Your Eyes Tell Me What I Need to Know

Laying in her bed with her son sleeping on her chest, Katrina couldn't be happier. When they had first brought Noah home, she had been worried that without the help of the nurses things wouldn't go the way they should. But they had. The only thing that was annoying her was the fact that people from different magazines were calling and asking for interviews and pictures of the new baby. Hank and Katrina hadn't even thought about that. It hadn't entered her mind that someone other than their friends and Hank's family would want pictures.

Hearing the bathroom door open, Katrina looked up and saw Hank come out wearing nothing but a green towel. Smiling down at Noah and then back at Hank again, she watched as he put on a pair of boxer briefs before slipping on a pair of black sweatpants. Sliding into the bed next to her, Hank waited for Katrina to look at him before he kissed her. It wasn't a prolonged kiss, but sweet and short. “It's good to be home.”

“Compared to?”

“The hospital.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t agree more.”

Leaning down, Hank placed a soft kiss on his son's forehead. When Noah started to fuss, Katrina got off the bed and stood up to sway with him to get him back to sleep. “I never thought we'd be here.”

Seeing the tears in her eyes, Hank started to move to get off the bed, but then he saw the small smile on her face. “Kitty...”

“I'm just happy,” she admitted, her eyes looked at Hank before moving back down to Noah. “When I first thought I was pregnant, I was so scared. I wanted to find you and tell you and find a way to make things work. Instead I called Shannon and she told me to get a home test and then call a doctor. That's when I knew for sure that I was pregnant. Up until the moment I told Marc that I was pregnant, I thought I would be a single mother. Doing everything on my own, but it didn't turn out that way.”

“I'm here, Kitty,” Hank told her as he watched her carefully put him into the bassinet. “And Noah is here.”

Making sure that he was sleeping and that he was okay, Katrina made her was over to the bed and slid under the covers. “I'm glad that I have you and that Noah is here with us and is perfect and perfectly healthy.”

“Noah, brought us together,” Hank told her as he felt her lay her head down on his shoulder. “And nothing can take you or Noah from me. I won't let either of you go.”

Feeling her hand on his chest, Hank lifted it so that her fingers were laced with his before letting it rest on his chest. Running his thumb over the three stones on her princess cut engagement ring, he wrapped his other arm around her waist, keeping her close to him. “This whole thing feels like a fairy tale and soon I'm gonna wake up and find myself back in my old apartment with Noah and I'm doing everything by myself.”

“That's never gonna happen,” Hank told her. “Get some sleep, beautiful. We don't know how long he'll sleep tonight.”

It was every three hours that Katrina was getting out of bed with Noah while Hank slept through his son's cries. She wished when eight rolled around that she could have been sleeping, but she wasn't. Instead, she had her laptop on while Noah was sleeping on the couch next to her while she signed into her messenger so that she could talk to Shannon. As soon as the camera started working, she smiled when she saw her friend.

“Morning,” Katrina smiled. “I didn't think you'd be up this early.”

“Normally I wouldn't be, but Sean left half an hour ago and he woke me up and I just couldn't get back to sleep. So I was hoping you'd be awake so I can see that baby of yours.”

“So it has nothing to do with the fact that you missed me?” Katrina said, pretending to be hurt. Looking away from the camera, she looked into the eyes of her son as she heard him fill his diaper. “Joel? Are you awake? If you are can you bring me diapers and wipes?”

“Is everything okay?”Shannon asked, unsure. “Where is Hank junior?”

“Everything is fine, I was just yelling for Hank's brother to bring me some wipes and diapers. Joel is usually the first one up besides the little one. Actually Hank is still sleeping. I wish I could be sleeping,” Katrina said. “I swear, he slept through each time he cried last night. And he's still passed out.”

“Is he faking it to get more sleep?” Shannon asked. “Has he done something like this before?”

“No, but he knows training camp will be coming up soon and I guess he wants more sleep before he gets over tired from training and Noah.” Katrina said as she smiled and reached towards the camera and took what was being offered to her.

