An Unexpected Something New

CH 30-- Epilogue

There was a stoppage in play with about seven minutes to go in the second period of a home game against Florida when I got a tap on my shoulder. I had anxiously been expecting this and as soon as I felt the stiff fingers press my pads down into my skin my heart jumped.

“Sid, you gotta go.” I knew coach, as a coach, hated saying the words but as a man his voice was laced with excitement for me.

I quickly turned my head unable to mask the huge nervous smile that spread across my face. “She called?” I quickly popped up and my heart started to pound faster as his head nodded confirmation.

“Good luck, check in with us later,” he said as he pulled me in for a quick hug. There was nothing else to say. The rest of the guys knew exactly what was going on and I felt their big hands pat me as I quickly headed to the locker room, hearing behind me their loud cheers of congratulations.

I couldn’t feel my hands and my stomach was in knots. I was shaking as I tossed off my gear and got in my street clothes so that I could meet Hannah at the hospital where she was going to give birth to our first baby; a son. I had prepared the team and coaches for the unexpected phone call, and warned them that if it happened during a game I was out of there immediately. Of course they understood the excitement and importance of this event and there was no problem…it was just a matter of waiting. Every night when I got home I was thankful I was next to her, hoping she would go into labor and I could drive her to the hospital, be there for her every step of the way. Of course my plans took a backseat to life and here I was in the situation I feared, though it could have been much worse—I could have been on the road. It had been a stressful pregnancy to begin with. Hannah had had stints of being in and out of the hospital with the doctors fearing she would go into premature labor. It was so hard watching her drugged up with needles in her arms and being powerless to do anything as I sat next to her never leaving her side. It made me worse with my over protectiveness towards her than I already was. Now that we were nearing the finish line I had gotten used to expecting and waiting for that phone call. I just wasn’t prepared for what to do when it was actually time.

We had been married about five months when Hannah flew out to surprise me at the hotel we were staying at in Carolina. She sent me a picture of her positive pregnancy test with a cute note next to it that said, ‘Hi Dad! I can’t wait to meet you!’ besides it. I almost fell backwards when I opened the picture in my messages and called her immediately. “Is that for real?” I asked as soon as she answered the phone. If she were playing a prank it was the cruelest one ever.

I heard a knock at the door and went to answer it as I waited for her to answer through her precious giggle. When I opened the door and saw her standing there with her huge beautiful smile she threw her arms around my neck. “Yes!” she exclaimed before pulling back and kissing me in the doorway.
I lifted her off her feet and nuzzled my nose to hers. “You…you’re pregnant? We…” she kept nodding the more I kept speaking. “We’re having a baby?”

“Yep! You’re gonna be a dad!” she squealed. Her eyes were sparkling and she was simply glowing with exhilaration.

“How…I mean, when, I mean…how long have you known?” I stammered out still trying to absorb all the new information I’d received in the last minute and a half.

“I took the test two days ago and since you were traveling I didn’t want to tell you over the phone and I couldn’t wait baby, I couldn’t wait to tell you for another two days so I booked a surprise flight and flew out. Are you….okay?” After she rambled with pure joy I could see she had settled down and in her eyes was panic. She realized I could be completely freaked out and give the exact opposite reaction she had been hoping for.

I pulled her back into my room and shut the door behind us as I led her to the bed. “Hannah,” I stood in front of the edge of the bed with my hands gently on her cheeks. “This is the best thing ever. I really don’t know how else to say it,” I laughed. “Oh my God, you’re really pregnant?” I asked for the fifth time as she nodded her head and giggled. “Oh my God,” I said more excited and pulled her in close to me. “We’re having a baby!” I pulled back to look into her eyes, “I love you so much Han. This is amazing news you just caught me so off guard but I love it,” I said before leaning in to kiss her hard.

“I love you Sid,” she said and I could see the tears in her eyes. I brushed a strand of blonde hair off her face, “Really I should be surprised it didn’t happen sooner, it’s not like we’ve ever tried to prevent it Han.”

She laughed, “Yeah it isn’t like we’re the poster children for protection but we lucked out. We’ve been extremely blessed you can’t deny that.”

“I would never say we weren’t. I’ve been on my knees thankful since the day I met you.” That was still an understatement in my eyes. I knew from the first time I laid my eyes on her. I was lucky she said yes and as my wife….God, there was nothing I could say. She was the perfect wife. She took care of everything and loved the traditional wife role; she fell into it so easily that I knew when the time came for us to have a baby she would be an incredible mother. She was a natural at nurturing, supporting, encouraging, she was adorable and funny and just took care of and loved me beyond words so, a baby? She would be a million times more amazing at that.

