Chapter 150 The Rookie And Reporter
Three months after moving to New York City, Lenora finally understood what people meant when they said the city had a rhythm.
Weekdays were a blur of deadlines, interviews, and late-night takeout.
Weekends were hockey games, crowded arenas, and stolen hours together.
Their schedules were relentless.
But somehow, they made it work.
Because they always had.
Lenora sat in the press box at Madison Square Garden, trying to appear professional while her heart hammered against her ribs.
Tonight was Lenold’s first official NHL game with the New York Rangers.
He had dreamed about this moment since he was a little boy.
And she had a front-row seat to watch it happen.
The arena lights dimmed.
The crowd erupted.
Lenold skated onto the ice with his teammates, blue jersey bright beneath the spotlights.
Even from a distance, she recognized him instantly.
Number 17.
Her fiancé.
The love of her life.
He circled near center ice, then glanced up toward the press box.
Their eyes met.
A tiny smile touched his lips before he tapped his stick against the ice.
Lenora pressed a hand over her heart.
Pamela, seated beside her with a media credential hanging from her neck, nudged her.
“You’re crying already.”
Lenora laughed through the tears in her eyes.
“I can’t help it.”
Pamela adjusted her glasses.
“For the record, this is objectively adorable.”
The game was fast and brutal.
Lenold played with a mix of discipline and fearless energy that made him impossible to ignore.
Midway through the second period, he stole the puck, cut around a defender, and fired a wrist shot past the goalie.
The red light flashed.
Goal.
The crowd exploded.
Lenora jumped to her feet, screaming louder than she had intended.
Pamela laughed as cameras captured Lenold pumping his fist before pointing toward the press box.
Toward her.
By the end of the night, the Rangers had won 4–2.
Lenold was named First Star of the Game.
During the postgame interview, a reporter asked how he felt.
Lenold smiled into the cameras.
“It’s a dream come true.”
Then his expression softened.
“And I owe a lot of it to my fiancée, who believed in me long before anyone else did.”
Lenora covered her face.
Pamela smirked.
“I’m going to need hazard pay.”
An hour later, Lenora let herself into their apartment.
She had barely kicked off her heels when the front door opened again.
Lenold stepped inside carrying his gear bag and a bouquet of white roses.
Her heart melted.
She smiled.
“What are those for?”
He set the flowers on the counter and crossed the room in three long strides.
“For the woman who sat through my interviews and still looked at me like I hung the moon.”
Lenora laughed as he lifted her into his arms.
“You scored in your first NHL game.”
He kissed her deeply.
“And you got your investigative piece featured on the front page this morning.”
She blinked.
“You saw that?”
He looked genuinely offended.
“Of course I saw it.”
He brushed his thumb over her cheek.
“I’m proud of you.”
Emotion tightened her throat.
“I’m proud of you too.”
He smiled.
“Good.”
Then he kissed her again, slower this time.
The kind of kiss that made the rest of the world disappear.
Later, after a late dinner and an even later shower, they lay together in bed.
Rain tapped softly against the windows.
The city lights painted faint patterns across the ceiling.
Lenora rested her head on Lenold’s chest.
He absentmindedly played with her hair.
She traced the fresh bruise blooming across his ribs.
“Does that hurt?”
He shrugged.
“A little.”
She lifted her head.
“You should rest.”
He grinned.
“I am resting.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“You know what I mean.”
His smile softened.
“I know.”
Silence settled between them.
Comfortable and warm.
After a few minutes, Lenold spoke.
“I got a call from my mom today.”
Lenora smiled.
“What did she want?”
He sighed dramatically.
“She asked if we’ve picked a wedding date yet.”
Lenora laughed.
“She asks me every week.”
He tilted her chin up.
“Maybe we should give her an answer.”
Her heart skipped.
“You’re serious.”
“I’ve never been more serious about anything.”
He brushed his thumb across her lower lip.
“I don’t want to keep waiting.”
Lenora’s eyes filled.
Neither did she.
The past years had proven something important.
There would always be challenges.
New cities.
Demanding careers.
Unexpected twists.
But every time life tested them, they found their way back to each other.
She smiled through happy tears.
“Spring.”
Lenold blinked.
“Spring?”
She nodded.
“A spring wedding.”
A slow, beautiful smile spread across his face.
“Then spring it is.”
He kissed her tenderly.
The kind of kiss that felt like a vow.
The next morning, Lenora woke to sunlight streaming across the bed.
Lenold was already awake, propped on one elbow and watching her sleep.
She smiled sleepily.
“Creepy.”
He laughed softly.
“Maybe a little.”
She stretched and nestled closer.
“What are you thinking about?”
He brushed a strand of hair from her face.
“How lucky I am.”
Her chest tightened.
She touched his cheek.
“You make me feel lucky too.”
He kissed her forehead.
“Good.”
They stayed in bed longer than they should have.
Talking.
Laughing.
Dreaming aloud about venues, flowers, and guest lists.
By the time they finally got up, they had a date circled on the calendar.
A spring wedding in New York City.
Exactly six months away.
Lenora stared at the number and felt a rush of emotion.
After everything they had survived, they were almost there.
Not at the end of their story.
But at the beginning of a new chapter.
One they would write together.
As husband and wife.