The Winners (Beartown 3)

He lived an entire life in Beartown Hockey, but when he left it was like lifting a boot out of a bucket of water, he left no trace, it was as if he had never even been there. Now, as the storm reaches Beartown, she closes the windows and doors, noisily does the dishes in the kitchen, and plays her best friend Maya’s songs on the stereo, because her voice calms Ana, and because the sound of Ana doing everyday things calms the dogs. In every part of life, out there in reality, he is conscious at every moment of the past and the future, but ice rinks leave no space for that. They giggled and talked behind Ruth’s back, saying “she’s in a religious cult” and that “her family is crazy.” In the end it became so normal that it didn’t even hurt anymore.