A cornerstone of any Jayden kid's birthday was the family hockey championship. With P.J.'s meteoric rise in popularity, this once modest tradition had evolved into a full-scale town festival. By early morning, every flat surface in the house was piled high with sports gear, bursting from closets and overflowing from cupboards. Amy Jay threw herself into the task of equipping the guests—it was crucial to make sure everyone, especially Lada, was properly "geared up" to avoid any accidents. Mrs. Jayden broke into a sweat and felt a pang of anxiety at the thought of this delicate girl out on the ice surrounded by a bunch of rough-and-tumble players.

Lada came downstairs second to last, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She was immediately inundated with a flood of hockey rules from Leo, survival tips for a goalie from Ray, and a sarcastic farewell from Kitty, who was certain that Lada wouldn't survive the rink intact.

P.J. was chatting non-stop on the phone, which kept ringing with birthday wishes. He was trying to squeeze in a call to his school friends to invite them to the annual "Jay Cup."

"They're probably already warming up at the arena," Leo said, snatching the phone from his brother's hand and putting it in airplane mode. "This is the event of the year!"

Lada glanced around the hall and counted the torn gift wrappers. It seemed that everyone had already given P.J. their presents. How could she have overslept so much! Tory was chasing Tom with a hockey stick, trying to whack him for laughing at her outfit. To be fair, she did look pretty funny. The hockey gear was ridiculously oversized for her (it looked like she'd gotten one of Raven's old sets), the sleeves dangled almost to her knees, and she kept tripping over them, struggling to move without falling over. Ray came over again and handed Lada a pile of equipment. Clueless about how to put it on, she retreated to her room.

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in, Tory!" Lada called out, still wrestling with the gear.

The door creaked open, and P.J. slipped silently into the room.

"Good morning," he said with a charming smile as he walked over to the dresser.

"Happy birthday!" Lada blurted out, suddenly remembering and shouting so loudly that her own ears rang. Overcome with emotion, she lunged at him from behind.

He laughed, catching her gently by the hips and letting her settle comfortably on his back; Lada wrapped her legs around his torso.

"Finally, I've got you!" she said, smiling as her fluffy hair tickled Jay's neck.

Holding her easily with one arm, P.J. pulled his thermal wear from the drawer.

"Let's get you undressed..." P.J. started, but immediately realized how it sounded. He clapped a hand over his mouth, causing Lada to lose her support and tumble off his shoulders onto the bed.

"Dressed up! Dressed, Lada! I meant the thermal wear! It's very cold on the rink," P.J. explained, handing her the outfit with an apologetic look and launching into a detailed explanation of hockey equipment and the proper way to put it on.

Listening intently to all of P.J.'s hockey instructions, Lada reached under the bed and pulled out a bundle. Inside was something soft, wrapped in crinkly baking parchment and tied with woolen embroidery threads.

"Sorry, I didn't have time to wrap it properly," she said with an embarrassed smile.

P.J. admired his friend's resourcefulness and the incredibly eco-friendly wrapping she had found. Watching the sparks of anticipation dance in Lada's eyes, he carefully unwrapped the bundle. Inside was a huge plush hoodie in his favorite deep midnight-purple color. The garment had a cozy hood lined with black fleece.

"Right on time!" P.J. grinned. "My last favorite hoodie is beyond saving, even a trip to the cleaners wouldn't fix it."

He quickly slipped on the hoodie, eager to show it off to Lada. Instinctively, he shoved his hands into the kangaroo pocket and felt a cold metal object on a chain. Pulling it out, he discovered a steel guitar pick with a delicate engraving of a puppy paw on one side and... Lada's phone number on another!

"So if you get lost, people can call me and I'll make sure you find your way back," she laughed.

Without a word, P.J. pulled her close, hugging her so tightly that her vertebrae gave a satisfying pop and settled into place. His touch always felt otherworldly to Lada, as if she were experiencing the first moments of the universe's creation, with stars and galaxies emerging from the void.

Once all the players were geared up and spilling into the yard to find their rides, Mrs. Jayden was scrambling to keep up, camera in hand to capture the moment. As she reached for her coat on the rack, she banged her knee against Marnie's suitcase. Quickly counting heads in the yard, she did a mental roll call of the kids and guests. Marnie was nowhere to be seen. Trying to recall who had helped the star girl get ready for the game, she called out:

"Kitty! Is Marnie with you? Did you make sure she dressed warmly?"

"Mom, since when am I responsible for all the organizational stuff in this house? I haven't seen her," Kitty replied nonchalantly, shoving Ray into the car to make space for herself.

"Is she going to the game?" Mrs. Jayden persisted, scanning the yard and trying to catch someone's eye.

"I knocked on her door about an hour ago," Tory responded. "She was still asleep and didn't answer. Hockey isn't really her thing anyways."

"Let her sleep, Mom," P.J. chimed in, emerging from the garage with a bag full of hockey sticks. "Her flight's around eleven tonight. We'll be back from the game in time for dinner, and then I'll take her to the airport. We worked it all out last night."

