And I Thought I Loved You Then

This is a future chapter folks!

xxxxx

Max Talbot hurried across the parking lot at the rear of UPMC, covered to the ankles of his heavy winter boots with snow, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his black and red Columbia ski jacket and his chin tucked to his chest as the wind whipped at his face and hair. As horrific as the weather was and as daunting as the drive over from his apartment had been in the near white out conditions, there’d been no doubt in his mind or hesitation on his part to head over to the hospital the minute he’d gotten the call from Sid in the wee hours of the morning to say that Autumn had been admitted. That she wasn’t in labour per say, but was having some complications that warranted her being kept under observation. He was worried sick about the well being of his honorary niece and the woman that he considered one of his closest friends. A sister, even. Whom he’d felt compelled to protect at all costs. A bond that had only been cemented when, five months earlier during a rare emotional moment while on a six game road trip, Sid had confided in him that there was something wrong with the baby.

He had no idea, even know, what had compelled Sid to pick him to open up to. While they were tight and had always hung out since Max’s first days on the team, they’d never been as close as Sid and Kris were. Those two had been nearly inseparable. Almost like brothers. Yet it had been Max’s hotel room door that Sid had come knocking at one in the morning and all the other guys were either sleeping or hanging out down in the hotel’s twenty four hour pool. Max would have been lying if he’d said he hadn’t expected something was up. He’d known how difficult it had been on both Sid and Autumn when they’d suffered through the three miscarriages. How the loss of one well into the second trimester had nearly destroyed them. And while he’d tried to remain as optimistic as possible when news got out that Autumn was expecting again, Max had literally been waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The first day of training camp it had been quite obvious that Sid wasn’t himself. He should have been overjoyed at the fact that he was going to be a father in a few months time. Autumn had gotten past the crucial -for them at least- twenty week mark and the pregnancy, although marred by small medical issues for her, was progressing nicely as far as doctors were concerned. Sid was quick to tape up the latest ultrasound pic on the right wall of his stall. Since he’d met Autumn he’d created his little gallery of sorts. Photos that he’d accumulated from moments of their life together. Including a wedding picture and one of him and Autumn and Ryan after the team had managed to capture their second Cup with him at the helm just two short years ago. And while he’d pasted the pic of his baby up for all to see, he quickly and quietly deflected all questions regarding his home life.

Rumours started nearly immediately that all was not right in the Crosby house. That their marriage was on the rocks and that the only thing that was keeping either of them around was the fact that they were having a baby. One that showed all signs of making it safely into the world. And knowing what a stand up guy Sid was, it was of no surprise to his suspicious team mates that he was deciding to stick around for the sake of his family. That he was most likely putting his own personal happiness aside to make sure that Autumn and Ryan and the baby were well taken care of. He wouldn’t abandon them, no matter how miserable he was.

Max didn’t buy it for one second. And he certainly wasn’t going to join in on all of the gossip. Instead, he went to straight to the source and asked them both what the hell was going on. He invited himself over for dinner one night and let himself in using the spare key to their Sewickley, Pennsylvania home they’d given him months before, and had waltzed right through the front door and into the kitchen where Autumn was at the island preparing supper. Nearly scaring her half to death when he’d snuck up behind her and pecked her cheek.

He hadn’t found out exactly what was going on that night. But he had left knowing that the problem had nothing to do with his buddy’s marriage. Sid and Autumn, although slightly on edge, were their normal selves in the privacy of their own home. They still teased each other good naturedly and Sid still just shrugged and let her ranting and raving roll off of his shoulders. He was the calm and stoic in the relationship. Autumn was the unpredictable and high strung. His face still lit up whenever she walked into the room. She still smiled whenever her touched the small of her back or kissed her temple or ran a hand over her hair. That loved that Max had first noticed not long after the two of them had met, was still there. And it seemed, despite the fact that something wasn’t quite right, that it was only getting stronger.

So it had come as no surprise to hear that something was wrong that night in Dallas. Max had been preparing himself for some sort of bad news. He’d expected it to be about Sid’s nagging knee problem or Autumn’s health. What he hadn’t been expecting was his friend to completely break down sobbing as he sat down on the end of the hotel bed, his face in his hand as he managed, through gasps of air, to finally let it out that the baby had Down Syndrome. Admitting that he was terrified that he was incapable of taking care of his daughter properly. And that he was worried that Autumn somehow blamed him for what had happened.