“Damn, Katrina.”

Looking back at the computer screen, she looked confused. “What?”

“From the time I saw you for the vow renewal to now, it seems like your boobs are bigger.”

“Shannon!” Katrina laughed, shaking her head before turning her attention to the baby who was starting to fuss. “I have someone who is waking up again and just unloaded into his diaper.”

“That was just more than I wanted to know,” Shannon told her. “What are you up to today?”

“Well I think Marc and Sam are coming over today,” Katrina said. “Marc came and saw me and Noah at the hospital, but Sam hasn't seen Noah yet. But we actually are leaving for a photo shoot. Hank wants us to go with him.”

“Aunt Shannon hasn't seen him either.”

“Then maybe she should get on a plane and come see the baby,” Katrina said. “Are you ready to see the most beautiful baby?”

“You know I am,”Shannon smiled. “Let me see the cutie.”

Carefully picking up Noah, Katrina set him against her chest so that Shannon could have her first look at Noah. Dressed in a blue New York Rangers onsie, Katrina held onto her son while his hands were on her fingers. “Noah, do you see Aunt Shannon?”

“Oh my goodness,” Shannon said looking at the baby. “He's so beautiful, Katrina. I mean, you and Hank, wow, you made a good looking baby.”

Katrina laughed and kissed the head of her son. “He looks just like Hank. The moment I held him, I cried. The funny thing is, he has two different volumes. When he's just wanting the attention that someone isn't giving to him he'll fuss. It usually isn't too loud, but loud enough for me to know he wants something. When he gets mad or pissed off, he gets super loud.”

“Gee, I wonder where he gets that from,”Shannon grinned. “Couldn't be from his mother, couldn't it?”

“Of course it is,” Katrina smiled. “Joel told us something after we came home and started getting settled into the apartment. He said that the baby might look like Hank, but he acts like me. Hank thinks that will keep forever and hopefully extend to the next one.”

“Next one?”

“Yeah, we want more than just one. We never really talked about how many. Joel suggested a hockey team. But Hank thinks two years, maybe less until we start trying again for another baby,” Katrina said. “But I'm not sure about that. I think it would be easier if Noah is out of diapers first.”

“So you aren't gonna start trying again the moment your doctor gives you the green light?”

“I miss the feeling I would get from having sex with Hank, but I think right now, that Noah is enough until we are both ready to add to our little family.”

“You know the only reason I didn't like Hank was because of the way he treated you, right?” Shannon asked her friend as she watched the baby fall asleep against his mother. Watching Katrina carefully move her son, so his chest was against hers now, she smiled. “All I ever wanted for you was to be happy. When you told me about Hank and what was going on, I was concerned. No guy is worth being strung along like he was doing to you while he was also seeing those other girls.”

“I put myself in the situation,” Katrina said rubbing Noah's back as he started to get fussy. “I'm not sure why I did, but I did it willingly. He was the first guy I met in New York and his accent was hot, but it was more than that. I fell hard and fast for him, I just didn't want to show it. In the end, things worked out. Not in the way I thought they would, but I have what I always wanted.”

“And what's that?”

“I have my own family. I have Hank, who I love more than I ever thought possible. Then there is this little guy. Noah Alexander Lundqvist is the best thing that ever happened to me. Even if Hank hadn't taken well to the fact that I was carrying his child, I would still have him and that would be okay. But it is even better because Hank and I are married and our son is here and the start of his season is coming closer and my season is nearing its end.”

“What happens when his season begins? Are you gonna be a stay at home mom?”

“At first I guess I am, but eventually I'll be back in shape and joining the other girls on the soccer field. More than anything I know I want to spend time with Noah. He's an amazing baby,” Katrina said as she turned her head and saw Hank coming out of the bedroom. “There isn't any coffee or tea. If you want some, you have to make it.”

“Hank finally wake up?”

