Taking a deep exhale, I rang the doorbell and waited anxiously for someone to answer the door. The hockey stick was becoming like a stress reliever because my hands were death gripping the shaft of the stick as I held it horizontally. From inside the house, I heard footsteps come to the door, the same man who came rushing out on the ice to see Banksie opened the door. He was wearing a grey dress shirt and black slacks. Like every other aging dad, he was partly bald and his eyes were just as piercing as Banksie's and his cheekbones were partly visible too.

"You must be Victoria." The man said lowly, opening up the door wider to the house.

"Yes sir, I brought Banks's hockey stuff over since you guys were a bit preoccupied." Picking up the bag by the handle, I stepped inside the house with the stick.

Mr. Banks closed the door behind me, "That was very thoughtful of you, thank you." He smiled, then took the hockey bag from me, along with the stick and my jacket, and held it in one hand with my coat in the other. We walked inside the foyer of the house which made me gasp. It was all old. Wood staircase, wood moldings on the walls, tan painted canvas walls, it looked like the inside of a mansion you would see in a fairytale or a movie like Richie Rich.

My mouth hung open as I looked around, the house was decorated with Christmas decorations. Garland wrapped the staircase, wreaths, candles, old vintage Christmas displays, a light-up snowman in the corner by a door under the staircase, "Mr. Banks, I just have to say your house is absolutely beautiful."

He chuckled, "Thank you Victoria, please call me Phil." He smiled and looked around at his house.

"Yes, and please call me Vic, Phil." Nodding my head, I heard loud steps coming from the hallway. Heel clicks.

"Phil, honey! Is Victoria here yet?" A voice called out then turned the corner. A blonde with a red form-fitting dress on with matching high heels and pinned up hair turned the corner, she was also an aging mother but look 30.

Then her face softened when she saw me, "You must be Victoria." She smiled and shook my hand.

"Yes, please call me Vic, Mrs. Banks." My face smiled at Mrs. Banks.

"Oh, please dear!" She chuckled. "Call me Juliet." She smiled, waving her hand at me.

"I was just telling your husband that your house is beautiful."

Juliet smiled at my comment, "Thank you, it's an old house but we love it here."

Running the back of my neck, I decided to change the subject, "I wanted to ask if Banks was alright? I was pretty worried about him when he took that dive."

"Oh, yea, he's perfectly fine! The doctor did tests and X-rays and said he didn't have a concussion, he just passed out. Put him on some medication just to be safe," Juliet reassured me. "Speaking of our son, where is he? He is neglecting his guest and his Coach." Juliet turned to her husband, placing her hands on her hips.

"Jules, honey, he just stepped out of the shower only a few minutes ago, he's getting dressed. Give 'em a minute." Phil calmed his wife down.

Juliet then nodded her head turning back to me, examining my outfit, "Vic, I just have to say you look so stunning, so mature for you being 13. Your dress is absolutely fabulous and that pearl necklace definitely suits you." She complimented me with a smile.

"Oh, thank you," I played with the skirt of my dress. "This necklace was my great grandmothers." I held the necklace in my hand.

"Well, your grandmother had wonderful taste," Phil added with a smile.

"Yes, she did have wonderful taste because she wanted you to look beautiful." Banksie's voice spoke out.

The three of us looked to the top of the stairs to find Banks in a white dress shirt and black slacks. He was almost dressed like his father. His hair had that wave in it like it always did. He smiled at me, then walked downstairs finishing buttoning up his shirt leaving the top one undone.

Smiling at Banksie, "Oh my God! Your alright!" I then tackled him, almost making him fall backward on the stairs. We embraced each other warmly and happily as giggles escaped our lips.

The two of us then broke apart, "Ya, it wasn't too bad. Nothing broken. No concussions." He reassured me.

Blushing, I then swiped a loose strand of hair, securing it behind my ear, "Ya, your parents were saying the same, but I'm just happy to see your alright!" Chuckling I scratched the back of my neck.

"Vic brought your hockey gear back home from the rink." Phil looked at his son.

