Home Is Where Your Heart Is
Epilogue
Epilogue
“Don’t run away from mummy, Patrice!” Sophia called after the 5year old boy who was stumbling on several feet in front of her.
“Sorry maman,” Patrice apologized as she caught up with him and securely clasped his hand in her own, helping him to keep his balance.
“Just don’t run away again,” she reminded him as they walked along the corridor of the Consol Energy Arena. Smiling at Vero who was trying to keep her and Marc’s three year old daughter Nicolette still whilst she tied her skates, she laughed slightly as Patrice - with surprising strength – tugged on her arm. “Calm down,” she smiled down at him.
“But,” he protested, “its daddy, and uncle Sid,” he stated, pointing his finger in the direction of the large ice surface where Max and Sidney were talking about something.
“I know,” Sophia replied as she looked over at the man who still had her heart in his hands. He still looked as handsome as the day when she fell in love with him.
“I want to go,” Patrice whined. “Please maman.”
Crouching down, she gently kissed his cheek after checking that his skates were tied securely. “Go carefully,” she instructed him with a smile, seeing the massive grin that spread across the face that was a younger, fuller version of his father’s, lighting up the blue eyes that were carbon copies of her own, the only feature he really inherited from her. Standing back up she watched with a frown as he practically tore off in a sprint towards the opening in the boards where Max was waiting for him, that boy was an constant accident just waiting to happen.
Watching as Patrice practically dove out on the ice, quickly catching his balance, she slowly followed him, loving to see father and son interact. Patrice had inherited his father’s love of hockey and with half the Penguins around to teach him, it really wasn't a surprise he was already mastering the art of skating.
Reaching them, she gracefully stepped out in the slick surface and smiled as Max looked over at her, his patented carefree grin plastered across his features. “Hi,” she said softly as she skated over to him.
“Hello, mon chéri,” Max smiled as he leaned over and gently kissed her, placing a hand on her swollen belly where their son or daughter was growing. “You two feeling okay?” he asked interestedly, having become almost more fascinated with her being pregnant than she herself was.
“We’re feeling grand,” she assured him before reaching up and kissing him again. “Don’t worry so much,” she whispered against his lips.
“I didn’t get to be there the first time, so I'm making up for it,” he smiled as they both heard the excited squeal of their son and turned to see Sidney and Jordan letting him, as well as a few of the other children, think they were outsmarting them with the small sticks they were holding.
“Get over there,” she smiled up at him.
“Love you,” he stated before kissing her again and then taking off after his friends and his son, soon joining in on the fun.
Moving across the ice at a much slower pace, Sophia couldn’t help but smile softly as she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that this was her life now.
They’d gotten married the previous summer, she’d been Mrs Sophia Talbot for almost 11 months and it still felt like only yesterday that she had jumped in as an IceGirl during a game back in St Louis when the Blues faced the Pens for the only time that season.
It didn’t feel like six years had passed, that she had watched the man she loved bring home the Stanley Cup, twice, to the club he loved, that life had turned out the way it did. It hadn’t been an easy road, but that’s life, isn’t it? It’s supposed to challenge you and make you a better person as you continued along. At least she had learned one thing, your home really is where your heart is…
“Don’t run away from mummy, Patrice!” Sophia called after the 5year old boy who was stumbling on several feet in front of her.
“Sorry maman,” Patrice apologized as she caught up with him and securely clasped his hand in her own, helping him to keep his balance.
“Just don’t run away again,” she reminded him as they walked along the corridor of the Consol Energy Arena. Smiling at Vero who was trying to keep her and Marc’s three year old daughter Nicolette still whilst she tied her skates, she laughed slightly as Patrice - with surprising strength – tugged on her arm. “Calm down,” she smiled down at him.
“But,” he protested, “its daddy, and uncle Sid,” he stated, pointing his finger in the direction of the large ice surface where Max and Sidney were talking about something.
“I know,” Sophia replied as she looked over at the man who still had her heart in his hands. He still looked as handsome as the day when she fell in love with him.
“I want to go,” Patrice whined. “Please maman.”
Crouching down, she gently kissed his cheek after checking that his skates were tied securely. “Go carefully,” she instructed him with a smile, seeing the massive grin that spread across the face that was a younger, fuller version of his father’s, lighting up the blue eyes that were carbon copies of her own, the only feature he really inherited from her. Standing back up she watched with a frown as he practically tore off in a sprint towards the opening in the boards where Max was waiting for him, that boy was an constant accident just waiting to happen.
Watching as Patrice practically dove out on the ice, quickly catching his balance, she slowly followed him, loving to see father and son interact. Patrice had inherited his father’s love of hockey and with half the Penguins around to teach him, it really wasn't a surprise he was already mastering the art of skating.
Reaching them, she gracefully stepped out in the slick surface and smiled as Max looked over at her, his patented carefree grin plastered across his features. “Hi,” she said softly as she skated over to him.
“Hello, mon chéri,” Max smiled as he leaned over and gently kissed her, placing a hand on her swollen belly where their son or daughter was growing. “You two feeling okay?” he asked interestedly, having become almost more fascinated with her being pregnant than she herself was.
“We’re feeling grand,” she assured him before reaching up and kissing him again. “Don’t worry so much,” she whispered against his lips.
“I didn’t get to be there the first time, so I'm making up for it,” he smiled as they both heard the excited squeal of their son and turned to see Sidney and Jordan letting him, as well as a few of the other children, think they were outsmarting them with the small sticks they were holding.
“Get over there,” she smiled up at him.
“Love you,” he stated before kissing her again and then taking off after his friends and his son, soon joining in on the fun.
Moving across the ice at a much slower pace, Sophia couldn’t help but smile softly as she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that this was her life now.
They’d gotten married the previous summer, she’d been Mrs Sophia Talbot for almost 11 months and it still felt like only yesterday that she had jumped in as an IceGirl during a game back in St Louis when the Blues faced the Pens for the only time that season.
It didn’t feel like six years had passed, that she had watched the man she loved bring home the Stanley Cup, twice, to the club he loved, that life had turned out the way it did. It hadn’t been an easy road, but that’s life, isn’t it? It’s supposed to challenge you and make you a better person as you continued along. At least she had learned one thing, your home really is where your heart is…