Keep Your Girl Out of My Shoe Cabinet, Your Wife

Sidney’s Point of View
I chuckled slightly when I left the bedroom, closed the buttons of my shirt and headed towards the stairs. A picture at the wall caught my eye. Moments like these reminded me of the days we still were best teenagers and the world was ours.


The gravel in the drive way gnashed under the tires of the car as it pulled up in front of the house. Trine Crosby opened the front door of the wooden house and stepped out to welcome her son.
The 13 year old jumped out of the passenger set, grabbed a duffel bag and his hockey bag from the trunk and walked towards the house to greet his mother.

“Hey mom. Missed me?” He snorted, dropped everything to hug his mother.

“Of course I did dummy. What do they feed you in that summer camp? You grew another inch at least and gained some pounds.” His mother jokingly pinched him into the side after letting go of the hug. She picked up his duffel bag full of cloth and stepped aside to let him pass.
The teenager ran through the vacation home they rented for a week each summer together with the Laraque family. Mr. and Mrs. Laraque still had some business things to do back in Cole Harbour so Trina, Troy and Taylor Crosby had taken the only child of the Laraque family, the 14 year old Viviane to the summer house.
Sidney opened the back door and walked into the backyard that ended in a lake.
His best friend from kindergarten tolled through the high grass in a white sun dress playing with her belove dog Gambler .
“Hey Gambler come here.” He commanded, his voice shaking slightly through the vocal change.
The red brown hair of the slightly older girl flew around as she eyed him up and down.
“Look what the cat dragged in. In what drug store did your dad find you? You look like you are on steroids.”
Sidney laughed at her response, petted Gamblers head and ran towards his best friend. When he arrived by her side she threw herself around his neck and he picked her up swirling around.

I smiled at the picture my mother had taken in that very moment and went downstairs.
Everything was prepared and Viviane had planed every thing to the point.
I lighted some candles and opened the door as the first guests arrived. Chris Kunitz and his wife were the firsts and I welcomed my line mate with a hand shake and greeted his wife with a hug.

“Hey Sidney, how have you been this summer? Barley a day we didn’t see you on the news. Lovely house you got.” She said and handed me a bouquet of summer flowers.
“I got these for your wife Vi…”

“Viviane” I answered and smiled.

Shortly after Matt Cooke, Craig Adams, their wives and kids arrived.
Some of the guys had announced that they’d bring their kids over, others had their parents visiting or baby sitters for the night.

About five minutes later I saw Viviane coming down the stairs immediately being greeted by Jordan, who took her under his wing and showed her around while I still played the door man and Evgeni played the grill master.

When Marc-André and Vero came back from the airport Vero just walked by and Flower gave me a bump into the shoulder.
I guess we had hurt them a little. It confused me a little and made me sad that they weren’t happy for us. I mean we hadn’t planned it to be that way but they didn’t know the whole truth.

As soon as everyone arrived I joined my team mates in the backyard. The wives and girlfriends had gathered around Viviane and were bombarding her with question. Either about her career or getting to know her. Who knows those women.

Some of the guys namely Marc-André, Pascal and Kris had taken the older kids to the pool and were playing water ball with them.
Geno had put the hideous apron Taylor bought me over his very Russian outfit and turned the steaks and sausages like a pro. The rest of the guys had gathered in small groups and were talking about stuff.

The mood was light and everyone was getting along well. It felt good being back in town with the team and having everyone here. My small somewhat forced family and my big family. My team.

“Don’t you think you should say a word and introduce your wife, Captain?” James Neal said passing me a beer.
I looked at the winger and nodded. “Right.”

Taking a sip from the beer, I walked over to the wives and girlfriends, took Viviane’s hand and asked “May I?”
Without waiting for and answer we walked towards Geno and Viviane sat down on the counter next to me, placing her cranberry juice and my beer next to her and put her hand on my shoulder.

