Chapter 104 New Ice, Old Roots
Chapter 104 New Ice, Old Roots
Harper Grant’s trade to Minnesota hit like a breakaway she never saw coming.
The call from the GM had been polite but final.
“Minnesota’s offer is too good. We’ve accepted. You’re heading home.”
Home.
The word twisted in her gut.
Boston was home—the arena where her mom’s number hung, where she’d won Cups, where her children had learned to skate in the family lounge.
Minnesota was roots—Evergreen Hollow nearby, Uncle Everett’s old team, family close.
But leaving Boston felt like leaving part of herself.
The news leaked hours later.
Social media exploded.
“Harper Grant traded to Minnesota!”
Fans divided—Boston heartbroken, Minnesota ecstatic.
Harper’s phone blew up.
Teammates texting tears.
Former coaches calling.
Media requests piling.
Theo held her that night as she cried—quiet, gut-wrenching sobs.
“I don’t want to go,” she whispered.
He kissed her tears. “Then don’t.”
Full no-trade clause.
She could refuse.
But the GM’s words echoed: “The package helps us rebuild. For the future.”
Guilt twisted.
Boston had given her everything.
Now they needed this.
The kids sensed the storm.
Eleanor : “Are we moving?”
Benjamin: “I don’t want new school.”
Sophia crying: “I like my friends.”
Harper and Theo talked until dawn.
Pros: contender, family close, kids near cousins.
Cons: leaving Boston legacy, starting over at thirty-five, the unknown.
Pressure mounted.
League insiders: “Will Grant force her way out?”
Fans campaigning—#KeepHarper.
Minnesota fans welcoming—#WelcomeHomeHarper.
Family calls poured in.
Lily: “What does your heart say?”
Everett: “Minnesota would love you. But Boston is you.”
Clara: “No wrong choice.”
Rowie: “Follow what feels right.”
The decision deadline loomed.
Harper stood on their balcony overlooking the Charles—city lights reflecting on the water, the arena visible in the distance.
Theo’s arm around her.
“I love Boston,” she whispered. “But Minnesota… it’s family.”
Theo’s voice steady. “Whatever you choose, we’re with you.”
The call to the GM.
Her voice shook.
“I’ll go.”
Relief.
Tears.
But then—the twist.
Minnesota’s GM called personally.
“Harper, we’re thrilled. But there’s one condition.”
Her stomach dropped.
“We need you to waive part of your no-trade for future flexibility.”
A trap.
Waive now—lose control later.
Refuse—kill the trade, stay in Boston, but burn bridges.
The league watched.
Media frenzy.
Family tension.
Lily: “Don’t sign anything you’re not comfortable with.”
Everett: “Minnesota’s my old team—they’ll treat you right.”
Rowie: “Protect yourself.”
Clara: “Your career. Your choice.”
The clause was buried—subtle, dangerous.
Harper read it three times.
Theo beside her, lawyer on speaker.
“It’s risky,” the lawyer said. “Gives them power to move you again.”
Harper’s hands shook.
Boston or Minnesota.
Security or family.
Legacy or new chapter.
The deadline: 48 hours.
She hadn’t slept.
The kids asked questions she couldn’t answer.
Media camped outside.
One night, Harper slipped out alone—to the empty Fleet arena.
Sat in the stands where her family once cheered.
Tears fell.
“What do I do?”
The ice silent.
The banners still.
Her mom’s number watching.
The clock ticked.
The decision loomed.
And in the quiet of that empty arena, no one knew if Harper Grant would stay a Boston legend forever…
…or skate into a new chapter that might break her heart all over again.
The ice waited.
The family waited.
And Harper stood at the blue line…
…one choice from everything changing.
Forever.