The Crosby Life

Marc’s PoV:
“You stress too much,” I mumbled to my fiance, who sat in a bubble bath.
Sierra sighed, and opened her beautiful eyes to stare at the ceiling. “I’m getting better,” she replied in my native language.
I reached into the water and grabbed her foot, pulling it out of the bubbles and resting it on my towel covered lap. I massaged her delicate foot softly, gaining a sigh out of her. “You are,” I replied with a small smile.
Her hazel eyes locked onto me. Her chocolate hair was tied up in a clip so it wouldn’t get wet, and her head rested against the back of the tub. The bubbles covered her up to the middle of her neck, and made her look so much younger than she actually is. “I need to talk to Emelie soon, don’t I?”
I brought her small foot to my mouth and kissed her toes. She scrunched her nose as she suppressed a giggle. “Oui, ma amour. We’ve played a few games but we need you guys to talk it out. I need you to talk it out.”
Sierra nodded and I smiled at her as she dropped her eyes. “I know.”
“You feel bad.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement.
Tears filled those beautiful eyes and I tilted my head to the side at her. “She’s still my best friend,” she said, her voice cracking. “But...but...”
“But you’re tired of seeing her harm herself?” I offered.
Sierra looked up at me again and nodded her head. I smiled softly at her and put her foot back in the bubbled water. “I don’t think I can watch her keep doing this to herself. Seeing herself cause trouble and be like a lot of guys in this league... I just can’t take it anymore. It infuriates me because I know she is a good person.”
“Then say that to her, Sierra,” I said gently, trying to keep her gaze. “Talk to her like you talk to me about this situation.”
I watched her lick those full lips and the bubbled around her moved slightly as she sighed heavily. “I’m afraid she’ll say something that’ll set me off.”
I reached into the water and grabbed her other foot. She shifted her position so she could rest comfortably against the back of the tub as I massaged her other foot. “Just stay calm, Erra,” I said to her thoughtfully. “If you start to get angry at her, take a deep breath and relax. But just think, the only reason you get so angry is because you care for her.”
Sierra nodded and a strand of hair fell into her face. She swept it away and rested her head back, staring at the ceiling of our bathroom. “I know.”
Judging by the tension I could feel in her foot, I changed the direction of the conversation. I just had to trust that she will remember all I have said to her. “How’s your back?”
Sierra looked at me before sitting up in the bathtub. Her foot slipped out of my hand as she turned around and revealed her back to me. A purple and black bruise stretched along her spine as the bubbles slipped down her slender back.
I reached out from my spot on the edge of the tub and I traced the painful looking bruise. She suffered it after falling back on the boards awkwardly during practice this morning. We were leaving for Buffalo tomorrow for a game, but she needed a hot bath to ease the pain in her back.
“Oh, ma chérie,” I whispered, taking my hand away form her skin as she flinched due to the pain. “Do you need anything?”
Sierra shook her head as she rested back into the water. “I’m ok.”
I sighed and nodded, before turning to look out our bathroom door as I hear the doorbell ring. I get up, place a kiss on Sierra’s head, and wander downstairs to the door.
Jordan stood on the other side in a thick coat, and shivering violently. The wind today is absolutely atrocious, so I quickly stepped aside to let him in. “Hey,” he said, not in any hurry to take off his coat. “I hope you don’t mind me suddenly stopping by.”
I shook my head and motioned for him to come in away from the door. “Not at all,” I said to my teammate. “Is everything ok?”
His blue eyes locked onto me and I knew immediately what was wrong. “I’ll get her.”
I rushed up the stairs, and Sierra was already out of the tub, a thick towel wrapped around her small frame. “Jordan?” she asked.
It seems that it was pretty obvious that something’s up...again. “Yes,” I whispered to her in French.
She nodded just as she let her hair out of the clip, and the chocolate curls fell around her well-toned shoulders. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
I nodded and left her in order to let her change, and joined Jordan downstairs.

Sierra’s PoV:
I dressed carefully, aware of the stiffness in my back, and headed downstairs to where Jordan and the love of my life resided. Jordan’s blue eyes locked on me as soon as I entered his line of sight, and I saw how dull those pretty orbs were. “Tea?” I asked lightly.
The corners of his mouth lifted to a slight smile. “That’d be nice,” he admitted, finally taking off his coat.
I put on a pot of tea and got out the urbal tea that I kept for special occasions. I poured the hot water and motioned for Jordan to follow me into the living room. Marc was welcome to follow if he wanted.
Jordan sat down on our couch and I handed him the mug before sitting next to him. Marc kissed my cheek, but left us alone and went upstairs to take a shower.
I sipped my tea as I looked at Jordan over the top of my mug. He kept looking down at the tea. “Jordan,” I said softly, grabbing his attention. I noticed the way he was holding his injured hand.
“I have another setback,” he said quietly, sounding like a young child.
I reached out and took his good hand in my own, squeezing it lightly. “Tell me,” I said gently.
Jordan licked his lips and looked up at me. “I have calcification of the bone in my hand.”
My eyes widened as I stared at my best friend, and put down my tea before pulling him into a tight hug. He hugged my back, his head burying into my neck. “Oh, Jordan,” I said, stroking his light hair. “I’m so sorry, Jordy. But everything will be ok, I promise.”
“I know,” he said into my neck. “But it seems like I’m not supposed to play this season. I just keep having more and more setbacks and I’m getting frustrated.”
I kissed his hair lightly as I continued to stroke his blonde locks. “I know, I understand,” I said back to him.
Jordan is so strong to have come this far without really complaining at all about his condition. He hasn’t played a single game yet, and is so mentally strong that it isn’t affecting him. But, at the same time, I completely do understand that it’s finally bothering him. I would have cracked long ago.
“At this rate, I won’t be able to play with you at all. And then I’ll never get that last time to play with my best friend and linemate.”
A sad smile crossed my lips, and all my problems about Emelie faded away because my friend here needed me more than those problems I have. “Oh, Jordy. You’ll come back before the season ends. I know you will.”
“And if not?”
I paused in stroking his hair. “And if not,” I began again. “You can live here and put up with me all you want. And challenge me to a road hockey game whenever your heart desires.”
A chuckled escaped from him, and for some reason, hearing him laugh made my own heart lift a little bit. “I will live with that.”
“Good,” I smiled. “But you’ll be back. Even if it isn’t before the Classic, which I know bothers you, you will be back.” He sighed heavily. “Just remember, Jordan, what doesn’t kill you only makes your stronger.”
“You’re so cliche sometimes, Erra,” he chuckled, pulling out of my arms. “But thank you.”
The light shone in his eyes again, and I smiled at him. “Anytime. Thank you.”
He raised a blonde eyebrow. “What’d I do?”
“You helped me out too,” I said, grabbing my mug and sipping my tea. “I feel...calm.”
Jordan laughed, which caught me by surprise. “See, just like you said. ‘What doesn’t kill you only makes you strong’.”
“Oh, shut it!” I teased, and we both started to laugh.