Book 1 – Defenseman Recap

Michael Stewart arrived in Ann Arbor carrying only a duffel bag and the weight of loss. His father had been killed in a mill accident, his mother taken by cancer. With no family left in Northern Ontario, he accepted a computer science scholarship to the University of Michigan. The future lay in artificial intelligence, or so he told himself, though the truth was he felt like a hollowed-out boy walking into someone else’s life.

His new home was a basement apartment rented from Mrs. Sullivan, and her other tenants. But it wasn’t Mrs. Sullivan who changed everything — it was the girl next door. Vicky Waters who lived in the unit beside his. They met when Michael knocked, asking for the Wi-Fi password. She handed it over with a teasing warning not to hog the bandwidth. From then on, Michael was no longer alone.

Vicky was cautious, carrying scars from a cruel ex, but Michael was gentle, patient, and safe. The quiet Canadian hockey kid soon became more than her neighbor. She drew him into her world of study sessions, jointly prepared dinners, and laughter that echoed through the basement walls.

On the ice, Michael found another home. Free skates at Yost Arena revealed his power — a booming slapshot that made even seasoned players turn their heads. Frank and Fred Benson, Michigan’s coaches, saw enough to invite him to try out for the Wolverines. At first Michael insisted he was only a student, but he laced up anyway. Wearing a borrowed jersey, he proved himself in drills, and when the season began, he had a place on the team.

Hockey gave him purpose, but it was Vicky who gave him warmth. She took him home one weekend to meet her family, and there Michael met Becky Waters, her twin. Becky was bold where Vicky was cautious, teasing Michael and calling him “the Canadian boy.” At first, Michael thought nothing of it, but soon it became something more. Becky didn’t want to take him from Vicky, and Vicky didn’t want to push Becky away. In the end, they decided to share him. Exciting, unknown, and unconventional, the three of them created a relationship that somehow worked.

For a while, it was perfect. Michael had hockey, school, and love. He began to believe he had found a family again. But everything shifted when a talent scout spotted Vicky in the stands at one of Michael’s games. Soon the Water Twins were flown to New York for a test photoshoot. They dazzled. Modeling contracts followed, and their lives changed overnight. Michael came home days after the twin’s signed their contracts to find Vicky moving out to live in New York with Becky and suddenly he was single again. No discussion and hardly even a goodbye. Weeks later, after endless late nights of silence, Michael, Vicky and Becky realized they made a mistake and agreed to a long-distance relationship, but the separation never really vanished.