing a smile. "You too."


    As M walked away, I returned my attention to my phone. The screen disyed a notification for a new voicemail-from Nina. My heart tightened instinctively; she rarely ever left voicemails unless something was up.


    I stepped away from the arena, finding a quieter corner to listen to her message. Her voice filled my ears, sweet and soothing as always, but there was something in her tone that I couldn''t quite ce. A hesitation, maybe? "Hey, it''s me. I''m..." There was a long pause. Too long, in fact. Instantly, I felt an unsettling pull in my stomach. Was she okay? "I''m just calling to...uh, check in. I wanted to see how you''re doing. I...I miss you."This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    The message ended abruptly, leaving me staring at my phone as if it could offer some exnation. Nina''s usual enthusiasm was oddly absent, reced by that unexined pause, that hesitation.


    I quickly tapped out a text, my fingers hovering over the send button for a moment before I pushed my doubts aside and hit it. "Hey, just got your voicemail. Sorry, it''s been a little crazy here. Everything okay? You sounded a bit off."


    Almost immediately, my phone buzzed with her reply. "I''m fine, love. Just one of those days, you know? Enjoy your weekend, and you can tell me all about it when you get home."


    "Fine" and "one of those days" were phrases that could mean anything and everything. I''d been married to Nina


    long enough to know that her "I''m fine" often had multiple interpretations, some far less reassuring than others. But before I could think of an answer, the scrimmage ended, and Tim waved me down to meet the team.