When One Thing Goes Wrong, a Good Thing Always Follows

20 years later...

"Damian, PLEASE leave Marissa ALONE!!!" I yelled at my two youngest kids. Damian, who was named after my dead brother, looked up at me with his big brown eyes and pouted,

"But mommy, she stole my race car." I looked at my six year old son and said,

"Well, why don't you just ask her nicely for it back? Instead of pulling in her hair and hurting her. And Marissa, it is not nice to take stuff without asking." I bent down to pick up my two and a half year old baby girl up. I took the small toy car out of her hand and has she shrieked, I said to her,

"I think that it is time for you to take a nap little missy." I got a slap on the face in response. I just shook my head and carried her off into her room so I could put her down for her afternoon nap. After I had finished putting her down, I went to check on my eldest son to make sure he was doing his homework.

"Joseph Milan Lucic, you had better be doing your... what is your sister doing in your room?" I exclaimed when I opened the door to Joe's room. Joe, who was named after my dad and Milan, looked at me sheepishly and said,

"We were just...uh...- I was just helping him with his homework. Ain't that right Joseph?" My oldest daughter and oldest child, Gabrielle (Gabi) cut in. Joe looked at her, made a face, she made a face back, and then turned to me and said,

"Yeah, she was just helping me with my... with my English homework. Since she's the writer and all in the family." I just shook my head at their awful lies and left the room. Gabi, who had the honors of being named after my best friend and her godmother, was studying to be a news writer and next year planned to apply to Boston University to do so. I leaned up against the wall outside of Joey's room and thought back to when Milan and I had found out that I was pregnant with Gabi...

Flashback...

Twenty-four year old Milan Lucic made his way into his and his new wife's apartment in the North End. They had been married for a total of five months now and he wouldn't trade getting married to her for anything in the world.

"Baby, I am home." He hollered as he walked into the kitchen.

"I'm in the bedroom!" he heard his wife called. Getting extremely turned on, he grinned and made his way stealthily to the room, expecting her to be in some sexy get-up. But, when he got there, he was shocked to see Jenny just sitting there in plain clothes holding a piece of paper.

"What's that?" He asked as he sat down on the bed next to her and pulling her into a tight and loving hug. She answered his question with another question.

"Milan, when do you plan on having kids? Like, how old would you like to be" She didn't know why, but she sounded afraid, which was NOT the way Jenny wanted to sound to her husband as she told him that she was pregnant with his child.

"I dunno, whenever I guess. Why?" he said with a shrug. Jenny let out a sigh of relief and told him,

"Because I went to the doctors today to find out why I have been so sick these past couple of weeks, and well, I am pregnant." Milan did a double take and then jumped up off the bed and shouted for joy.

"Are you serious baby?" He asked as he picked her up gently and swung her around. Jenny giggled and told him yes.

"Jeez, I'm gonna be a dad? That is... that is awesome... Wait, now that you’re pregnant, can you still have sex?" He asked, as they both sat down on the bed again.

"Yes, why? Do you wanna have sex now?" she asked with a smile. For her answer, Milan just kissed her. And within seconds, their clothes were scattered across the floor.

End of Flashback...

I smiled at that memory. Milan had been so happy, and I was too. But then again, isn't every person supposed to be happy at the thought that they were gonna be having their first child. And then I thought back to when we found out that we were having twins...

Flashback...

"Is everything alright?" Jenny timidly asked her doctor, who was just staring at the ultrasound very intently.

"Oh yes, it's just that you both," the doctor gestured to her patient and her husband, " that you both had better start planning for two kids and not just one." Jenny and Milan both just gaped at her and Jenny finally sputtered out,

"So, you mean that we are having twins?" When the doctor said yes, Milan smiled, laughed, and then said,

"Damn Jenny, I knew that we shouldn't have had that much sex during the past few months." Everyone else in the room laughed.

End of Flashback...

"Mom, have you seen my street hockey stick? I can't find it and Dad said that when he gets home he would shoot out front with me!!!" my thirteen year old, spitting image of his father, Nathan shouted up to me from downstairs.

"Did you try the shed?" I called back. In my response, I heard the front door open and then slam shut. I just smiled but soon, that smile was wiped off of my face when I thought back to that God awful day when Milan and I had found out that one of our babies had not made it...

Flashback...

The doctor came back holding the ultrasound, tears forming in her eyes. That was what instantly caught the overly happy couple and the smiles were wiped right off of their face.

"What's wrong?" Milan finally managed to ask.

"I am so sorry, but it appears that one of the twins did not make it through the whole pregnancy. Now, I will give the two of you a minute, and then I will come back and talk to you two about what we are gonna have to do about the... about the dead body that is now inside of you." And then she left, leaving both Jenny and Milan crying and lost for words.

End of Flashback...

I wiped away a strand tear as I thought back to my unborn daughter and the surgury that I had to go through just to get her dead body out of me. But, I had to smile at how Milan was always with me through everything, the ups and downs... and that first birthing process... poor guy, he probably thought that I was gonna kill him...

Flashback...

"MILAN!!! IF YOU DON'T TAKE MY GOD DAMN HAND RIGHT NOW I AM GONNA KILL YOU!!!" Jenny screamed at her helpless husband, who was trying to do everything that he possibly could to take her mind off of the pain that she was enduring. Jenny had wanted to do a natural birth so the choice of epidural calming her down would not be an option. Milan did has he was told without a word and just watched his wife go through the pain that would soon lead to his first child, a baby girl, they would soon find out.

After a couple of pushes a good twenty or thirty minutes later, the sound of crying filled the room. Their first child had been born.

"She's so beautiful." Jenny whispered as she held her baby for the first time. Milan, who was a bit choked up, smiled and said,

"Yeah she is, just like you. We have a baby girl Jen, a baby girl..." Jenny's smile only got wider as she said,

"Can we please name her Gabrielle, after Gabi?"

