These Days

Violet and Geno were having a slap contest. He had morphed into the role of Matt. Or, well, just a second version of Matt because he was sitting next to them refereeing. Max stood behind Matt watching the game unfold.

“Watcha doing, Max?” Erin asked coming up from behind him. She held out a glass of champagne which he took and had a sip from.

“This baby is going to be really, really weird,” Max said after watching Violet slap Geno’s hand viciously.

“Oh, I know.” Erin nodded. “He’ll be a goalie though, so you can just throw his being weird in with being superstitious.”

“How do you know he’s going to be a goalie?” Max asked, furrowing his eyebrows as Geno, frustrated, grabbed one of Violet’s hands and slapped it as she shouted at him.

“Evgeni’s the first non-goalie Violet’s ever dated. There’s no way her son isn’t going to be a goalie.”

“She only dated goalies?”

“You already said it yourself that she’s a weirdo.” Erin said. Max shrugged and watched Evgeni stand up and marched huffily away towards the bar.

“What was that about?” Erin asked as Violet walked up to them. Her stomach was swollen now and the little bulge looked strange on her since she was so short

“We were deciding if he has any say in naming the baby. He doesn’t, obviously,”

“Why not?”

“Because, one he didn’t win, and two he’s not pushing it out of his vagina. If he was like a male seahorse and it was his job to carry the kid to term then he could name if Tyrannosaurus Rex for all I care. But since he isn’t a male seahorse he has zero say.”

“What do you want to name it?”

“Alexander.”

“He’ll never let you do that.” Max shook his head, immediately getting it, Erin scoffed and asked him how he knew Violet’s evil plot so quickly and Erin, her best friend, didn’t. They ignored her and started discussing ways to get around Evgeni’s hate for Ovie.

“What if I spell it funny? Like Alecksander?”

“Like the Swedish way? You could probably get away with that. I like the name Aldous though, name him Aldous.” Max said, referencing Violet’s dad.

“No! What about George?” Violet said.

“Or Fred?” Max raised his eyebrows.

“OH RONALD!” Violet shouted. Evgeni looked up with wide eyes.

“He’s not going to be a ginger, Violet,” Max said, “What about Mark?” Matt, who was mid-conversation with Sidney and his new girlfriend Karen, whirled around and in unison with Violet shouted “NO”. “Alright, what about Scott?”

“Like Scotty Gomez? Ew no, I hate that guy.” Erin rolled her eyes at Violet and pressed her hand into Max’s. He squeezed it once but otherwise ignored her.

“What about Max?”

“No, no, no!”

“Why not?!”

“Because Max is your name. What about Ash?”

“Ash? I like Ash.”

“Me too.”

“Me too,” Erin said loudly, finally calling attention to herself. Violet beamed at her. “Go tell your husband the good news,” Erin said.

“Good idea, E! EVGENI!” Violet shouted and started chattering loudly and excitedly in Russian. Erin laughed softly and shook her head.

“It’s still so weird to think of them as married…and practically parents.”

“I know. It’s still so weird to think of you as my girlfriend.” Max said, taking a sip from his glass.

“I’m not your girlfriend Max!”

“Yet.”

“Yet?” Erin asked incredulously.

“Would you like to be?” Max asked.

“Do you think you can handle it?” Erin countered. Max put his glass down and took Erin’s out of her hand. He put one hand on her waist and the other on her neck and dipped her back, kissing her deeply before swinging her back up.

“Does that answer your question?”

“Not really, but I’ll just assume that you’re ready for a relationship because you asked me.”

“Good.” Max nodded and held out his hand. “Girlfriend?”

“Boyfriend.” Erin nodded and shook it firmly. After a moment she looked at him and let her jaw drop. “It is[/] weird to think of myself as your girlfriend.” Max chuckled and wrapped his arm around her waist. Moments later Evgeni and Violet got the room to quiet down to say some things.

“Well, we’re married, in case you missed that,” Violet said, shooting a playful glance at Tyler who glared at her. “And I’m pregnant, in case you missed that too,” Violet said putting her hand on her stomach. “It’s going to be a boy. His name will be Ash-DON’T EVEN MATT,” Violet just moments before Matt started to make a jeering comment about Fantastic Mr. Fox.

“We happy all here,” Geno said, also putting a hand on her belly. “To celebrate baby and marriage. Maybe in few month we celebrate the Cup too?” He smiled. “I just happy to be married to best girl I find. These days…best days of my life. I always want more of her. She my Violet. And I love her.” Geno said, and kissed his wife, making her blush red. “And I love my baby too.” He rubbed his hand on her stomach.

“But most all, I love being here, on team with you all. You Penguins best players in hockey, no care what stats say.” Geno smiled at his friends. “What you say we leave now and go play some puck?” He asked. A resounding cheer went up in the room. Violet smiled at her husband. These days really were the best.