Those Will Be The Best Memories
two
Ben groaned as a small body met with his chest and stomach; a small knee connecting with his groin. He softly shoved the 2 year old boy off his chest and curled up into a ball, cupping himself. Hearing the distinct sound of his girlfriend laughing, he put up his middle finger.
“Oh, daddy’s bad!” Madeline said to the giggling boy in her arms.
Ben shook his head, letting out a loud sigh, “Daddy’s hurt.”
He could almost see Madeline rolling her eyes and felt her sit down on the bed, leaning over to kiss his cheek, “My poor baby.”
Ben finally opened his eyes, his girlfriend and his son filling his view. She was wearing a pair of his old sweatpants and a tank top, while his son was only wearing his pull ups. He sat up and reached down to the end of the bed and pulled his son up to his lap, carefully avoiding his groin area.
“And why is Mr. Matthew not wearing any clothes?” He asked the love of his life, leaning over to kiss her lips, all the while keeping his large hands on his son’s back.
His girlfriend immediately ran her hand over her sons back, showing Ben the red, bumpy rash and the identical marks on his leg. Her poor baby had suffered a reaction to something he had either eaten or touched the night before.
“Oh baby,” Ben whispered as he peered at the ugly rashes on his son, “Do you have a doctor’s appointment for him?”
Maddy nodded, “I made one last night, hoping the rash would go away, but it hasn’t yet. It’s at 2:30.”
Ben frowned, “I’ve got practice.”
“I know, I’m sorry, but it’s the only time they could give me, I’ll call you as soon we get out though,” She said to him, kissing his lips sweetly.
Ben nodded and gave a big sigh as he stood up with Matthew in his arms, holding him close to his unclothed chest. His son was one of the two people he would do anything for; his girlfriend being the other. Matthew wasn’t exactly planned, and Madeline and him weren’t exactly in love. Ben helped her and went to every appointment he could when she was pregnant, and during her last month, he had her move into his house so he could keep an eye on her.
After she had Matthew, Maddy moved back into her own apartment and raised her son with the help of Ben on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. On the weekend they’d all go out together, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays he'd had have him for the afternoon. It was an agreement they had both come to, but what hurt Ben the most was how his son would never stay at his house. He'd have practice in the morning or a game at night and wouldn't have anywhere to leave his son.
Madeline would go to many games with Matthew to see his daddy play, always dressing him in his tiny number 55 jersey with ‘EAGER’ spelled out across the back. When the game was finished, whether the Hawks won or lost, Maddy would walk down to the locker room with her son and let him celebrate with his father and the other team mates.
By the time Matthew turned one year old, Ben and Maddy had gotten extremely close; almost like when they were dating before Matthew. Ben had started staying over at Maddy’s apartment, and going on dates with her whenever Maddy’s friend Rachel would watch Matthew for them. Ben could feel himself falling for her, really falling in love. It was only a few months longer before Maddy sold her apartment and moved into Ben’s house; now her house as well.
They had finally become a family; living together, waking up together, and calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend. It was the one thing Ben wanted in life, and he finally had it.
Matthew started to get fussy in Ben’s arms, a whine slowly making its way out of his throat. Ben tried shushing him and softly bouncing him, but it only caused huge, fat, crocodile tears to start running down his face. The sight immediately broke Ben’s heart.
“Are you going to take a shower?” Maddy asked, running her hand over Matthew’s hair, pushing fair, brown hair away from his eyes.
Ben nodded, “Yeah I was planning on it.”
“Why don’t you bring him with you, maybe the water will soothe him,” Maddy said, a concerned look on her face and touch to her voice.
Ben nodded and walked towards the bathroom.
---
The wind whipped by him, cooling his face as he sweated and breathed hard, chasing after the puck. Coach had them doing a 3-on-2 drill, and Ben was up again for the second time. Coach had talked to him before the game and had told Ben that he wanted him on the ice more and shooting more; he did play left wing for a reason.
Many people were under the impression that he was just a fighter, but he could shoot, skate, and still fight for his team. He had always wished for more ice time and it seemed that Coach was granting his wish.
Byfuglien gave a quick pass to him, and Ben shot a hard upper-right corner shot, flying past Huet as he heard Stan Bowman call out his name. He looked towards him, only to see him make a ‘come hither’ motion with his fingers.
Ben skated up to the box and tried to calm his breathing.
“Your wife,”
“Girlfriend,” Ben interjected.
“Sorry, girlfriend called. She said that Matthew is fine, and he only had hives. The doctor thinks he’s getting a cold though, and that might be his way of dealing with it,” Stan finished.
Ben nodded, taking his glove off and rubbing his face. He sighed, “Thanks Stan.
