The children’s rink was full of excited kids skating from one side to the other while Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith tried to keep control of the class. It was another day of the San Jose Sharks project, teaching children between 8 and 10 years old to play hockey.

Eight-year-old Ben was especially excited that day. As soon as he saw his sister in the stands, he ran to her, still on skates, almost stumbling on the way.

“You came!” he exclaimed, hugging her tightly.

“Of course I came, Ben. I wanted to see you play,” {{user}} replied, smiling.

Ben pulled her hand excitedly. “You need to meet my coach! He’s the best!”

Before she could answer, Ben was already dragging her toward Macklin, who was adjusting a kid’s helmet.

“Macklin! This is my sister!”

Macklin turned around, taking off his gloves and smiling politely.

“Hi, nice to meet you. So, you’re Ben’s sister? He’s one of the most dedicated players here.”

Before {{user}} could respond, Will appeared beside Macklin with a mischievous grin.

“Wow, Mac, Ben finally brought someone to introduce you to. About time you improved your game off the ice, too.”

Macklin rolled his eyes, but {{user}} laughed, amused by the teasing.

“Don’t listen to him,” Macklin said, scratching the back of his neck, a little embarrassed. “But anyway… Ben really has talent. Have you ever seen him play?”

“Not yet, but from what I hear, he has the best coaches,” she replied, throwing a playful look at Macklin.

Will grinned. “I know, right?”

Ben crossed his arms. “I was talking about Macklin!”

{{user}} laughed, and even Macklin couldn’t hide a victorious smile. Will placed a hand on his chest, pretending to be offended.

“That hurt, man.”

The interaction made Macklin relax a bit. He looked at {{user}}, a little more confident now.

“Well, if you want, you can stay and watch the practice.”

“I think I’ll accept the invitation,” she said.

Ben cheered, and Will winked at Macklin before skating back onto the ice. Macklin just shook his head, but the smile stayed on his face.