17 Nights

"Have you picked out a name yet?" Linda Staal asked her son's girlfriend as the three women sat in the island kitchen in front of her. Turning her attention to Ava, Linda felt a warm feeling knowing that all of her sons were home, along with their significant other. Although she had already met Frankie and Ava during the season, it was nice having the two women in her own home. She hoped that both women would become family, just as much as Tanya had become like a daughter to her.

Ava shook her head. "We've been thinking of names but nothing has really stuck yet. Marc wants a really plain name like Melissa, but I want something grander. I'm trying to convince him that Vivien is the way to go, but he thinks it sounds too snobby," Ava explained. "Also, I was named after an old Hollywood actress and it would be cool to continue that tradition."

"Vivien is such a nice name. Vivien Staal, sounds adorable," Tanya agreed with Ava.

Linda nodded her head in agreement. "Vivien is a nice name. I think its perfect. Don't worry, if there's anyone that could convince Marc, I know its you."

The actress let out a short laugh. "I guess I do have Marc wrapped around my finger."

As if they knew that they were being talked about, Jordan, Eric, Marc and Jared walked into the kitchen boisterously. Instantly, Marc went over to Ava, kissed her on the cheek and walked over to the fridge.

"What are you guys talking about?" Jordan asked, standing beside Frankie, with a bottle in his hand.

"Baby names," Linda answered shortly and soon all eyes were on Ava's stomach for a brief second. "I still can't believe you're having a girl. This is so exciting."

Instinctively, Marc found his hand around Ava's protruding belly, and a smile reaching his eyes as he nodded at his mother. "Yeah, I'm going to have a baby girl," he said proudly. He looked at Ava's stomah for a brief moment, before beeming at his mother. The news of Ava's pregnancy was for sure a surprise, but he didn't regret it for one moment. He was with a woman he cared about and was now expecting with her.

*

Ava stared at the community centre in front of her; her head was cocked sideways as she looked at it with puzzlement. "So this is the community centre you and your brother spent most of your time with, aside from your backyard?"

Nodding, Marc walked up to Ava and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Yeah, my brothers and I spend most of our time here when we're not playing in the backyard," he confirmed her question.

"Hm, this place is completely different from where I grew up, the mall was so close to me, here you have to drive so far just to get to the nearest mall, and they don't even have designer boutiques," she said, her voice unintentionally condescending.

Marc gave Ava a warning look. "Ava."

The actress closed her eyes and offered him a small smile. "Sorry. I really need to work on that," she apologized.

They entered the arena together where there was a peewee group playing. The coach spotted the two and instantly recognized Marc. He blew the whistle and the kids slowly stopped their drills to gather around their coach. He motioned for Marc to come closer to the ice. Ava looked at Marc and noticed that he had an excited gleam to his eyes. He took her hand and led her closer to the ice.

"Marc Staal!" the coach said, getting off the ice to give her boyfriend a hug.

Coach Sanders was always Marc's favourite coach. Since he too was played defense when he was younger, Coach Sanders had the biggest impact in his learning. He was always giving Marc pointers in how to improve his game and always encouraging him when he felt overshadowed by Eric. After his parents, Coach Sanders played the biggest part in his life.

Marc smiled widely and gave the coach a big hug. "Coach, its nice to see you again. This is my girlfriend, Ava Jenkins," he introduced Ava proudly.

"Marc, you've done well for yourself," he said, greeting Ava with a hug. "Its nice to meet you."

Ava smiled, she had heard stories about him and what he had done for Marc. "Likewise, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Marc has talked about you and what you've done for him."

Coach Sanders looked at Ava's budging stomach and stomach and smiled widely like a proud father would smile at his son. "I see that you have a little one on the way," he commented.

Wrapping his arms around Ava and placing a hand on her stomach, Marc beamed. "Yeah, six months along and its going to be a baby girl."

"Your mother must be excited. First girl in the family in a long time. Come meet my new team," he commanded Marc and opened the entrance to the ice.

Marc looked at Ava as if asking permission to leave her to introduce himself to the team. Ava put her hand on his forearm and motioned for him to go. She knew that it meant a lot to him to be able to be around kids and pass his knowledge of something he loved to them. Marc loved coaching kids and helping them to improve their game. It made it feel like he was making a difference, just like how Coach Sanders made a difference to him.

Ava sat near the ice and watched her boyfriend joke and play around with the kids. She instantly knew that he was going to be a great and patient father. She had no fears or doubt about him being a great father; it was herself she was scared of. Ava never grew up around kids like Marc did. Her parents were both only children, which ended up with herself being an only child as well.

She wished she had brother or a sister, even cousins, but she had neither. Even though it resulted in her being extremely spoiled, she would trade all of that for a sibling. Seeing how Marc interacted with his cousins and his brothers, she was envious of their bond and relationship. She wanted a big brother that would be protective and overbearing or a little sister that would look up to her and that she would spoil.

Ava always knew that if she were to ever have kids she would at least have two so that they would have each other the same way Marc and his brothers would have each other. She and Marc had talked about it already, if everything went smoothly with their daughter, they would try for another baby, as they didn't want their daughter to feel the loneliness that Ava felt with the absence of a sibling.