Stan smiled and patted his shoulder, “You’ll get used to it. Children give you the biggest scares.”
Ben gave a small snigger, “Can’t wait.”
“Oh, daddy’s bad!” Madeline said to the giggling boy in her arms.
Ben shook his head, letting out a loud sigh, “Daddy’s hurt.”
He could almost see Madeline rolling her eyes and felt her sit down on the bed, leaning over to kiss his cheek, “My poor baby.”
Ben finally opened his eyes, his girlfriend and his son filling his view. She was wearing a pair of his old sweatpants and a tank top, while his son was only wearing his pull ups. He sat up and reached down to the end of the bed and pulled his son up to his lap, carefully avoiding his groin area.
“And why is Mr. Matthew not wearing any clothes?” He asked the love of his life, leaning over to kiss her lips, all the while keeping his large hands on his son’s back.
His girlfriend immediately ran her hand over her sons back, showing Ben the red, bumpy rash and the identical marks on his leg. Her poor baby had suffered a reaction to something he had either eaten or touched the night before.
“Oh baby,” Ben whispered as he peered at the ugly rashes on his son, “Do you have a doctor’s appointment for him?”
Maddy nodded, “I made one last night, hoping the rash would go away, but it hasn’t yet. It’s at 2:30.”
Ben frowned, “I’ve got practice.”
“I know, I’m sorry, but it’s the only time they could give me, I’ll call you as soon we get out though,” She said to him, kissing his lips sweetly.
Ben nodded and gave a big sigh as he stood up with Matthew in his arms, holding him close to his unclothed chest. His son was one of the two people he would do anything for; his girlfriend being the other. Matthew wasn’t exactly planned, and Madeline and him weren’t exactly in love. Ben helped her and went to every appointment he could when she was pregnant, and during her last month, he had her move into his house so he could keep an eye on her.
After she had Matthew, Maddy moved back into her own apartment and raised her son with the help of Ben on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. On the weekend they’d all go out together, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays he'd had have him for the afternoon. It was an agreement they had both come to, but what hurt Ben the most was how his son would never stay at his house. He'd have practice in the morning or a game at night and wouldn't have anywhere to leave his son.
Madeline would go to many games with Matthew to see his daddy play, always dressing him in his tiny number 55 jersey with ‘EAGER’ spelled out across the back. When the game was finished, whether the Hawks won or lost, Maddy would walk down to the locker room with her son and let him celebrate with his father and the other team mates.
By the time Matthew turned one year old, Ben and Maddy had gotten extremely close; almost like when they were dating before Matthew. Ben had started staying over at Maddy’s apartment, and going on dates with her whenever Maddy’s friend Rachel would watch Matthew for them. Ben could feel himself falling for her, really falling in love. It was only a few months longer before Maddy sold her apartment and moved into Ben’s house; now her house as well.
They had finally become a family; living together, waking up together, and calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend. It was the one thing Ben wanted in life, and he finally had it.
Matthew started to get fussy in Ben’s arms, a whine slowly making its way out of his throat. Ben tried shushing him and softly bouncing him, but it only caused huge, fat, crocodile tears to start running down his face. The sight immediately broke Ben’s heart.
“Are you going to take a shower?” Maddy asked, running her hand over Matthew’s hair, pushing fair, brown hair away from his eyes.
Ben nodded, “Yeah I was planning on it.”
“Why don’t you bring him with you, maybe the water will soothe him,” Maddy said, a concerned look on her face and touch to her voice.
Ben nodded and walked towards the bathroom.
---
The wind whipped by him, cooling his face as he sweated and breathed hard, chasing after the puck. Coach had them doing a 3-on-2 drill, and Ben was up again for the second time. Coach had talked to him before the game and had told Ben that he wanted him on the ice more and shooting more; he did play left wing for a reason.
Many people were under the impression that he was just a fighter, but he could shoot, skate, and still fight for his team. He had always wished for more ice time and it seemed that Coach was granting his wish.
Byfuglien gave a quick pass to him, and Ben shot a hard upper-right corner shot, flying past Huet as he heard Stan Bowman call out his name. He looked towards him, only to see him make a ‘come hither’ motion with his fingers.
Ben skated up to the box and tried to calm his breathing.
“Your wife,”
“Girlfriend,” Ben interjected.
“Sorry, girlfriend called. She said that Matthew is fine, and he only had hives. The doctor thinks he’s getting a cold though, and that might be his way of dealing with it,” Stan finished.
Ben nodded, taking his glove off and rubbing his face. He sighed, “Thanks Stan.
Stan smiled and patted his shoulder, “You’ll get used to it. Children give you the biggest scares.”
Ben gave a small snigger, “Can’t wait.”