Banks then looked at his hockey gear his father was holding, "Oh! Thanks, you didn't have to!" Banksie then took his hockey stick and bag, slinging his stick over his shoulder.

"I mean I was coming here anyway so why wouldn't I." I chuckled.

"I hope it wasn't too heavy-" Banksie started.

"Or smelly." Juliet cut her son off to finish his sentence.

Laughing with a wide grin, "No! No! Not at all! I carry Charlie's hockey gear and I sleep in the same room as him so I'm used to it," The three laughed along with me, then Banks went upstairs to put his hockey equipment away. "I hope I'm not like stepping over the line, but what would you call this type of house, especially one this old?" Looking around the well decorated, my eyes lingered over every detail, Phil hung my coat up on a nearby rack.

"Well, I guess it's a house. No different than any of the other houses in Edina." Juliet replied, then Banksie came down the stairs again.

"It's a mansion. It's considered as a mansion." He came back down to join us.

"Adam Phillip Banks!" Juliet scolded her son.

Chuckling with a wide smile, "It's true though!" He looked between his parents and me.

"Well, I've never been in a mansion before. I guess I can check that off the bucket list!" I joked the four of us laughed.

"Since dinner is almost ready, let's go sit down for dinner." Juliet waved her arms to let us children walk in front of them.

Banks then showed me to the dining room, with Mr. and Mrs. Banks behind.

Next to the entrance of the dining room was a big wood grandfather clock, Banksie must have noticed me staring at it, "That's our family's grandfather clock. It's been in our family for years." My eyes widened when he said years.

"Years?" My voice hitched from excitement as I turned my gaze to look at him.

"Yup." He nodded his head. Then the clock chimed a beautiful cord.

The dining room was very elegant and old fashioned. Big oval table, big enough for 10 people, since I counted the chairs, there were four settings of silverware and dishes placed on the table. One at the head at one end with one facing the entryway and one at the other head and a seat separating another plate from the bottom end of the table facing the fireplace on the back wall. The two men sat at the heads of the table. Juliet went into the kitchen, while I sat at my spot near Banksie.

"Dinner is almost ready!" She poked her head out from the kitchen as we all sat. The plates were fine china, the forks and knives were silver too, except the steak knife and there were wine glasses. Our glasses were filled with water while the adults had a dark red-purple wine, at least I thought it was wine.

"Vic, I heard lots of things about you," I turned to Phil who just took a sip of his wine before setting it down on the table. "Your mother talks very highly of you at the office."

"She does?" I raised a brow.

"Yes, she loves bragging about you. Of course, I love bragging about both of my sons too."

"Dad." Banksie groaned from his end of the table while putting his face in his hand from embarrassment.

"Well, I can imagine! Your son is quite ambitious and talented." Smiling, I looked at Phil then Banksie before looking away and taking a drink of my water.

"Ok, dinner is ready! Come get it!" Juliet yelled from inside the kitchen. The three of us all got up with our plates, walking into the kitchen. "Vic, I hope you like steak-" Juliet started in a worried voice.

"I love steak! I'm a carnivore like my daddy." I smiled and walked over to the steaks, picking out a good-sized one with mashed potatoes and green beans on my plate.

When we all got our food, the four of us sat down at the table, "I almost forgot to ask?" Banks set down his fork.

"Yes, we won," I answered, looking up from my beans.

Banks chuckled, "Did you just read my mind?"

"Yup." Nodding my head, I took a bite of beans, then I looked at him and threw him a smirk.

"Vic, please do tell us about yourself," Juliet asked, she then took a sip of her wine before going back to her dinner.

Wiping my face to get rid of any food plastered on my face, I then sat the napkin on my lap, "Well I'm 13 years old, an only child from Michigan. I was the cheer captain of my middle school, The Panthers, I am a Pieces, and I hate mushrooms and seafood." Juliet laughed at my humor.

"So if you were the captain of your cheer team, how did you end up coaching hockey?" Phil asked.

"Well when I moved from Michigan to Minnesota, me and my mom had to move in with Ms. Conway and her son, Charlie. When I met Charlie's friends, I went to his practices and games. I then decided to annoy Coach Bombay, begging him to let me stay in the benches with the team and after a few games, I became Junior Assistant Coach." I explained, then took a few bites of my steak.

