I Will Possess Your Heart

By mid morning, the Happy Hearts facility was full. Kids were spread throughout the building, playing, and getting help with homework from their appointed Happy Hearts buddies. With the expected arrival of the Penguins at any time, the excitement was starting to build, as was the noise level. I considered myself lucky to have a buddy like Sadie who was outgoing but rarely out of hand.

The two of us were sitting at a kid-sized table with crayons spread all over the place, colouring pages from a Finding Nemo colouring book. We hadn’t even noticed that the Penguins had arrived until Joyce cleared her throat, interrupting Sadie and me trying to make our most convincing fishy faces at one another.

“Sadie, would you like to meet one of the Pittsburgh Penguins?” She wondered, her bright smile showing off what I counted as millions of laugh lines and it was impossible to miss Evgeni Malkin towering over her, glancing nervously around the playroom, ‘This is Evg- Evgin… This is Malkin. Would you like to spend some time playing with him today, sweetheart?”

“Okay,” Sadie stood up slowly, tipping her head all the way back to look up at the giant hockey player in front of her, “Hi.”

“Hi,” He smiled and leaned down to shake her hand awkwardly as Joyce clasped hers together.

“Well, I’ll let you all get started,” She chirped and bustled away to match up some other Penguins.

“I’m Sadie,” Sadie informed him as he attempted to settle into one of the tiny plastic chairs at the table that stood only 2 feet off the ground, “I’m seven. That’s grade 2. I’m learning how to tell time.”

“Hi. I’m Geno,” He said in his thick Russian accent, still looking very uncomfortable both because of the situation and because his knees were practically at his ears in his little orange seat, “I’m play hockey in NHL…”

“My dad likes you. He likes Sidney Crosby more, though,” She said simply, and I glanced up apologetically. He just smiled back amused by her tactlessness and Sadie continued on, holding up a picture of Marlon and Dory, “Want to colour with me?”

“I’m like to colour,” He frowned giving her a shrug, “It’s fun.”

“Why don’t you choose a new page to colour together, Sadie?” I suggested, passing her the colouring book and she agreed turning the pages.

“Have you seen Finding Nemo?” She asked Malkin who shook his head, so as they flipped through the pictures, Sadie launched into a long explanation of the movie recounting all of her favourite jokes, finally finishing with an impression of Dory speaking whale that was so loud half the room stopped for a moment to stare over at our table.

Malkin was looking down at little Sadie, blinking and chuckling to himself. I had my hand firmly over my mouth to keep in my laughter, but he seemed to be enjoying the exchange and when she finally chose a page with Crush on it, he smiled over at me again, picking up a crayon.

“Did you catch all of that?” I wondered, “Because sometimes, I still have trouble keeping up with her.”

“I’m understand,” He nodded with another little shrug and went a little pink in the cheeks as he admitted, “I’m not speak much, but I’m learn more every day.”

I opened my mouth but closed it again, not really sure what to say next, and finally just smiled, “I’m Lucy, by the way.”

“Lucy,” He repeated, “Hi…”

“Hi,” I bit my lip and turned to Sadie, “Why don’t you tell Geno about Dustin?”

Sadie began to tell him all about her family and he seemed to be loving her story, leaning down to listen as they coloured together. When she started explaining about her brother who played hockey, but not very well, Geno leaned back to laugh.

“Its okay. Maybe he get better, come be Penguin,” He suggested which made Sadie giggle too.

“I don’t know, Geno,” She shook her head, “He falls down a lot…”

“Well, so does Brooks Orpik,” I reasoned going back to colouring Mount Wannahockaloogie, “But they still gave him a contract.”

I was startled and looked up quickly when I heard 2 laughs instead of one. It was only at that point that I realized my favourite Penguin had sat down with us at the tiny table. As he laughed, his shoulders dropped, he let his head tip back slightly and his jaw, covered evenly in just the slightest hint of stubble, hung open exposing perfect teeth, all of which were still in tact.

“Hi, I’m Max,” He introduced himself after a moment and Sadie jumped up excitedly.