Irrational fears of course. But Max had listened to Sid pour out his heart and soul that night. He hadn’t said a word while his buddy talked about the cards he’d been dealt. That while he loved his child no matter what, he was hurt that something like this had happened to him. He was angry that after all the loss that he and Autumn had endured trying to have their own baby, that the one who made it would have something that was irreversible. Untreatable. Life long. He knew nothing about Down Syndrome save for the fact it was caused by an error at conception. A third twenty-first chromosome instead of the normal two. A developmental disability. Doctors had tossed literature at him and Autumn -medical information that only highlighted possible defects as opposed to talking about anything positive- after the amniocentesis and left them to their own devices. They were scared and heartbroken. The baby they thought they’d been having was gone. And in that child’s place was a complete stranger.

Max had been sworn to secrecy after that night. For reasons that he didn’t question or judge them for, Sid and Autumn wanted to keep the news about their baby to themselves. And Max in turn had promised that while he wouldn’t breathe a word of it, he’d support them a hundred percent, every step of the way.

Now, four and a half months later, he found himself on the verge of becoming an uncle. Baby Sydney’s diagnosis didn’t matter to him. Extra chromosome or no extra chromosome, he already loved that little girl and had vowed that he’d help her parents every step of the way in ensuring she had a full and productive life. He felt protective of her. That he had been the one that Sid went to that night so that he could be that baby’s Guardian Angel of sort. Her knight in shining armour.

And he sure as hell wasn’t about to let her down.

Stepping underneath the cement overhang that covered the hospital’s front entrance, Max stomped snow off of his boots and shook his head vigorously to rid his short dark hair of the heavy white flakes. Rubbing his hands together, he blew on them in hopes of warming his skin as he strode through the automatic doors. The first place he intended on heading was the gift shop. There was no way any of the other guys, or even the grandparents for that matter, was going to beat him to being the first to shell out some cash on the kid. Second stop was the flower shop. Autumn loved flowers. The more pink the better, as far as she was concerned. Something that Sidney had grumbled about when it came time to start planning the wedding and she’d informed him she wanted the girls in the bridal party to wear pink dresses and the flowers had to be the same colour. He’d been horrified. But it had been the one time all the begging and pleading had actually worked when it came to changing her mind.

Yanking down the zipper on his coat, Max hung a left at the information desk and headed down to south elevators, and to where the gift store and flower shop were located. Striding purposefully past the busy café; the delicious aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods permeating his senses and causing his stomach to rumble. After the initial call from Sid, Max had forced himself to go back to bed and try and continue with the sleep that had been interrupted. He’d wanted to head to the hospital right away, but it been barely five in the morning and he knew the best thing was to give the soon to be parents all the privacy in the world. So he’d stayed in bed, tossing and turning and worrying for two hours until exhaustion had finally claimed him. When he’d woken up and discovered it was after ten in the morning, he’d frantically sprung out of bed, took a hurried showered and dressed, and hit the road.

He’d gotten within three feet of the gift shop door when he heard it. The chattering and the whispering going on behind him. Followed by an audible gasp to his right side and a young girl squealing:

“It’s Max Talbot!”

Busted, he thought in dismay. While he wasn’t a massive celebrity like Sid, who couldn’t spit on the sidewalk or jaywalk in traffic without making it into the evening news and on the front page of the paper, since game seven back in 2009 when he’d been the hero, his life certainly had never been the same. Pascal Dupuis had taken to calling him, ‘The Gamer’ after that. From that moment on, he’d been right up there with Pittsburgh’s -hell, the entire NHL’s for that matter- prodigal son. Well, almost. If Sidney Crosby was the King in that town, then Maxime Talbot was the court jester. A role he relished.

And while normally he loved nothing more than to co-exist with the fans and sign autographs and pose for pictures, that morning he was there, in that hospital, for a reason and one reason only.

“Can I have your autograph, Mr Talbot?” a tiny voice asked from beside him. And glancing down, Max found himself staring into the cherubic voice of a boy no older than seven. Clad in Pokeman pyjamas and slippers, he had a head full of curly red hair, face full of freckles and a slate grey eyes. And in his hand he clasped a paper napkin and a blue ball point pen.