"I always thought that was an interesting choice, to have a Junior Assistant Coach being this young," Phil commented.

"I agree." Juliet nodded before taking another bite of her food.

"If you think about it, since I went to the game, Vic is a very good influence. She knows what the hell she's doing." He held up his fork and pointed it at me.

Juliet sighed, "Phil, honey, no swearing at the dinner table." Then she took a sip of her wine.

I chuckled under my breath and looked over at Banks who was flustered for a moment, I probably caught him staring at me, "But Juliet, seriously, she is the best influence for these kids because she knows what she's doing."

"I do have to admit," I said with a mouthful of potatoes having my one hand covering my mouth. Then I swallowed my food, "I am surprised that Banks wasn't team captain when he was still a Hawk."

"That's exactly what I said." Banks replied.

"Riley must have been too blinded to see now good of a player you are." Turning to Banks I smiled at him.

"Adam has the heart of a true hockey player-" Phil started but then got cut off by Banks.

"My whole life revolves around hockey. Even during the off-season, I still play hockey and street puck. Just like my brother's life did and still does." He nodded.

"Hockey must run in the family." I chuckled which made everyone else laugh.

"Yes, yes it does and we're very proud parents to have our two sons play for the same team. For a short while." Juliet referred to the team switch, then it went quiet.

"Well, it wasn't his fault. Banks couldn't do anything about it, ya had to roll with the punches." I looked at each person.

"Ya and get stabbed in the gut by my best friends since kindergarten." Banks said lowly.

I snapped my head to look at Banks, "Adam, they're not friends if they almost sent ya to the ER!"

"Vic's right, Adam, honey," Juliet agreed with me. "But another thing that did strike me curious is how you two met." Juliet pointed her fork at the two of us.

"You can tell her if ya want." Banks mumbled, just loud enough for me to hear.

"Well, let's just say we had our differences and when he became a Duck, we started all over," Then I looked over at Banksie who smiled lightly. "Cleaning the slate, so to speak." I then looked back at Phil and Juliet.

"Well I'm happy you two sorted out your differences, that's a good thing to have," Phil replied.

The four of us finished our dinner, Juliet took the dishes, with my help that she didn't need but appreciated. The grandfather clock struck again in the hallway which signaled me to leave.

"Well I think that's the signal for me to leave," I stood near the entrance of the dining room. "Thank you for inviting me Banks and thank you for dinner, Phil and Juliet. Everything was just lovely." I smiled, folding my hands in front of my black dress.

"Your welcome any time Vic. Thank you for your lovely company." Juliet smiled.

"Adam, do you mind showing Vic out?" Phil asked his son.

"Ya, no problem." He nodded before he walked me to the door. My heels tapped on the hardwood floor. Banks then grabbed my jacket.

"Oh, thanks!" I smiled as he helped me put on my jacket.

"No problem and thanks for coming and not thinking I'm a spineless asshole." He nodded.

My face scrunched in confusion, "Why would I think that?"

Banks sighed, "Well I've been getting notes like that in my locker at school. I'm the only Duck who goes to my school." He frowned.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I frowned and placed a hand on his shoulder, then I brought it back in embarrassment.

"It's alright, at least I found a team who doesn't hate me for being a Hawk or for being rich," He nodded, then opened the front door. My mom was waiting in her car in the street. Banks then closed the door to the house and stepped outside with me. "Besides, I found the best girl friend on the team too."

I raised my brow, "Oh, really?" I teased. "Who might that be?"

"You." He smiled, it was that smile that made my knees weak and my heart stop.

"And I found my best boy friend." I shoved him playfully.

"Hm, do I know him?" He scratched his brow.

I started dying laughing, "You should, you dumbass."

"K, just making sure!" He shot his hands in the air. "Night Vic."

"Night Cake-Eater." I smiled before walked down to my moms' car, right before I got in, I waved. Banks waved back to me. Then mom drove me back to the apartment.