“You’re really happy?” she looked up into my eyes searching for confirmation.

“Of course I am! Hannah you’re giving me the most precious thing anyone can give another human—you’re carrying our baby. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

“Sid…” she looked at me more serious.

“Yeah Han? What’s the matter?”

“I—I need to ask you something.”

“Okay. You can ask me anything, you know that.” I said reassuringly.

“Do you promise you’ll still love me and think I’m attractive and want to have sex with me when I’m big and super pregnant and not skinny?”

I let out a slight laugh and gave her waist a little squeeze. “I’m sorry for laughing baby, forgive me, but that’s a ridiculous question. You’re beautiful and the fact that you’re carrying our child kind of makes you sexier in a weird way. I can’t quite explain that. So, unattractive? No, that’s impossible. Will I treat you like glass and go to extremes to fiercely protect you even more now? Hell yes. But please don’t think that anyone is ever going to turn my head but you, now or ever.”

Hannah smiled at me and reached up to kiss me. I felt her push me back towards the bed and I had to stop her despite my instincts not to. “Han,” I pulled my lips off hers again. “Baby, as much as I would love to celebrate this news we have to stop. I mean, I already have a roommate you know, and at some point he’ll be back.” I said with a chuckle.

Hannah looked up at me with a devious smirk and shook her head. “No you don’t. I already talked to him, he’s got other arrangements tonight,” she said as she pressed her lips to mine again.

“You took… you took care of it?” I couldn’t help asking her as I pulled away. “How did you…” I smiled. “Never mind.” I let my hands fall to her waist and delicately pushed her back on the bed. I lifted her shirt over her head and crawled next to her kissing down her chin to her neck. I ran my hand over her delicious breasts and to her stomach where I let it rest and pulled back to look her in the eyes.

“Are you okay baby?” she looked at slightly concerned.

I gently ran my hand over her flat stomach that had something so beautiful growing inside of it; something we had created and felt my heart swell with love for not only my gorgeous, incredible wife…but my unborn child as well. “I’m perfect,” I breathed out before pushing my lips to hers, being as delicate with her as I possibly could be. I made soft sweet love to her that night like I thought I could break her if I got too rough.

Now here I was running down the hallway like a crazy man looking for my wife’s delivery room. When I finally burst in I went right to her side and saw the discomfort she was in. I would have done anything to be able to help her, take the pain away. Watching the woman I love lying there contracting and hooked up to monitors was hard to take. Being able to do nothing felt worse. After all that she had done for me and all the times I needed her to encourage me it was my turn to be there for her, for me to encourage her when she felt she couldn’t keep going. It was a long sleepless night but by the time the sun came up the next morning Hannah had delivered our son and my entire world had changed for the better yet again.

It was a magical time as we settled into our home with little Daniel. We were bombarded with flowers and gifts from friends and family, my teammates and coaches. The love I had for Hannah, the newfound appreciation and admiration overflowed and spilled into the love I instantaneously had for my new son. When I would look at Hannah with him in her arms my heart fluttered every time, and when I held him forget it. I had my new little buddy. He had my brown hair and Hannah's gorgeous sapphire eyes. I was in love.

*****

We went on to have two more kids—a little girl and another little boy. Our life together was everything we could have hoped it would be. Despite becoming parents we never lost that spark or love for each other. We still snuck kisses, held hands, laughed and spent time together. I could never keep my hands off of her and her eyes always sparkled when she looked at me. I never stopped being the ‘prince charming’ Hannah wanted or needed and she never failed to fulfill all my needs and then some. Our relationship never fell to the backburner or became a ‘typical marriage’-- she was always my number one priority. I never grew accustomed to being away from her and the kids. After all the years of going through seasons, games and road trips the place I wanted to be most was home. My favorite moments were chasing the kids around with Hannah and holding her in our bed at night.

In case you were wondering, Jordan and Phoebe did get married. They had two kids and even though we didn’t have the rest of our careers to spend together we were lifelong friends. Phoebe had become Han’s best friend and we often went away on family trips together over the summers.

Looking back I can barely remember my life before Hannah came into it and I prefer it that way. To me, my life didn’t really begin until she came along and I wouldn’t change a thing, not one second of our extraordinary ordinary life together. Every year it just got better, looking up in the stands and seeing my best friend beaming with pride at me with the fruit of our love at her sides was my biggest, most rewarding accomplishment. The game, the money, the cups—it paled in comparison to her and our family. Every good thing in life she had given to me and I had given to her. Looking back, it’s funny to see how things work out. Hannah often told me over the years that I was her ultimate gift at her wedding to Derek. She said I was her ‘something new’ that day, quite unexpected for sure, but definitely the most wonderful, rewarding, something new.