The Crosby Life

The next day was in the 70’s, and I just had to go out in the back yard to work in the garden. You may be thinking, “Why have a garden when you aren’t around during the main time that the flowers are in bloom?” Well, the answer is easy- I love plants and even if I won’t be able to enjoy them all that much, I still like to know that they were there.
I tied my hair back, which was a little difficult since the humidity was starting, and that send my hair into ‘overdrive’, but I was able to get it up and out of my face. I tossed on my garden shorts and tank that I always wore when I was in the garden, and went barefoot through the backyard.
Jordan still wasn’t allowing me in the garden up front, which was just a mini garden in front of the house, next to the front porch and under the windows. I was a little annoyed, but he insisted.
Aislinn was out with me, prancing through the grass like she owned the place. I always let her out back home, so I knew she wouldn’t wander away. Although she did try to chase a few birds and rabbits. The fat cat needs the exercise from a winter inside anyways.
I was pulling out weeds with the huge gardening gloves on when I heard a familiar hum walking up behind me. I twisted around with a smile, just as Marc-Andre dropped to a squat and pulled me against him.
I giggled and fell backwards on my butt. “May I help you?” I asked, still giggling.
Marc-Andre kissed my head and ran his finger along my leg. “Nope.” He said, smiling. “I just wanted to see what you were up to.”
I held up my hands, which held a weed in one. “Pulling weeds.” I said, tilting my head back to look up at him.
I could see the grin on his face, even from the odd angle. “Hmm, that sounds like fun.” He said, watching as Aislinn attacked the week as I threw it at her.
“Want to help?” I asked, taking off my left glove since I was right handed and offering it to him. Well, I more like stuffed it at his face, but whatever.
Marc laughed and took the glove. “I don’t exactly have a choice do I?”
“Nope, not at all.” I grinned at him as he helped me to my feet.
As he pulled me to my feet, I leaned against him quickly and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. It surprised him but he then turned to me and took my face in his hands, kissing me with a fiery passion that made me want to melt.
“Dude, seriously, sucking each other’s faces outside. That’s totally uncool.” Jordan’s voice came from the patio.
I pulled away quickly, slightly breathless, and blushed a deep red before turning angry. “What the hell!” I growled, making Jordan’s eyebrows shoot up. “Do you have a ‘Sierra/Marc-Andre-having private moment sixth sense or something!”
Marc-Andre placed his hand on my shoulder, but I continued to glare at Jordan as he held up his hands. “Not that I know of.” He said innocently, and of course, I found it really hard to stay mad at him.
I dropped my tensed shoulders and mumbled. “Well, it sure seems like it.” Marc-Andre chuckled next to me as I pouted.
Jordan shifted uncomfortably. “Well, umm, I just wanted to inform you that your surprise up front is done.” He said quietly, making me look up in surprise. “That is, if you want to see it, since I, well…ruined things.”
I huffed and strode over to him, walking past his tall, tanned body. “Show me, Staal. You’ve been hiding my garden from me for the past couple days. I want to see- now.” I walked towards the side of the house.
“Wait! You have to close your eyes.” Said Jordan, placing his hand over my eyes as I halted, getting very impatient. “Can you see anything?”
“No.” I muttered, and I felt Marc-Andre take my hand as he and Jordan led me up front.
They made me stop suddenly. “Ready?” Jordan asked, and I could hear Marc-Andre chuckle next to me as he saw whatever it was Jordan was hiding.
I nodded my head and Jordan took his hand from my eyes.
I gasped in surprise and squeezed Marc’s hand as I set my eyes on my garden. Before my eyes, a heart made out of red, pink, blue, and yellow flowers of different sorts settled right in the middle of the garden area, and “The Fleury’s” was spelled out above the heart in pinkish dahlias. I also saw MF and SC spelled out inside of the heart with decorative rocks that shined in the sunlight.
Jordan cleared his voice next to me. “I know you aren’t a Fleury, well, yet, but I thought it would be better this way. The flowers that spell out the name come back every year, although I’m not sure about the flowers that make the heart.” He shuffled his feet. “I’m not exactly a gardener.” He mumbled, almost shyly.
I turned towards him and threw my arms around his neck. “Oh, Jordan! They are absolutely beautiful. I love it so much! Thank you! I’m sorry I’ve been so sour to you the past two days! Oh, my God, it’s so beautiful.”
Jordan was smiling happily as I pulled away from him. “It’s ok. I knew going into this that I was going to get on your nerves.” He looked at Marc-Andre. “This is as much your surprise as well.” He said.
Marc nodded and I jumped up and down next to Marc-Andre, squeezing his hand happily with the brightest smile on my face. “Thank you, it really is beautiful.” He stated with a smile.
Jordan nodded his blonde head. “You’re welcome. Consider this my thank you for dealing with me until I found a place.”
I giggled happily and kneeled down, gently touching the flowers. “I love it, Jordy. I love it so much.”
Jordan smiled. “Good.”
I stood up and faced him. “Come here, Staalsy.” I said, walking towards him with the evil glint in my eye.
Jordan started to back away, holding his hands up in the air. “Oh no, I don’t know what you are planning but stay away.”
“You consider me your older sister right?”
Jordan hesitated. “Yeah, so?”
“Then come here.”
“I’ll pass.” He started to back away some more, and I could see Marc-Andre was trying not to laugh.
“Jordan Staal, you come here so your sister can give you a big thank you kiss on the cheek.”
“Hell no!” Jordan said, starting to run away. I ran after him. “That’s just gross! Stay away from me!”