“Hi, Max, I’m Sadie!” She began, her voice squeaking the way it did when she was so wound up she was about to burst, “Did you know that sea turtles can live to be 150 years old?!”

“Wow,” He played up his own excitement at the fact Sadie had shared and added, “I think the same thing is true for my grandmother.”

Sadie giggled at that and when I glanced back at Talbot he was already smiling at me, “I didn’t get your name.”

I didn’t even have a chance to respond as dear Sadie beat me to it.

“That’s Lucy. She’s my Happy Hearts buddy. We play together every Saturday,” She informed Max who listened to her intently as she spoke, “You’re her favourite Penguin and my moms too. She thinks you’re… handsome. So does Lucy. She told me this morning.”

Max nodded, visibly trying not to laugh as I shifted in my seat and I felt my face start to heat up. I could only assume the warmth spreading through my cheeks was accompanied by a lovely shade of pink.

“Lucy,” He repeated my name and I looked up to see Geno smirking back and forth at us, then starting up a new conversation with Sadie about her favourite colour as Max slid a bit closer to me, looking at my page, “It’s nice to meet you Lucy.”

I just nodded, blinking down at the table, “So um… Did you not get paired with anyone, or…?”

“No, I did, but he had an accident, so I thought I’d come see how Geno was doing,” Max shrugged.

“An accident? What happened?” I looked up concerned and Max was again trying not to laugh, pressing his lips together.

“No, I mean, like… he had an accident,” He tried to be delicate with his words, “Sidney Crosby walked in and the boy I got paired with just… went. They’re helping him get cleaned up.”

I snorted and my hand flew to my mouth, “They gave you Evan?”

I saw his lips curl into a smirk and he nodded, “You know him?”

“Well, I started here as a janitor, so we’ve met a few times, yeah.” I tried not to giggle unsuccessfully since Max’s shoulders had already dipped down again and he sucked in some air as he laughed.

“So, I guess it’s kind of a regular thing?”

“Really?” I looked up at him, teasingly, “’Regular’ is the word you had to use there?”

“Ohh,” He made a bit of a face and apologized, but continued, “You know, I can’t blame the kid, though. There’s still times when we’re in the locker room and Sidney Crosby walks in and I just go…”

“Oh, dear,” I breathed and shook my head, stifling another laugh.

“He’s just that beautiful,” Max swore, “I should bring him up so you can meet him. Or maybe not…”

“Excuse me,” Joyce was back at the table with a photographer, still beaming and wondered, “Would it be alright if we took a picture of you four for the website?”

“Sure,” I shrugged, looking around at everyone, ‘Uh…”

“Squish in,” The man holding a camera with a large flash directed, and Sadie and I were suddenly being sandwiched by two Pittsburgh Penguins.

Max had taken the opportunity to slide right over and move his arm around my shoulders. He had leaned in so close that his cheek was only an inch or two from my own and the sudden motion had sent a little wave of his scent washing over me.

The hint of cologne he was wearing combined with the way he was so close that I could feel his body heat made every thought I had been clinging to fall out of my head instantly. I was staring straight ahead at the photographer, trying to smile but couldn’t for the life of me do anything but hope Max hadn’t noticed the goose bumps that had risen on my skin.

I didn’t realize the picture had been taken until the photographer stood up and Max was pulling away again.

“Max, why don’t you come with me,” Joyce suggested holding out her hand, “Evan is all ready to spend some time with you now. Let’s let Sadie and Ev… Let’s let these two get to know each other.”

“Sure,” He pushed himself up from the little orange chair, smiling, “It was nice to meet you, Sadie. You too, Lucy.”

I just watched him walk all the way to the door of the playroom where he glanced back at me, raised his eye brows for a split second and disappeared. When I finally let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding I realized both Sadie and Geno were staring at me.

“You’re face is red,” Sadie informed me and I laughed nervously, clearing my throat and changed the subject.

“I bet Geno would love to hear about the Penguins game you went to for Christmas…”