Blue Eyes

The 2010 NHL season seemed to pass by me like a blur. The Washington Capitals had dominated the regular season, and were the favourites to win it all. I hadn’t been able to make it to Washington for either of the games, but made a promise to my boyfriend that I would be there if there was a need for a game seven.

“When you land?” My boyfriend asked in his broken English. He had been in the league for four years now and still struggled at times with the language.

“In about an hour. The flight’s not that long so I’ll be there by the time you go down for your
nap,” I smiled into my phone.

“Do you need me to pick you up?”

“No, Alex. Don’t worry about it. I’ll get a cab. I don’t want to screw up your routine.”

“My routine don’t matter. You’re flying out for me so I should pick you up,”

“But you’re Alexander the Great. I don’t want to be bashed by fan girls if you’re too tired to play your best.”

He laughed. “Is why they call me that. I’m great if I sleep or not. Now, I’ll be there to pick you up. I love you Lindsey. I’ll see you in a bit,”

“I love you too, Alex. Now go to sleep so I don’t feel half as bad,” I smiled, hanging up my phone and placing it back in my carry-on.

The flight took longer than I thought, but I was thankful for that at the same time. Yes I was itching to see Alex, but I knew he needed the rest. I stepped off the plane and into the terminal. Quickly grabbing my bags, I rushed out to the arrivals area in hopes of spotting him before everyone else did.

And there he stood, my knight in shining armour. If he wasn’t recognisable by his face, he was definitely recognizable by his eyes. Those ice blue eyes that I fell in love with when I first met him. I noticed him before he noticed me so I slowly made my way over to him, as to not draw too much attention.

“Why hello there, Superstar. Fancy meeting you here,” I smiled, tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

He turned around and wrapped me in a tight hug. “I missed you so much. I hope you don’t mind, but we have to go straight to the arena,”

I smiled and gently kissed his lips. “That’s fine, come on, let’s go.” I grabbed his hand and we walked out to his car.

The ride to Verizon Center was fairly quiet, but it was comfortable all the same. I was just enjoying being with him more than anything.

As the game progressed, I couldn’t help but get more nervous. If they won, I’d be in for a big celebration back at the house. If they lost, I’d be consoling Alex for most of the night. And although they played their hearts out, Halak was too strong and they lost.

Feeling dejected, I made my way down to the locker room. It was completely silent and no one other than family were allowed in the dressing room.

I cautiously stepped over to Alex’s stall and sat down on the stool in front of it. Gently placing my hand under his chin, I pushed his head up so he could look at me. His bright blue eyes were shining with tears and emotion as he stared at me.

“We lost,” Was all he could say.

“I know, but you played your heart out. As long as you know that you couldn’t have done anything else and that you played your best is all that matters. Now come on, let’s get you changed and home,” I smiled, standing up to help him get changed.

After a brief interview, we headed back to the condo in Arlington. He opened the door of the apartment and dragged himself inside. Straight to the bedroom, he stripped out of his suit and lay on his side in bed. I left him alone for a minute, making two cups of tea before I headed into the room.

“Alex, do you want to talk about it?” I whispered, placing both mugs on the bedside table and crawled in next to him.

He sniffled and shook his head no, but rolled over and faced me.

“Sit up, drink this, and then go to sleep,” I ordered, handing him the steaming mug.

“We lost. We were supposed to be the best team in the league,”

“I know, but even the best fall down sometimes. There’s always next year. You’re gonna go to Germany and have a blast and win something over there. You’ll have your chance to get Stanley, you’re just going to have to wait longer than you thought,” I smiled, sipping my own cup of tea.

“I’m glad you’re here. I probably would have gone on a warpath if you weren’t,” He smiled, placing a delicate kiss on my forehead.

“You probably would have, but let’s not think about that. I want to go to bed. It’s been a long day for the both of us.”

“You’re right. I love you, Linds,” He said, putting his mug down and getting down under the covers.

“I love you too, Blue Eyes,” I smiled, laying my head on his chest and falling gently to sleep.