I laughed as I tried to catch up. “Aww, Jordan doesn’t love his sister!” I tripped over myself and laughed harder as Jordan was getting away. “Get back here Jordan!” I yelled, chasing him around the cars in the driveway.

Marc-Andre’s PoV:
I smiled as Sierra chased Jordan around the front yard. It was extremely amusing to watch him run away from her. It was more amusing when she jumped up on the hood of Jordan’s car to get him, which she finally did, and gave him a big kiss on his cheek.
I heard him moan. “That’s disgusting.” He muttered and Sierra laughed that amazing laugh that I loved so much.
There was a soft rumble in the distance and I looked towards the west sky. It was fairly dark, and I noticed that the air was suddenly cooler. “We should go inside.” I called to them, making Sierra turn towards the dark sky. I saw her tense up immediately.
She rushed over to me and I held my arms open to her as she latched onto me tightly. I held her close as she started to shake. She didn’t do well in storms- of course, that’s an understatement. “Jor, can you grab Aislinn please.” Sierra said softly, her voice starting to tremble along with her body.
Jordan looked around. “Erm, how exactly?” He asked and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Just call to her until she comes.” Sierra instructed, and I swept her up in my arms, holding her close. She held on tightly and I kissed her forehead. “Marcy, I’m scared.” She said softly.
“I know, sweetheart, I know.” I walked into the house and sat her on her feet. She didn’t let go of me, not that I minded. I love having her close. To be honest, I hate not having her nearby.
I walked her over to the couch and sat down, pulling her into my lap. She curled up in my arms as I held her close. Her body was shaking more than before, and I wished I could take her fear away. It pained me to see her so frightened, but I was sort of used to it by now. One of the things I learned early on when she came to the team was that she was petrified of storms.
Jordan walked in with Aislinn in tow just as the rain started to pour. “Well, I guess I didn’t have to water the flowers, did I?” Asked Jordan, hypothetically. He sat down and turned on the TV, and I could tell from Sierra’s body that it relaxed her a little bit.
I ran my fingers lightly along her arm, hoping my touch would calm her down as the thunder grumbled loudly over head. She shivered at the touch, and her muscles relaxed a little more. “I always feel so safe in your arms.” She muttered quietly so only my ears would hear.
I smiled warmly at her, and her smile in response made me want to hold her even tighter. “I’m glad you do, love.” I whispered to her. “I want to make you feel safe, now and forever.” I meant that more than she knows.
She nodded her head, and I took her hair out of the pony tail she had it tied up in. “You always will.” She said in response. I felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, which vibrated on my thigh. I smiled because it tickled.
Sierra jumped as a loud and sudden boom crackled overhead. I kissed her head and rubbed her arms to soothe her. She calmed down again and rested in my arms, looking at her phone. She cocked her head to the side. “It’s Nik. What’s with the Blackhawks contacting me all of a sudden? I haven’t heard from any of them in so long.”
I chuckled as she replied to the text she received. “They must have just been busy.”
She giggled nervously as a bright lightning flashed. “Yeah, I suppose.”
Jordan was looking out the window. “Pretty.” He stated.
Sierra looked at him. “You’re crazy, you know that?” She muttered and I shook my head at her, smiling.
Jordan laughed and sat back down. “Yeah well, I think that runs in the family.”
“I do too.” I said, making Jordan shoot me a look that I completely ignored.
I played with the ring on Sierra’s finger that I gave her only a few months ago, but those months felt like years- in a good way. The secret promise that I said to the ring was that I would eventually replace it with a better, more suitable one. I have only been with Sierra for not even a year yet, but each month felt likes years to me. It helped that I knew her for many years before that, so the “getting to know each other” part of the relationship was skipped, since I already knew almost everything about her.
The one thing that I did know was that she was the only one for me. I loved her more than anything or anyone in the world, and I knew that I wanted to marry her and have a family with her.
A rumble in the distance snapped me out of my thoughts, and I realized that the storm has passed on, and my girl was asleep in my arms. I looked down at her, brushing her hair out of her face, and kissed her forehead.
Sierra was so peaceful when she was asleep. All of her elegant features were relaxed, and she looked like she was half her age while sleeping. I smiled at her sleeping face and shifted her in my arms so she could stretch out on the couch. I placed a pillow in my lap and set her head gently on top of it.
I stroked her hair softly, and she rolled over mumbling, my name on her lips. It made me swell inside that she dreams of me.
“So, when are you doing it?” Jordan asked, and I turned to look at him.
“Are you ever going to stop pestering me about it?” I asked, sounding annoyed although I really wasn’t.
Jordan shrugged with his usual grin. “Yeah, when you do it.”
I sighed and curled a strand of Sierra’s hair around my finger. “I’m not sure, Gronk.” I replied honestly. “But no earlier than the summer. Any earlier is too soon.”
Jordan sighed. “Whatever you say, man. But seriously, with you two, I don’t think any time could be considered too soon. Everyone knows you are going to end up together anyways. So why wait?”
“I wait because it is what is best.” I replied, actually starting to get annoyed. Sometimes I wished that he would just understand and let it go. This was my decision, and I was starting to get fed up with him asking.
“Ok, ok. I’ll leave it be.” Gronk said, as if he read my mind.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I looked down at the sleeping beauty in my lap and a smile slipped on my lips as I watched her. Soon, my love. I thought to myself. I promise, I’ll be the best I can be and make you happy throughout our lives together.“I love you.” I said out loud to her, kissing her delicate hand that I held.