Everything I've Ever Wanted

It had been awhile since I had been up North, not since Tony had taken me up to his cabin so many months ago now. But I was here now, basking in the warm glow of the sun as I floated in the blue lake, while Tony sat on the dock, quietly letting me be. I laid lazily in my floaty chair, letting the steady rocking of the waves attempt to lull me into a peaceful state, to let the stress roll off of my body and the sometimes sleepless nights that I was prone to as the weeks wound down to when Tony would be leaving. It was beautiful up here, which helped me relax as well, with all of the wildlife, the bright sun, but most of all the silence. It was blissful to not hear the constant roar of the city floating to my ears. Not to mention the way the stars sparkled at night. The sight was something that would never get old.

This weekend was the fourth of July and Tony had invited me up to spend the weekend with his family. All of the Lucia's were at the cabin taking in the sights and smells of summer as Tony and I just tried to appreciate our last month together. Tony would be leaving in the middle of August, two weeks before his birthday, to report to San Jose for training camp. I would not be joining him on the west coast, instead, I would be beginning my new job here in the cities.

I received a phone call a few days after graduation from Tammi who told me one of her photographers was quitting due to the birth of another baby. Tammi had known about my aspirations to work in the photography field and decided to check in with me before she went out looking for anyone else. She officially offered me my dream job and even as I sat next to Tony, looking into his beautiful green eyes, there was no possible way for me to say no. Just like Tony and his desire to play more hockey, this was something I had to do. I didn't want to look back on that day and have regrets for not saying yes to her. I needed to do this, I needed to follow my dreams as well.

I didn't expect Tony to be happy or understanding, but he was ecstatic for me. His eyes had lit up and a huge smile pulled at his lips as we embraced. He continuously whispered how proud he was of me, and how he just knew everything was going to work out for me. He said nothing about the two of us working out. Just like the day Tony signed, there was no talk of the two of us going our separate ways, no talk of a possible break up. Instead, there was the expression of joy and a celebration of another new beginning.

Droplets of water hitting my bare stomach, forced my eyes to snap open. The green orbs landed on my boyfriend who had flicked water at me from his perch on the dock. A smirk dotted his face as he slid into the water, the liquid only coming up to his waist. He wadded over to me, scooping me out of my chair and into his arms.

"You look too good not to hold." He explained, kissing my forehead as the water slapped at our skin. I ran my hands through his wet hair, making it stick up in spikes while smiling down at his sweet words.

"You don't look so bad yourself. I like the tanned look on you, very sexy." I winked at him, setting my large sunglasses atop of my head.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go boating in a little bit?" He asked, eyes squinting against the sun.

"Yes." I grinned, excited to continue my tanning on the boat, not to mention watch Tony drive the speed boat.

"Mario and his friends are going to go tubing." Tony rolled his eyes, "Mario is going to be flying off that tube like he's Superman." He chuckled mischievously as I shook my head.

"That sounds dangerous."

"Nah. I know his limits."

"Are your parents or sisters going to come?" I wondered as he walked us back to the dock, placing me on it before climbing up next to me.

"Probably not. My mom is going to go to town and get some food. Jess and Ali are going to swim and my dad wants to fish. I'm taking the boys so they stop complaining about how bored they are." Tony muttered as Mario walked down the dock with two boys trailing behind.

"Hey honey," one of them stated to me. He couldn't be over 16 as he eyed me up greedily before Tony stood up, beckoning the kid to come closer.

"Come here, Matt." Tony stated, crooking his finger. The boy gulped but obliged, figuring it was better to listen than have Tony go to him. "I'm going to kick your ass if you ever call her honey again. She isn't your honey; she's mine." Tony playfully swatted the kid upside the head before directing all the boys into the boat.

"Did mom pack food?" Tony asked, motioning to the cooler Mario held.

"Yeah, some sandwiches and stuff."

"Good, I'm hungry. I hope she packed ice for you guys, too. You're gonna need it when I'm done with you punks." Tony snickered as he helped me climb in the boat.

I sat perched on Tony's lap as he steered the boat on the vast lake, heading to relatively clears waters. He kept one hand on the wheel and the other on the motor, making sure I was secured in the circle his arms created. I laid my head against his chest to avoid my hair obstructing his vision. I reached up and kissed the underside of his chin lightly as Tony slowed down, motioning for Mario to get everything ready. Tony turned his attention to me next, making me sit up and straddle his lap.

"As much as I love having you sit on me, you can't because I need my full range of motion. Plus, you're such a distraction." He winked at me, squeezing my sides.

"How am I a distraction?" I scoffed at him, shaking my head.

"You have wandering hands that like to skim across my-"

"El capitàn." I stated, using the name for his member which I had drunkenly slurred to him one night.

"Yes and the captain likes it too much." He chuckled loudly as Mario announced they were ready to go. "Baby, sit there." he pointed to the chair closest to him. "And I'll do my best not to get you wet; take that which ever way you want."

I laughed as Tony turned back to double check that the two boys were indeed prepared before he revved the motor, grinning wickedly as the boat jolted into gear. I turned to watch the two teenagers, smiling as they both yelled at Tony to go faster. He did as requested and pretty soon he began to cut the boat to hit the waves he had previously made. The tubes and people in them began to bounce up and down, flying into the air before landing down hard on the plastic, only to be thrown back up again. It looked like it hurt, but the two boys were having a blast as Tony tired his hardest to fling them off. Finally, after several bumps and minutes, Mario flew off causing Tony to pump his fist in victory. He turned the boat around in order to retrieve his brother from the water.

"Just so you know, I flung myself off." Mario stated as he climbed up the ladder, sopping wet.

