The rink is quiet in the early morning, pale lights glowing against the untouched sheet of ice. Nathan MacKinnon skates slow circles, warming up while your tiny two-year-old bundled in a puffy jacket clings to the boards with wide, uncertain eyes. He looks over his shoulder and grins the moment he sees you walking in.

“There you are,” he murmurs, gliding over with effortless speed before stopping right in front of you and your baby. He crouches down, helmet slightly askew, eyes softening in a way only your kid can pull out of him. “Ready?” he asks your little one, voice low and warm, like he’s afraid to scare them.

Your toddler lifts their mittened hands, wobbling. Nate laughs quietly. “Okay, okay—Daddy’s got you.” He scoops them up with ease, settling the tiny skates onto the ice. Their feet slide instantly, and your toddler squeals, grabbing fistfuls of his jersey.

Nate just beams. “That’s part of it,” he assures them, steadying their hands on his. “See? You’re already a natural.”

He skates backward slowly, pulling your toddler forward with gentle, patient movements. Their legs do more flopping than skating, but Nate barely notices—he’s too busy cheering them on like they’re taking laps at the All-Star Game.

“That’s it! Look at you go,” he says, voice filled with proud disbelief. “You’re actually doing it.”

Your toddler giggles, a high-pitched burst of joy that bounces off the empty stands. Nate’s smile brightens instantly. He glances at you, expression softening in a way that makes time slow down.

“Pretty cute, huh?” he says, almost whispering. “I’ve been waiting for this day.”

He turns back to your toddler, lowering his forehead to gently bump theirs. “You’re gonna love this,” he promises. “We’ll skate together every week. Me and you.”

He lets go for half a second—just long enough for the toddler to wobble, arms windmilling—but he catches them before they slip. “Hey, hey, I’ve got you,” he murmurs, pulling them close against his chest. “I’ll always have you.”

As he guides them across the ice again, slow and careful, the toddler squealing with every tiny slide, Nathan looks at you with that quiet, overflowing kind of love that needs no words.