Chapter 103 The Trade
The call came on a quiet Thursday in late June.
Harper Grant was in the kitchen of their Boston home, making lunch for the kids—Eleanor (eleven), Benjamin (nine), Sophia (seven)—when her phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
“Harper, it’s the GM.”
Her stomach dropped.
In pro hockey, a call from the general manager in the off-season was never casual.
“We’ve been approached by Minnesota,” he said, voice careful. “They want you. Badly. They’re offering a package we can’t refuse—two top prospects, first-round pick, roster player.”
Harper froze.
A trade.
To Minnesota.
Away from Boston.
Away from the Fleet—the only pro team she’d ever known.
Away from the city where she’d won championships, where her number hung in the rafters, where her family lived close.
Her voice came out small. “Do I have a say?”
Full no-trade clause—she’d earned it.
Silence on the line.
“We’d like you to consider it,” he said. “Minnesota’s building something special. Contender. And… they’re family territory.”
Family territory.
Everett’s old team.
Uncle Everett’s legacy.
But Boston was home.
Her home.
Theo walked in, saw her face.
“What’s wrong?”
She mouthed: Trade.
His eyes widened.
The kids sensed it—quiet, watching.
That night, Harper and Theo talked until dawn.
Pros: contender again, closer to Evergreen Hollow, playing near family.
Cons: leaving Boston—the arena where her mom’s number hung, where she’d grown up in the stands, where her foundation was rooted.
Leaving teammates like sisters.
Starting over.
At thirty-five.
The decision tore her.
She called her mom—Rowie.
Rowie’s voice soft. “What does your heart say?”
Harper’s tears fell. “I don’t know.”
Everett called—excited at first.
“You in Minnesota? We’d be rivals, but… family games.”
Then quieter. “But Boston is you.”
Clara: “Follow what feels right. No wrong choice.”
Grandparents—Rowan’s voice in recordings, Holly’s gentle “We’re proud either way.”
The league waited.
Media leaked—rumors exploding.
“Harper Grant to Minnesota?”
Fans divided—some heartbroken, some understanding.
Pressure mounted.
Harper’s sleep fractured.
Theo held her through nights she woke anxious.
The kids asked questions—Eleanor fierce “I don’t want to move!” Benjamin quiet “Will I still row with Grandpa?”
Sophia crying “I like my school.”
The decision deadline loomed.
Harper stood on their balcony overlooking the Charles—city lights reflecting on the water.
Theo’s arm around her.
“I love Boston,” she whispered. “But Minnesota… it’s home too.”
Theo’s voice steady. “Whatever you choose, we’re with you.”
The call to the GM.
Her voice shook.
“I’m staying.”
Relief.
Tears.
But then—the twist.
Minnesota upped the offer.
Irresistible.
And Boston… accepted.
The trade was done.
Harper Grant—Boston legend—was going to Minnesota.
The family reeled.
Joy for the new chapter.
Grief for the old.
Packing began.
Goodbyes to teammates—tears, hugs.
Boston fans’ farewell game—standing ovation, tears.
Move to Minnesota—new house near the lake, close to family.
But the drama deepened.
First game against Boston.
Harper in enemy colors.
Facing her old team.
Her mom in the stands.
The arena divided.
And in the quiet before faceoff, Harper looked up—family section full, eyes on her.
Heart pounding.
The puck dropped.
And in that moment, no one knew if the trade would bring triumph…
…or tear her apart.
The ice waited.
The family watched.
And the game began.