Past Lives

Ads and Brooks had been better after talking everything out. I just hoped Brooks would ask Ads to marry him, soon. That's all Ads wanted. Brooks wanted it. But the longer he waited, the higher the chance she would choose Boston.

I sat him down after the game four win and told him so. "Brooks, you know how badly she wants this, right?" He was going for perfection, but he needed to figure something out, soon. Something had to give.

Brooks nodded. "I know. I just...I know what I want to do..."

"Ok, Brooks. Just let me know."

"Promise."

--

As we took our seats for game five in Detroit, I didn't have a good feeling about the game. Something wasn't right. It was like we hadn't actually dressed our guys, just dopplegangers. I knew it was our guys and it was just warmups, but...something was off.

It turned out to be the right emotion to go with.

I wanted to cry as I watched puck after puck shoot past Flower and not one Penguin did anything to stop them. But, true hockey fan that I was, I couldn't stop watching. The Wings fans became more obnoxious, the Pens fans more scarce, but we never left our seats. We tried to scream to them to help them, but nothing worked. They looked lost and confused. Nothing went right.

The buzzer exploded and the guys immediately went into the locker room as the Wings and their fans celebrated. You would have thought they had won the Cup. All I knew was we had to win the next game. I couldn't watch that happen to the guys again.

We started to head downstairs, but stopped. "Wait..." Ads looked at me and tilted her head.

"What?"

"Maybe we shouldn't go down there...I mean..."

Ads nodded and wheeled around. "You're right. Let's send them texts. They can find us if they want."

Honestly, I was just afraid of fighting with Craig again. I knew it would happen again and again, but I didn't want to do it tonight. I was mentally exhausted. We went back to the hotel to wait and watch.

As Ads discussed Boston once again with Carrie, I started to go for a walk. I wasn't looking for anyone, I just couldn't listen to the talk of my sister potentially moving. It was as I walked down the hall on the floor above that I heard a voice behind me.

"I told you I'd come find you if I needed to talk after a loss."

I turned and saw Craig with his arm's crossed over his chest. I knew he wasn't happy. Shaking my head, I replied, "I didn't come up here to find you. I knew you'd come to-"

"Whatever. You always want to help. Go to bed, Jamie. Tonight's gonna be bad."

I shook my head. I wasn't putting up with this after every loss. Standing my ground, I replied, "Craig, I'm not putting up with the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde routine every time you guys lose. This is stupid and I don't deserve to be treated like shit. I didn't come looking for you. I was going for a walk to I didn't have to listen to the Boston talk. Sorry I ended up here when you did."

I turned and started to stomp away as I heard Craig call out, "Jamie! Jamie..." Strong arms wrapped around me. "Hey, I'm sorry, you're right. I'm being an ass."

"Yeah you are." I tried to squirm free, but Craig pulled me closer. "Let me go, Craig."

His lips came near my ear. "I want to make it up to you."

"Then you can let me go."

"Jamie..."

I pulled away as his arms loosened. "I'm not rewarding bad behavior that only changes because you want laid. Stop treating me like shit after a loss and we'll discuss sex." I started towards the stairs. "Until then, text me when you calm down."

I decided to go see my friend. I didn't know how long I had with her.

--

"Someone had better be dying."

Someone was pounding on my door as though the zombie apocalypse would begin if I didn't answer it. I groaned and crawled out of bed slowly. I didn't want to move. We had celebrated the game six win a few nights before in Pittsburgh and were back in Detroit for game seven. I looked around; Ads and Carrie weren't there. "Cominnnngg..."

Opening the door, Brooks shoved inside. "Is Ads here?" He looked nervous. I shook my head.

"Nope. Breakfast with mom."

"Good." Before I could ask what was going on, Brooks pulled out a ring box. "Jamie, tonight's the night. Win or lose, I'm asking her to marry me. Will you take the ring with you to the game and keep it safe?"

My face was covered with a huge grin. I couldn't wait for tonight now. "Oh, Brooks, this is going to be perfect. Ads is going to freak!" I hugged him and took the ring box as he offered it to me.

"I really hope so, Jamie, I seriously hope so."

I shooed him from the room so I could get dressed. It took all my self-control to not freak out as Ads and Carrie came back. They had no idea I had the ring. I could only hope they won tonight.

--

Ads and I had screamed our lungs out when our boys took down the Caps in game seven. We laughed while Jordan taunted his brother after game four of the Conference Finals. We were so ready to head out on the road to Detroit. As soon as we found out we were playing them, I put away the NHL games. The last thing I wanted to do was jinx the guys. After all, I had beaten the Wings earlier in the season, why try again and mess them up? I wasn't putting myself in that position.

Now we were facing game seven of the Stanley Cup Final. Win or lose tonight, the Cup was coming out. I could only hope it was for us.

The Joe was jumping. Fans from both sides were screaming as loud as they could. The longer the game stayed scoreless, the jumpier everyone became. Ads, Carrie and I screamed obscenities as loudly as we could at the Wings and their fans. But then the amazing happened and Ads almost wet herself.

"YEAH! YEAH! FUCKIN' YEAH! MAAAAAAAAAAAAX!" Ads and I were jumping and screaming. The feelings coursing through our bodies couldn't be described. Things felt...right. This was the exact opposite of game five. This was perfection.

But then Johan Franzen became public enemy number one in Pittsburgh.

"OhmyGod."

"What is it, Jamie?"

"Look at Sid."

We watched as Sid hobbled off the ice, doubled over. I wanted to go down to the ice and rip Franzen's face from his body. "TAKE HIM OUT, COOKIE! TAKE CARE OF HIM! CRAIG, GET HIM, BABY!"

The Wings fans in front of me turned an glared. I pointed at the ice. "WATCH THE GAME, NOT ME."

I was afraid the score was going to go against us for a minute, but not too long later-

"MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX!!!!"

We screamed and danced in front of our seats. "GET THE HATTY, MAX!"

The Wings tried to tie the game, but as Staalsy lost the final faceoff, I couldn't move or speak. I stared at the ice. "Come on, Flower, come on Flowerrrrr..."

He drove across the crease and I jumped up, "COME ON FLOWER! FLOWERRRRR!"

The buzzer sounded. Marc was swarmed. Ads, Carrie and I jumped on each other, screaming, crying and shaking. We had done it. They had done it.

Our men had done it.

We were taken to the ice to celebrate with them and I looked for Craig and Brooks. Craig scooped me up in a hug and spun me around before Brooks tapped him on the shoulder.

It was time.