"Well, I liked Claire, but that can be the middle name. Gabrielle Claire. Got a nice ring to it. Now, how about I go and get her godmother and tell her that we named her goddaughter after her." Milan muttered as he got up off of the bed.

"That's the perfect name, thanks. Now, how about you take her to meet everyone while the doctors clean me up." Milan agreed, took his daughter gingerly and so carefully, as if he thought that he was gonna break her, and then brought her meet her family.

End of Flashback...

"Mommy, can you please come and help me with my math... I don't get it." My nine year old son, Jason, asked me. I looked at him, smiled, and said,

"Aw baby, you know that I am awful at math. But, I will try to help you." I said as I got up. He took my hand and led me to the kitchen where he was doing his homework.

(Milan's POV)

I pulled into my driveway after a hard and VERY painful practice.

"Dad, hurry up and change so we can practice together!" My thirteen year old son hollored to me, waving his street hockey stick in the air. I groaned as I remembered the promise that I had made earlier this morning. I wanted to tell him that practice would just have to wait, but the excitement in his voice forced me to say,

"I'm coming son. And I don't need to change, I just practice with you in what I am wearing now." I said as I got out of my car. The smile on his face was worth it.

"Alright son, now when you go to take a slap shot, remember to place your arms down lower than what you really would." I showed as I demonstrated to my soon-to-be hockey star son. He watched me intently and I wish I could say the same when he tried it, but my attention was taken away by the site of my wife sitting at the kitchen table helping my son Jason with what I assume was his homework. Watching her made me realize all over again why I chose to propose to her in the first place...

Flashback...

"Milan, where are we going?" Jenny yelled from the passenger seat. Milan could tell that she was getting irritable and he had the feeling that it was because of the blind fold that he had made her wear.

"You'll see soon. Now, just sit back, relax, -MILAN!"

"Shutting up now." Milan said quickly after she cut him off by yelling at him.

"Well, you can take that stupid blind fold off now. We are here." Milan told her ten minutes later.

"It's about time. Are we at the Common?" Jenny asked when she had gotten the blind fold off.

"Yeah... um, would you care to joining me for a swan boat ride?" Milan asked sheepishly.

"But Milan, it is like eight thirty at night. Are we even allowed?" Jenny asked as she followed him down to the boats.

"Jenny, come on, I am THE Milan Lucic!!! I just helped Boston win their first Stanley Cup after a couple of decades, of course we are allowed to!!! Now, COME ON!!!" he said, mocking her and her question.

"Good to see that all of the fame hasn't gone to your head." Jenny said with a laugh. Milan laughed to as they both entered the boat. After having the driver drive them around the pond a couple times, Milan finally plucked up the courage to ask the question that he had been meaning to ask all night.

"Jenny, I love you and from day one I knew that you were the one. I promise to love you forever and ever and will you please do the honors of making me the happiest person alive and marry me?" There, short and sweet, Milan thought as he pulled out the diamond ring that he and Horty and David spent a total of two days looking for. Jenny gasped and then yelled "YES" at least twenty times and then kissing him.

End of Flashback...

"Dad, Dad, DAD!!!" Jason yelled at me. I quickly snapped out of trance of thought and said,

"WHAT?" I yelled back as I pulled him in close to me and rubbed his head. Out if all my sons, I was the closest to Jason. I don't know why, but I just was. Though, him being an absolute hockey fanatic probably had something to do with it.

"What were you thinking about?" he asked as we both sat down on the ground.

"The day I asked your mom to marry me." I told him. He smiled and said,

"Why? Because it's your anniversary today?"

"Maybe. Hey, speaking of that, I need to go and check on something with Gabi and Joey. Keep practicing dude, I'll be back in a few minutes." I said as I got up and walked toward the house.

"Milan? Is that you?" Jenny asked as I walked into the kitchen and placed my hands over her eyes so she couldn't see.

"No, it's Santa Clause." I said. Nine year old Jason laughed as Jenny said,

"Not funny Milan."

"Really? Cause I think that I am hilarious. How 'bout you Jace?" Jason just laughed and nodded.

"Anyway, where's Joey and the Gab-ster?" I asked as I kissed my wife on the forehead.

"Joey's room. Why?" she asked.

"None of you beeswax." I said as I got up and left towards my oldest son's room. I heard Jen start to laugh as she called out to me,

"Did you seriously just say 'beeswax'?"

"You bet I did!!!" I yelled back.

"Oh hey Dad, we are just finalizing everything for later tonight." Gabi said when I walked into Joey's room.

"Great. Did I ever tell you guys that you were the best?" I asked as I kissed her forehead and ruffled Joe's hair.

"Maybe once or twice." Gabi said with a laugh.

"Well, it's true. Thank God you both inherited your mom's smart genes. Now, speaking of your mom, she doesn't expect what's going on now does she?" I asked.

"Nope. Though idiot here almost blew it. But, I covered for him, don't worry." Gabi said, shooting one of her famous death glares at her brother. One would never guess that the two of them were soo close to each other.

"Well then, thanks. Now, I gotta go and finish that game of hockey with Jason. See ya later at the beach. Oh, and had Mark Recchi to the guest list. He got back to me today and said that he is now free to come. And he is bringing his wife and three kids." I said.

"Sure thing Dad. Oh, and Dad." I stopped walking and turned around to face my kids.

"Yeah?" I asked looking at my two beautiful kids.

"Mom's gonna love this. Yeah, it’ll mean the whole world to her." Joey started and Gabi finsihed. I smiled at them, thanking God that I held a great relationship with all my kids, and then headed back downstairs thinking,

"Hopefully Gabi won't mind renewing our vows on minutes’ notice."