The Crosby Life

We landed in Quebec and we all went our separate ways. Marc’s parents, Andre and France, met us at the airport and took us to their Sorel home, since we don’t have a home of our own there... yet.
The moment I laid down on Marc’s old bed from when he lived here, I passed right out. I’m not much a flyer, despite all the times I have had to fly due to my occupation, and I am out like a light almost every time.
The next day we immediately started our hunt for a house of our own. We would be living here in Quebec during the summers, and probably once Marc retires.
It only took us a couple days to find a house of our own.
A typical two story house with a three car garage caught our eyes at first. When we took a trip to the house, just on the outskirts of Sorel, we were thoroughly impressed. The yard was beautifully decorated with trees and flowers, and a swing hung from one of the large trees in the front yard. The front door opens into a large foyer, where the steps for upstairs were just in front of you. The dining room is located to the left, as well as the door down to the basement and a powder room, and to the right was the living room, which lead into the kitchen, and then a hallway to connect with the family room.
Taking the stairs to the second floor opened up to four bedrooms and two bathrooms. One being the master bathroom in the master bedroom.
The first bedroom is directly to the left of the stairs, and then the bathroom is located right next to it. As you walk down the hallway, which the master bedroom was located at the end of, there was the second bedroom, a closet, and then the third bedroom.
The whole house was large, cozy, and extremely well decorated in the paint choices and wallpapers.
I was in love.
“Let’s get it!” I said to my fiance as we laid in bed that night.
Marc-Andre chuckled. “I really like it too.”
“So, why so hesitant?”
“The owners haven’t moved out yet.”
“We have time.”
Marc turned his dark eyes upon mine, a smirk settling upon his lips. “Alright, alright. We’ll put in our offer in the morning. Sound good?”
I smiled and rested my head on his chest. “Sounds perfect.”
The next morning we put in our offer, and two weeks later, we moved in.
During those two weeks, however, we had a lot of furniture shopping to do. We had to buy, quite literally, everything in the house, except the couches and tables that were in the living room because the previous owners couldn’t take that stuff with them. I wasn’t complaining though, because the furniture in the living room fit in perfectly with the color of the walls and the curtains and such. It all meshed really well.
Everything that we ordered came just a couple days after we moved in, and by then, Marylene had arrived with Riley, so with her help as well as Marc’s parents, and even Tanger who came down, we got everything in place and unpacked everything.
Tanger stayed in one of our guest rooms for a couple days before heading back home.
One Friday morning, however, our happy bubble that Marc-Andre and I have created for ourselves came crashing down.
“Sierra,” Marc said, his eyes downcast.
I was instantly alarmed. “What’s wrong?” My first thoughts were on my brother, who was vacationing in France with Jordan and Max to get away from his concussion.
“Marc Staal just called.” My fiance hesitated. “Derek Boogaard was found dead in his home.”
My jaw dropped to the ground. “I’m sorry, what?”
Marc-Andre nodded as I collapsed onto the seat in the living room. “Oh, my God. He was only, what, twenty-eight?”
Marc nodded and sat in the chair next to me. “I never played with him, or anything, but Marc sounded so distraught over the phone. Eric took the phone before the younger Staal could break down. They both thought we had a right to know, considering we will hear all about it soon enough.”
I nodded, feeling dazed. “And Marc, he’s just completely out of it?” My Marc nodded, taking my hands in his. “I think I should call them. Boogaard was a teammate. I can’t imagine how it feels to lose a teammate.”
Marc-Andre nodded and I stood, heading up the stairs to find my cell and call the second oldest Staal.
After a ninety minute conversation between the two of us, mainly with me being a sort of psychiatrist in a way, just listening to him and trying to help him through it, I offered that the three Staal brothers, since Jordan is in France, to come up and visit us for a week. We still have some stuff that needs to get done around the house, so I figured that coming here would help him get his mind off of everything.
The Staals stayed for a week, and just a few days after that, Marc and I took out own vacation down to Florida for a couple weeks. We enjoyed the warm weather and the beaches, knowing that we’d have to stop back at Pittsburgh because I have to meet with Shero to get some paperwork done for being the A.T next year. The dog was staying with Marc’s parents until further notice.
Sidney and the boys came back from France on one of the last days that Marc and I were in Pittsburgh before heading to Nova Scotia in mid-June in order to finish up the last plans of our wedding in early August.
“How was France?” I asked my brother as I packed some things I wanted to take back to Cole Harbour from Pittsburgh.
“A ton of fun. You should have came.”
I chuckled. “Sorry, but I had a whole lot of shit to do here.”
Sidney chuckled along with me. “I’ll have to come visit this new house of yours before the new season starts.”
“Yes, you must.” I dropped my phone and scrambled to pick it up. “So, how is your head?”
I could practically hear the smile that he wore through his tone. “I’ve been cleared for off-ice training.”
I gasped and grinned. “Congrats, bro!”
He laughed. “Thanks. Now I must be going. I have to catch a flight. Jenna is waiting for me back home.”
“We’re flying up there tomorrow. So I guess we’ll see you soon.”
“Love ya, Erra.”
“Love you too, Sid. Bye.”
Marc and I finished our business in Pittsburgh and took our plane up to Nova Scotia, where we will be staying until our wedding. We’d have to live with my brother and his fiance on Grand Lake, but I don’t think anyone really cared. We are all close and good friends. Plus, it’s such a nice house on the lake that no one would really mind sharing the place.
“Mom has the dress, right Taylor?” I asked my little sister as she helped me plant in the front of the house.
“Yep. I saw it. It’s so gorgeous, Sierra! You’re going to look absolutely stunning. Marc-Andre is going to pass out when he sees you in it.”
I laughed and nudged my sister with my shoulder. “Aww, thanks Tay.” I winked at her. “You’ll look pretty good in your bridesmaid’s dress too. Maybe there will be a boy your age at the wedding. I know Em is brining along her younger brother. At least I think she is.”
Taylor blushed and playfully shoved me away. “Oh, be quiet Sierra!”
I laughed. “Hey, you never know.”
She stuck her tongue out at me.
“Love you too, Tay. Love you too.”