Back to December

A few weeks later Kris had a day off and Quinn had a birthday party to go to in the morning. Mandy didn’t come home last night, ever since she started dating this new guy she was home a lot less. It was good for her to go out, but not being around for their daughter started to become a real big problem. She would never come home when she said she would be, so Kris would have to take Quinn to the arena with him and Mandy even began to not come home on time when he had a road game, so he would have to find someone to watch his daughter until her mother came home.
***
“Wasn’t Mandy suppose to bring her?” Sidney asked Kris as he came in with Quinn

“Yeah she decided not to come home again.” Kris said sounding annoyed and in a low tone so Quinn who was glued to her daddy’s leg wouldn’t hear. Quinn was shy just like Kris and big groups made her nervous.

“Daddy!” little Sophia Crosby screamed excitedly who was the same age as little Quinn Letang.

“Hey Sophia, look who’s here!” Sidney gestured towards Quinn

“Hi Quinn, Thank you for coming.” Sophia smiled at her quiet friend.

“Here I picked it out myself.” Quinn handed her the gift, the eldest Crosby took it graciously, Sophia had a two year old sister named Amelia and another little sister on the way.

“Thank you! Lets go play with the others!” The always joyful Crosby looked took the only little Letang’s hand and they took off to play. Then came alone little Amelia.

“Hey you!.” Sidney said picking up his youngest and she reached out to Kris who took her. Kris decided to stay a little just to see if Quinn would be okay. The guys sat in the living room talking, little Amelia was still in Kris’ lap.

“Jeez Sid you two just keep popping them out.” Pascal Dupuis said when Sidney’s 8 month pregnant wife Julie came walking in.

“Hey we’re gonna have to until I finally get a boy.” Sidney said eager to have a boy, but it seemed like all he could reproduce was little girls.

“This is coming from the guy with four kids.” Julie spoke up and everyone laughed. “Sid I need your help in with the setting out some food.” She said and he got up to help his wife, rubbing her hand on her belly before heading out of the room. Kris would love to have more kids but that at the moment is currently impossible. About an hour later he headed home and left Quinn a the birthday party she seemed apprehensive at first, but was okay when Kris said he’d pick her up after.
***

Kris heard the door click, Mandy was home, she said she would be home at night to be able to drive Quinn to the Sidney’s daughters birthday party, but clearly that didn’t come through.

“Oh you’re home.” Mandy said sounding surprised as she entered the living room. She was hoping he wasn’t, so when he did arrive she could lie and say she probably got home right after he left to drop off Quinn.

“Yeah where else would I be?” Kris said not looking at her.

“I didn’t see your car in drive way.” She said walking to the stairs.

“Its parked in the garage. Before you go upstairs, I think we should talk.” He said looking at her like a parent would to a teen, which is how she had been acting lately.

“About what?” She asked seemingly oblivious to why they’d need to talk.

“I think you know Mandy. Its clearly about they way you’ve been acting.”

“What do you mean? About me dating somebody? Its not your business who I date!” She spat the last sentence.

“It is when it comes to my daughter and you not being there when you say you’ll be for her.” His tone began to raise and his blood started to boil.

“Our daughter Kris! Our daughter!” She began to yell.

“Well act like a fucking mother, to OUR daughter!” He began to yell also.

“I do act like a mom!” She yelled back

“You USED to, now that you have this FUCKING BOYFRIEND, you act like a pretty SHITTY MOM!” Kris yelled back louder, it was becoming a screaming match.

“For fuck sakes Kris, I need a life outside of this house!” Her tone lowered when she realized how enraged Kris was, she always was scared of Kris when he was mad.

“Yeah well it shouldn’t interfere with Quinn’s life, she should be your first priority.” Kris said trying to calm himself down.

“She is, I just need time to myself sometimes, you don’t get it, you get that time when you are at the arena our on road trips.” She said trying to make him feel sorry for.

“Look I get that, everybody needs time away from their kids but when it becomes an issue, where you don’t show up when you should for her, that’s just being irresponsible.” Kris said now calmed down, Mandy began to tear up.

“I just miss my family, I want to go back to Tennessee Kris. I just need to be around people who love.”
“You don’t think I love you? Of course I do you gave me the most beautiful little girl ever, how can you not love someone who gave you something…someone so amazing and that little girl loves you unconditionally.” Kris said to her. Mandy began sobbing, realizing how right Kris.

The only reason she had done what she did was to make Kris hurt the way he did when he asked for a divorce. She still wholeheartedly loved Kris, she wouldn’t let him know that, but she did and if she could go back in time she would stop this whole mess from even happening. The fact that this didn’t hurt Kris but hurt her daughter seemed to make the pain even worse, it hurt because it didn’t affect Kris the way she wanted it to and it hurt her Quinn above all she was far from any of her intentions.

“Look I have to go pick up Quinn from Sidney’s, go get yourself cleaned up and I’ll pick up dinner on the way home.” He said and she nodded heading up the stairs where she was originally headed to before this whole argument started.

***

Another few weeks passed and things were seeming to go really well at home. Mandy had split up with the guy she was dating and she found other things to do instead of staying out all hours of the night and not being there for her family. In some strange way they were a family.

***

Kris and Mandy where tucking in Quinn and where about to head to bed themselves.

“Mommy? Daddy?” Quinn asked to her parents sitting on either side of her.

“Yes?” They responded in unison.

“Why are you and Daddy divorced if you still live together? My friend Cole from school, his parents are divorced and they don‘t live together.” That was the dreaded question they have been waiting for.

“Look sweetie, we live together because we want you to see daddy as much as you can. If we didn’t who’s to say when you would see him.” Mandy explained to the four year old.

“Oh, I’m just happy that I can see you both at the same time.” She smiled at her parents.

“Goodnight Quinn.” Kris said giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“Goodnight Daddy, Goodnight Mommy.” Quinn said and kissed them each on the cheek.
“Sweet dreams Quinn.” Mandy said getting up to head to bed herself, as did Kris. They turned her light off and shut the door a bit.

“Goodnight Kris.” Mandy smiled.

“Goodnight Mandy.” Kris smiled back and they headed there separate ways.

Every thing felt right, Mandy had high hopes that things between her and Kris would eventually work out.