How It Should Be

Matt kissed her head again. "It's probably the best thing for you, sweetie."

"Really?" Violet asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Is this your drunken and honest way of telling me you're moving out?"

"Kind of."

"I approve." Matt nodded and Violet smiled.

"Best friends?'

"How it should be."

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Most of the party woke up the next day with killer head aches. Violet woke up with a major one, having had eight beers and a whole bottle of vodka to herself. She barely was able to stand by three that afternoon and resigned to just moving from her bed to her couch.

"Fuck booze." She groaned, lowering herself to the couch, and apparently on top of Kris Letang. He 'oofed' but she didn't get up. "Why are you this house Kris?"

"Drunk still." Kris muttered, attempting to roll over. Violet sighed and got up to go to the kitchen but head a bunch of incessant knocks on her door. She groaned and opened to be face to face with her brother.

"Why are you here?"

"I have your birthday present. And I knew you'd be drinking all of yesterday so I wanted to bring it to you today." Ryan said motioning down to the box at his feet. Violet yawned and went to open the box but Ryan stopped her.

"You are aware you and all your friends got drunk on a Thursday night?"

"Yes."

"So you are aware my wedding is tomorrow..."

"Yes."

"Are you aware you will be attending my rehearsal dinner hungover?"

"Aww fuck." Violet hung her head. "I hate you."

"No you don't. Now open the present." Violet bent down and started unwrapping the present. Kris grunted and stood up to watch and out of the corner of her eye she saw Geno stumble out of the kitchen. Once all the paper was gone Violet let out a yelp. Her brother had bought her a fish tank.

"I love you." She said and hugged him.

"Now, go get dressed we're going to the fish store!"
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Violet ended up spending the rest of the day with Ryan all the way until the rehearsal dinner. Evgeni and the boys had a "late practice" because they were all too important to the team to miss one and sit out from the game, and he met her there. He looked nice in his suit, but a little nervous.

Violet told him not to speak and that everything would be okay. Evgeni couldn't stop fidgeting. Violet grabbed his hand and squeezed as her dad walked towards them. Violet dropped Geno's hand and throw her arms around her father.

"Dad!" She said into his shoulder. He squeezed her tight. It was then Evgeni saw the huge resemblance between them that she hadn't shared with Ryan. Both Violet and her father had dark brown hair and gray eyes. They had the same cheekbones and he heard Aldous laugh at something Violet said and immediately saw that's where Violet got hers.

"Geno, this is my dad, Aldous Walsh. Dad, this is Evgeni Malkin." Aldous stuck out his hand to him. Evgeni took it and shook it firmly.

"Aldous Walsh, pleased to meet you," Her father said. he was British and had a slight accent, something that threw Geno for a loop for a moment.

"Please meet." Evgeni smiled.

"Hey, dad, is Uncle Earl here?"

"At the rehearsal? No, no, of course not. He'll be at the wedding tomorrow, though. He didn't want to come but then your mother reminded him you'll be wearing a foofy orange dress and he couldn't resist." Aldous rubbed his nose and chuckled and Violet stomped her foot.

"Dad!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. But he's very excited to see his little flower," Aldous ruffled his girl's hair before heading off to great some other family.

"He nice." Evgeni said to Violet.

"Oh yes, very. I love my dad, he's the best." Evgeni was then subjected to meeting most of Violet's family. He played up his Russian accent and made like his English was very limited to certain relatives Violet had warned him about.

When they could finally leave they left in Evgeni's car. He had to drop her off at her apartment thought because his parents were still around.

"You start packing soon? Way we no have say goodbye here." Evgeni said, gesturing to her building. Violet nodded and smiled. She leaned in and kissed him and then got out of the car, watching him drive away.

She smiled and walked up the stairs to her apartment to find Matt eating pickles with his fingers.

"I'm sorry, what is going on here?" Violet folded her arms and Matt looked at her, mouth still open and waiting for a pickle.

"Julie called me."

"And you're drunk?"

"No, just hungry. Are you?"

"No. I had Geno with me, it made things a lot better." Violet smiled. Matt stared at her and a pickle slipped from between his fingers.

"Marry him."