“Yeah,” Katrina said. “Did I tell you what Hank's brother Joel did while I was having Noah?”

“Is this a trick question?”

“No,” she laughed. “He put a theme together in Noah's room. It's a space theme, there are stars and planets and moons and it just looks so amazing.”

“Does Noah spend anytime in his bedroom or is he with one of you at all times?”

“I go in there and feed him, but he hasn't actually slept in his crib yet. I like having him near and I think Hank does too. And Joel has been a huge help with Noah. I think next summer Hank wants to go to Sweden to see the rest of his family that's still back there so they can meet Noah.”

“How do you feel about it?”

“I guess it'll depend on what happens between now and then.”

“A lot can happen, you already know that. But I think I'm gonna let you go. I'll call you later this week. Love you guys!”

“Love you Shannon, bye! I'm gonna mail the pictures when I get a chance.”

“Okay, sounds great. Bye!”

Signing out and turning off her laptop, Katrina got up and made her way to the kitchen where Hank was making tea. “Noah and I are gonna lay down for a nap. He's finally tired enough to go back to sleep and maybe I can get some since I was the only one to get up with him last night.”

Turning away from the counter, Hank leaned down and kissed her gently on the mouth. “I'm sorry, I meant to get up with him so you could sleep some more but I think I was more tired than I had thought I was.”

“It wasn't a big deal, I just need help. I need your help during the nights otherwise I'm gonna be too tired and then I'm gonna screw up.”

“You won't screw up,” Hank told her. “Even Joel says you're a natural. Plus it'll be nice to get out, we can't keep him locked away in here forever.”

“He's just a baby,” Katrina laughed. “I'm going to go lay down so I'm not tired when we leave for your thing.”

Leaning down, Hank kissed her neck before kissing her lips. “I love you Kitty.”

“Love you, too, Hank,” Katrina said. “Noah loves his daddy too.”

Leaning his head down, Hank placed a kiss on Noah's head before he watched Katrina take him with her to the bedroom to get a few more hours of sleep before they headed off together for his photo shoot for Vanity Fair. The only thing t hat was different was the fact that Ryan Miller would be the photographer for the special shoot. What Katrina didn't know was that after everyone left, Ryan would be staying and doing a special shoot just for them.

Being at there and watching Hank get his picture taken and socializing with some of the hockey players while she kept their son covered up for the most part, Katrina smiled. He was a natural at this stuff, unlike some athletes that didn't know anything outside of the sport. Hank could have been that way, but Noah changed everything.

Katrina wasn't really paying attention to anything besides the fact that Noah was fast asleep against her chest with his fleece blanket covering him. She had been texting for the good part of an hour since her baby boy fell asleep. Hank had come over a few times to check on her and to introduce some of the other guys that showed up for this. He had taken Noah from her and showed off his new role in life as a father. It was like things couldn't get any better than what they had at the moment. In her mind, the life she created in New York was destined to happen. Getting traded from one club on the west coast to one on the east coast never sat well with her until Noah came. If she didn't have Hank and Noah, there was no way she would have signed a contract extension for her team.

Moving inside, so that she wasn't sitting too long, Katrina smiled as she watched Hank come over with a smile on her face. “Are you done?” she asked before he kissed her.

“For Vanity Fair, yes. But we still have our photo shoot.”

“Our photo shoot?”

“I talked to Ryan and told him how you wanted a family picture without it getting out to the press. And he said he'd do it for us after he finishes with the other guys and he should be done soon.”

“I don't know what to say.”

“I wanted you to have your picture to remember that even though things were rocky when things started to get serious, me and Noah, we aren't going anywhere. We love you and nothing will ever change that.”

“I love you so much, Hank,” Katrina told him. “You came into my life and I don't think I would survive without you. I love our little family.”

“The next adventure is watching Noah grow up,” Hank told her. “Are you ready for that?”

“Not a chance.” She laughed while smiling and holding her son as she rubbed his back