Make It Back to Me

The fans had gathered along the streets of Chicago two days after the Blackhawks had won the Stanley Cup. It had been eighty five degrees, but people were shoulder to shoulder, just to see a glimpse of their team who had ended a forty nine year drought as they drove by on double-decker buses. From the tops of the buses, the men of the Blackhawks were stunned into silence, not having realized how much of an impact they had on the city they played for. The twenty two thousand people that filled the United Center every night was nothing compared to the million that stood before them, cheering for them and believing in them. They hadn’t just realized their childhood dreams; they had brought hope back to the city. Their friends and family that accompanied them on the parade route, proud beyond words, had nothing but love in their hearts, much like the sea of red below them.

It had been a giant celebration. People from all over Chicago and its surrounding suburbs had flooded into downtown Chicago on that Friday morning, lining up nearly five hours early just to see their team. Most of the players nursed hangovers from a party that was still going strong. It was also the last time the Chicago Blackhawks, in their Stanley Cup winning form, would all be together.

As the parade ended, reality set in. While Chicago would still celebrate for years to come—championships were treasured beyond belief in that city—it was time to move on. With salary cap issues not many had ever seen before, a lot of the key role players who had brought the team all the way through the final were going to leave.

Just two weeks after they had won the Cup, Ben Eager, along with Brent Sopel and Dustin Byfuglien had been traded to the Thrashers, Andrew Ladd joining the roster just a week later. The only thing that made a trade like that easier was the fact they’d be going together, and that Ben knew he had the full support of his wife.

Evelyn stood outside on the balcony in her and Ben’s bedroom. Her hands rested against the wrought-iron railing in front of her as her brown eyes looked at everything that surrounded their townhouse. As she was alone with her thoughts, she realized how much she was going to miss the city. She knew she would, but actually faced with a move, it was harder to comprehend. She would miss the sights; the tall buildings, the busy streets, and the beautiful lake. She would miss the sounds; constant cars, the honking of horns, the loud chatter of the people. The people, she mused, they were who she was going to miss the most, and she wasn’t just thinking about Ben’s now former teammates.

Her best friends were going to be thousands of miles away from her, and that was what hurt the most. Phoebe was lucky enough to say in her hometown, Niklas Hjalmarsson already locked in with a new contract. Patrick Kane, the scorer of the game winning goal, of course was staying. The man had become family to her, and she’d miss the time they spent together.

And then there was Kita. Evelyn almost couldn’t believe she had met the girl by chance. She had been the waitress to a table full of Blackhawks just over a year before, and she’d instantly won Adam Burish’s heart. The woman had been more than Evelyn could have hoped for, helping her through rough times with Ben, celebrating all of the good things, and being there for her all throughout her pregnancy. When July first had come, and Adam learned he was no longer wanted by the Blackhawks, he signed with Dallas. Neither Evelyn nor Ben could imagine how they were going to cope without their best friends and their best baby sitters.

The time for celebration was officially over. After a few weeks in Ottawa, during which Ben had gotten his day with the Cup and his extended family were finally able to meet his growing son, and then a trip to Evelyn’s home state of Arizona, the young family was leaving Chicago behind to head south for the new season.

Evelyn was pulled from her thoughts when Ben stepped out onto the balcony, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he held baby Ben with the other. She smiled up at him before touching a finger to their son’s chubby cheek, making him giggle. “This is harder than I thought,” she said quietly. Ben nodded, pulling her in closer to him as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

Evelyn tried to smile as best she could as she looked at the beautiful view of downtown Chicago, starting just a few blocks away from their Lincoln Park residence. A tear slipped down her cheek and Ben frowned, pulling her into his chest as he tried his best to comfort her. It was hard, though, when he was just as cut up about leaving. “I’m okay,” she whispered against his thin tee shirt before picking her head up to look him in his beautiful, icy blue eyes. “Atlanta is going to be great; I know it.”

Ben laughed, pressing a light kiss against his wife’s lips. “That’s the spirit.” She laughed. “You know I’m going to move around a few more times before the end of my career, right?” Evelyn rolled her hands, her arms wrapping around Ben’s torso as he gave her a smirk.

“Let’s just think about this upcoming season,” she told him, taking their son from his arms and pressing a kiss against his messy brown hair.

“Fair enough,” he agreed, grabbing her hand as they left the bare bedroom and moved through the empty house to where two suitcases sat next to the front door. Armed with necessities for a day long drive to Atlanta, and the rest of their things and Evelyn’s car on the way already, they climbed into Ben’s Navigator and pulled away from their house that had become their first home.

The city was alive with the feel of summer as they drove through it. Evelyn couldn’t stop the tears that fell as they drove past the United Center, the famed arena had been a second home to her for the past couple of years, and she was heartbroken to leave the historic place behind. Ben silently grabbed her hand in his, giving it a light squeeze as they continued going through the city. The woman had to wonder though, why Ben hadn't gotten on the highway yet; there had been four or five entrances they had driven past.

When she saw her former university in the distance, she couldn’t help but smile. Ben put his arm in front of her, his finger pointing along the street as he smiled too. “That,” he laughed. “Is where we met.”

Evelyn’s brown eyes widened as she looked ahead at the small coffee shop. She turned to Ben with a smile. “If you hadn’t left your wallet behind…”

“I would have gone to that coffee shop every morning until I saw you again,” he said, cutting her off. Evelyn gave him a confused look. “The second I left without getting your number, I regretted it.” Lifting their entwined fingers up, Evelyn pressed a kiss against Ben’s knuckles as he continued to drive, turning onto the next highway entrance he saw.

As the minutes passed and the skyscrapers of downtown Chicago grew further behind them, Evelyn squeezed Ben’s hand a little tighter. “I love you,” she told him. When he responded immediately, she smiled. Baby Ben cooed from the backseat, and her heart sung. It didn’t matter where they lived as long as they were together; a family.