Max glanced up, his heart sinking as he saw the slowly growing crowd that was now gathering around him. Internally, he let slip every profanity he knew. On the outside, he looked back down at the little boy at his side and smiled brightly.

“What’s your name kid?” he asked, and reluctantly set to the task at hand.

xxxxx

After placing an order, and paying, for an arrangement of pink, white and yellow carnations and lilies -along with two Mylar balloons, one of Hello Kitty and the other of Strawberry Shortcake that he hoped would cheer Autumn up- that would be delivered to the room once they were prepared, Max headed up to the fourth floor. It had taken him nearly a half an hour to appease all of the fans, and now, with a pink and white stripped gift bag clasped tightly in his left hand, he kept his head down and his eyes on the floor as he rode the elevator. Giving the people in there with him the very distinct message that he didn’t want to be bothered. There was a time and place for everything. And this was neither the time, or the place.

The labour and delivery ward was a hub of activity. Doctors and nurses rushing through the halls and in and out of rooms. Pregnant women wandering the floors with their dutiful partners in tow. Visitors coming and going. The sounds of various stages of labour -something that Max did not want to hear and tried his best to ignore- taking place behind closed doors.

He paused at the central nurses station, which was currently being manned by a sole worker typing feverishly at a computer keyboard. Clad in a vibrant and cheerful Tweety Bird scrub set, she was a stunningly pretty young thing with her brown hair tied back in a ponytail and her sparkling blue eyes riveted on her work. Max reached for the clipboard and pen sitting on top of the paper. And with one eye on the nurse, printed and signed his name on the visitors log.

“Busy day….” he leaned over the top of the station to grab a look at the name printed on the ID badge hanging from a lariat around her neck. “…Rylan?” he asked curiously.

“Always,” she replied, and flashed him a smile. “Expectant father?” she inquired.

“What?” Max couldn’t help but laugh. “Hell no.”

Her eyes widened.

“I mean…no…I’m not. Not that there’s anything wrong with kids, don’t get me wrong. I love kids. Especially when I came feed them chocolate and pump them full of crap all day and then hand them off to their parents to deal with them when they’re bouncing off the walls causing hell. But no. No kids. At all. I’m just here to visit a buddy of mine. His wife is here.”

The young nurse gave a nod. “I have to ask for your name and some proof of ID and the name of the family you’re visiting.”

“Okay…because…”

“Because we have a celebrity here and we’re protecting his privacy. We don’t want some yahoo off the street just walking into his wife’s room and…”

“I’m not some yahoo off the street,” Max assured her, and reached behind his body and under his coat to remove his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans. “Sid’s practically my best friend. That baby is my niece. So I don’t know why…”

“I can’t just take your word for it,” Rylan said. “I have to check that you’re on the list of allowed visitors.”

“Allowed? I just…”

“Mr and Mrs Crosby gave us a list of people that were, and were not, allowed in. I have to make sure that…”

“That I’m not some yahoo off the street,” Max finished, and opening his wallet, pulled out his driver’s license and held it out to her. “I heard you the first time. My name’s Max. Max Talbot. You might have heard of me.”

“I don’t follow hockey,” she said, and reaching out, pinched the corner of the license between her thumb and forefinger and attempted to take it from him. Then frowned when he tightened his grip and pulled back slightly, forcing her to get up off of her chair to keep her hold on the piece of plastic.

“At all?” Max asked.

“Let me rephrase it,” Rylan responded. “I do follow hockey. But I’m a Flyers girl. I bleed black and orange.”

“To each his own I guess,” Max shrugged, and relinguishing his ID and allowing the young nurse to return to her seat. Opening another window on her computer screen, her eyes to flickered between the license in her possession and the names on the list before her. “But honestly? Hearing that makes me want to hurl green and yellow.”

An amused grin tugged at the corner of Rylan’s lips. “You’re free to go, Mister Talbot,” she said, and held his ID out towards him. Staying firmly planted in her chair and making him lean over the desk to reach for his license.

“Max,” he corrected her, as he took possession of his credentials once again. “Call me Max. I like being on a first name basis with a woman I’m planning on sweeping off her feet.”

Rylan’s cheeks flushed slightly and she gave a laugh. “We’ll see about that,” she said, then gave him another dazzling smile. “Mister Talbot.”

Max grinned and shot her a wink before stepping away from the nurses station. “We definitely will,” he said.