“Hey everybody?” I said and the conversations silenced. “First of thank you all for coming. The new guys welcome to the family I hope you will like our team and city because that’s you home now. That’s what you be fighting for day for day. Everyone else welcome back. This has been a way too long summer and damn if there hadn’t been other things I’d almost have missed you guys. Let’s make it our mission to have a really short summer this season.
I would like to introduce you all my best friend since I have been a kid. The one’s of you I have know a long time might me a little disappointed I didn’t tell you earlier but I hope even though you are a little mad at me right now that you can forgive me. Maybe one day you will understand why we did it the way it is. And yes I do mean you Flower, Vero. Long story short everyone this is my best friend, the first girl that broke my heart, the first girl whose heart I broke, my wife and the mother to my unborn child Viviane Crosby.”

Some of the girls started clapping and awwwing, other guys started cat calls.
I looked up to Viv and she smiled at me caressing my neck.

“Giss” Geno muttered.
Duper must have heard it and started chanting. “Kiss kiss kiss”
More and more of the boys started to join and clap. I just shook my head and laughed.

“Where are we?” Viviane laughed. “Junior high?”

Some of the girlfriends laughed along but started clapping along.

Slowly I turned towards Viviane.

Mixed POV {cursive= Sid; bold = Viviane}

What would she do if…

Well what is he going to do now?

She is so going to slap me

Someone is about to screw up… how again did he manage to knock me up? If he doesn’t move within the next to seconds our whole cover is blown.

Sidney froze in place and stared at Viviane as she slid of the counter, wrapped his arms around his neck and softly kissed him.
Before he could kiss her back Viviane pulled away, turned around and waved to the cheering team. “Hey everyone, nice to meet you.”

The party was a full success. The team began to bond with the new guys, their girlfriends and wives and all the new faces that had joined the Penguins family during the summer. Everyone seemed to have a great time and when most of the guys with kids had left, the core of the closest friends still sat together in the living room talking about their summer. Jordan –who had returned to Pittsburgh like every year; according to Sid he had a long term girlfriend back home-, Marc-André and Vero –who were still not talking or looking at Viviane-, Evgeni –who just recently had broken up with his girlfriend Oksana though it seemed like he wasn’t sure about it and now shared his home with a cat named Dixi and Kris Letang, who’s girlfriend Catherine had left the party early because of head aces.

These guys were the closest friends Sidney had in Pittsburgh after guys like Colby Armstrong and Max had left the team so it was important for him that they got along with Viviane.

“So Vivy you got baby of Sidney” Evgeni asked out of a sudden after Jordan had talked 10 minutes non stop about the new car he wanted to buy.

“Well not yet but it’s growing in my stomach, yes” She answered and smiled at the Russian.

“Can I feel?” Geno loved kids and couldn’t wait to start a family himself.

“Sure” Viviane got up and so did he, smiling all over his face.

“You big tummy. You thin. Big baby. Gonna be a boy fer sure.”

“Nononononoooo it’s gonna be a girl. If this dude over there really means he has to be a dad before I am a mom he at least has to have the modesty to give us a girl so I can help Viv to spoil that girl to death until that goalie of yours manages to grow a couple.” Vero suddenly said, jumped of and walked over to Vivane. “I’m sorry for being such a bitch earlier. I guess I was just a little jealous because you suddenly are here and Sidney gives you all I ever dreamed of. But we are in the same spot I think, only that you have the husband and kid already but had to wait years to get Sid back and I had that Clown there all the time just not the ring and the baby.”

Viviane smiled at Vero and pulled her into a hug. “Thank you Vero…”

“I also think it is a girl” Jordan yelled and made Kris cringe.

Two hours later after the last guests had left the house, Sidney and Viviane stood at their respective guest room doors saying good night.

“Good night Sidney.”

“Good night Viviane. I hope you had a good day.”

“Yeah it was fun. I’m glad Vero and Marc changed their opinion at the end of the day.”

“So am I… ”

“Well then… see you tomorrow.” Viviane opened her door and walked into the room.

“Wait… just one last thing” Sidney said, crossing the hall with three large steps, putting his foot between door and frame