Sure ya did, bud." Tony snickered as the third boy joined Matt in Mario's vacated tube.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon out on the lake, sometimes tubing, others swimming, or just boating around the lake. Tony got a call from his mom around five, telling him to come back for dinner. He begrudgingly turned the boat back towards the cabin, looking over at me.

"Babe, you're looking a little red." He chuckled softly, giving me a tender smile.

"I know." I chuckled, examining my arms that had gotten more than enough color.

"Red is a good color for you." Tony laughed, mocking me from earlier in the afternoon.

"Haha. You shouldn't like it since I'm going to be sore tonight."

"Oh babe, you're going to be sore for a different reason." He winked as the three teenagers yelled obnoxiously.

"Sorry baby, it's just your hand and el capitàn tonight." Tony frowned at that, shaking his head in disagreement.

"I have plenty of time to change your mind." He stated confidently.

Later that night after we were stuffed to the brim with our nummy dinner, Tony and I sat down by the lake right as the sun was setting. His legs were beside both sides of my body, dangling in the water. My head rested lazily against his chest, my hair still damp from our after dinner swim. I yawned softly, snuggling into Tony as a cool breeze wrapped around our bodies, pulling his sweatshirt tighter around my body. His chin rested a top of my head as the waves lapped against the dirt shore.

"Are you nervous about moving to California?" I asked Tony, breaking our silence about the future.

"No. I'm worried about leaving you here through." He responded, his breath making the baby hairs around my face move.

"You know I'll be fine on my own." I told him, sighing quietly.

"Yes, but that won't stop me from worrying." He insisted as he dropped a kiss to my head, his arms holding me a little tighter.

"Do you know where you're going to live?" I asked him, tilting my head to look into his face. His eyes were soft but his lips were pursed in thought which made his facial features look rough.

"No, but probably with a teammate."

"That will be a good idea. Then you can have someone to show you around and take you under their wing."

"Babe, I can take care of myself."

"I know, but that won't stop me from worrying about you." I repeated him, smiling up at his eye roll before kissing his lips softly.

"I think I'm just going to miss seeing you everyday, and holding you at night, and having you there when I need you. How am I going to fall asleep without that extra body heat?" Tony mumbled thoughtfully, his words flowing with the breeze as it skimmed across the water.

"You can call me, and we can Skype. Plus, it's hot in California honey, I don't think you'll need my body heat." I chuckled, trying to find alternatives for the coming weeks. Tony's departure was creeping up and it didn't seem fair that we were running out of time.

"Mol, that's not the same." He sighed, his chest causing my head to rise and fall with it.

"I know, but it's the best we can do." I reminded him.

"Do you believe that distance makes the heart grow fonder?" He wondered.

"Yes. I just wish we didn't have to learn that form our own experiences." I mumbled back to him, closing my eyes and letting the breeze blow my hair away from my face.

"All I know for sure is that no matter what, we will always be together." He concluded, his thumbs brushing over the skin of my forearms as I closed my eyes against the annoying pushing of weights against the back of my eyes, a telltale sign that tears were beginning to build. There would be plenty of time to cry when he left, I didn't need to start that now.

"Pinkie swear?" I asked, once I was confident I could speak clearly, holding up my pinkie to him. He laughed quietly and hooked the small fingers together.

"Pinkie swear."
***

Not even two weeks after our cabin stay, Tony and I began the work of moving him out of the hockey house, and temporarily moving in to his parents. Most of his belongings would be kept in storage for a later shipping date to San Jose. He kept essentials out and in separate boxes to have for the next three weeks he would be in town. I helped when Tony allowed despite the fact that he limited the times I could work and how many boxes I would be able to carry.

"It's a man's work, babe." He had told me as he pulled his shirt off to show his muscular and tanned chest in order to get some relief from the hot combination of labor and the sticky, summer air.

So basically because I was a woman, I was given the duty of sitting and looking pretty on the sidewalk. Tony tried to say that my job was to watch the car, but we all knew that was a load of bullshit.

"Hey! Sexy man of mine!" I called to Tony as he walked from the house with another box. He set it in the truck that he had rented from the storage company, then began to sway towards me with a definite swagger. "I'm bored." I giggled up at him, batting my lashes. He reached his hands down so I could grasp them for him to lift me up.

"What do you want from me?" He whined, hoisting me into his arms, my legs dangling down to brush against the back of his calves.

"A kiss to start off." He pressed our lips together perfectly. I purred against his lips before pulling away to look into his green eyes. "Now entertain me."

"Babe, I have to get all of my stuff out by noon." He reminded me, running a hand through my hair. "You can leave if you-"

"No."I dismissed immediately. "Just let me help so I don't have to sit here and do nothing."

"I don't want you to do my work for me."

"Baby, it will get done faster."

"Molly..."

"Tony, just shut up." I laughed, patting his butt with my foot.

Two hours later, Tony was completely moved out of his room, thanks to the extra two hands he finally allowed to work, and we were loading the last boxes into a storage garage. Tony paused as I stood next to him, the two of us scanning our eyes over the brown boxes.

"I can't believe I'm leaving so soon. It's irritating me that I have so much to do and not enough time. So many people to tie up loose ends with and try to wrap my head around the fact that I'm going to be alone for a majority of the next year." Tony sighed deeply, scrubbing his face very roughly with his hands as he groaned loudly. "Fuck, I'm not ready."

"Yes you are. You don't have any other choice but to be ready."

"I know." He muttered dully, his face blank and void of emotion.

"Everything will be fine, babe." I assured him and myself, wrapping my arms around to his stomach, setting my cheek against the curve of his back. "We're going to be okay." I whispered tenderly, a single tear slipping from my eye as Tony squeezed my arms in a second reassurance.

"Yes. We will be."