Jay gave his mom a quick peck on the cheek, tossed the sticks into the pickup's trunk, and offered to drive. Dad happily gave up the driver's seat to the son. Tom, Tory, and Lada, packed tightly together with their bulky gear, playfully nudged each other with their oversized shoulder pads. P.J. glanced back to make sure Lada was securely buckled up before hitting the gas. In the other car, driven by Leo, were Kitty, Ray, and Mrs. Jay. The cheerful convoy noisily set off towards the ice rink.

***

Rocky and Max, P.J.'s school friends, were already waiting for the family in the parking lot. They dragged their classmate out of the car for a rowdy greeting and then introduced themselves to the new team members. Laughing loudly, the boys carelessly remarked that there were too many girls on the field. Kitty, of course, didn't let their inappropriate comments slide and immediately launched into an attack with her fists and some choice words.

"Too many girls?" she exclaimed, landing a hefty right hook on Rocky. "There are only too many girls because you two showed up on the team!"

"Calm down, you angry little gnome!" Max tried to grab Kitty, but she twisted away and kneed him in the groin (his hockey cup more than earned its keep!).

"The only little gnome is in your pants!" Kitty retorted, victorious in both the verbal and physical skirmish, and proudly headed for the locker room.

It seemed like the whole town had gathered at the ice arena! Lada couldn't spot a single empty seat in the stands. Soon, all these people would witness her inevitable few seconds of disgrace on the ice before she was carried off on a stretcher. P.J. appeared with two helmets under his arm. He quickly put one on himself and was about to fasten the other on Lada's head when he paused and looked at her intently.

"How are you feeling? Everything okay? It's not too late to back out!" Jay ran his thumb along her cheek, comparing the pale white of her skin to the ice rink.

"I'm just nervous. There are so many of your friends here! Pups... I'm REALLY bad at skating!"

P.J. pressed his lips together in frustration. His original plan had been to bring Lada to the rink every day until she felt confident on the ice. But everything on this vacation had gone south from the start.

"You don't have to go out on the ice," he said, trying to sit her down on the lower bleacher.

He liked the idea of keeping Lada off the rink. More than anything, he wanted to bring her home safe and sound.

"No, I really want to," she said, smiling. "It's such a cool tradition, and I'm excited to try skating with a hockey stick. I'm just not the most athletic of your friends, so if by some unlucky chance we end up on the same team, don't expect to win."

"Having you on the team is already a win," he shot back with a grin, securing the helmet on her head. "Give me your hand."

Lada extended her slender arm, wondering what piece of gear she might have forgotten. P.J. removed his sports watch and slid it onto her wrist. Naturally, the strap was too big for her thin, delicate arm. Without missing a beat, P.J. pulled out a keychain from his pocket equipped with various mini tools. Using the tools and his teeth, he punched an extra hole in the strap.

"You've got to be kidding me?" she rolled her eyes.

But P.J. was focused and didn't respond to her sarcasm. He used the watch to check her pulse and blood pressure, nodding with satisfaction at the readings. After the game, he planned to compare the updated results with standard health metrics.

"Oh, dear Lord..." Lada rolled her eyes even more dramatically, yanked her hand back, and stepped onto the ice.

As the first players began warming up on the ice, the stadium erupted with applause. Mrs. Jayden was in the stands, capturing the event with an endless series of photographs. P.J.'s school friends had prepared posters with congratulatory messages and kind words; handwritten banners appeared from all sides of the rink. Other friends arrived fully geared up, waiting for their turn on the bench. According to tradition, Leo and P.J. skated onto the ice as the two team captains, each choosing their first five players to start the match. Throughout the game, they skillfully rotated teammates, ensuring all their friends got a chance to play. This became increasingly challenging each year as more people wanted to participate. By the time the boys were in high school, their friends started training professionally for the championship day, eager to stay on the ice longer and secure spots in the main lineup. The annual 'Jay Cup' had evolved into a highly anticipated community event, one that locals eagerly prepared for all year, training with dedication and never missing a chance to participate. The ticket sales' proceeds went to support a volunteer rescue team dedicated to locating missing persons. Each year, the event raised increasing amounts of money to meet the diverse needs of the organization.

Leo's first pick for his team was his dad. Then it was P.J.'s turn, and he smoothly skated over to Lada, extending his hand in a brand-new, wide hockey glove. She shook her head in dismay but took P.J.'s hand, awkwardly shuffling her skates as she followed him onto the ice.

"You're going to lose, Pups..."

"Not a chance. Especially now when the muse joined her champion."

Leo was clearly determined to win, choosing several athletic friends who were well-prepared for the game, along with the sturdy and skilled Tom, who handled his stick like a conductor's baton. His last pick, amidst a chorus of good-natured teasing, was his younger sister.

P.J.'s team proudly included Ray, followed by Tory and two friends, Rocky and Max, who had initially met the entire Jayden family in the parking lot.

The referee's whistle blew, followed by a thunderous roar from the crowd in the ice rink. The game was on.