I'll Be There

“Hi Mama.” Ava mumbled upon seeing her mother’s face on the open laptop in Sidney Crosby’s living room. “Are you coming home soon?” She asked, “we need to tie dye and bake cookies before school starts.” She reminded her mother.

“I know baby, but I’m still here with Geno for three more days.” She held up three fingers. “We got you a surprise today and we got to see lots of great things and eat great food. We wish you were here, baby girl.” Rachel smiled, feeling very anxious to be separated from her daughter this much. Saying goodbye earlier that week had nearly kept her from leaving.

”Don’t leave.” Ava sobbed, arms around her mother’s midsection tightly as they stood in the entryway of Sidney’s home, Brianna watching from the kitchen archway with a sad smile on her face. “Don’t leave me, why do you have to go? Evgeni is taking you away from me.” She continued to bawl.

“Baby we wanted you to come along, but you don’t want to.” Rachel insisted. “We won’t be gone for very long. Now give Mama a hug and dry those eyes.” She said, straightening the little lapels on Ava’s tiny jean jacket.

“No, go away. Leave.” Ava frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. “If you wanna go, go!”

“Ava Marie, you get over here and you give me a hug and a kiss.” Rachel frowned, crouching down to her daughter’s level. Ava huffed, stomping over and pecking her mother’s cheek as Geno came down the stairs with the last suitcase. Rachel went to the car and Geno stood in front of Ava awkwardly, not sure if he should hug her goodbye.

“We will be back soon.” He offered softly.

“I hate you for taking my Mama away from me.” Ava replied calmly. Geno wasn’t sure what to say, so he patted the top of her head and turned on his heel, walking out of the house.

“I’m gonna go, I’ll talk to you later.” Ava sighed, closing the laptop and running off through the house to the kitchen where she had been helping Brianna prepare lunch for Sidney, Jordan, and Phoebe – and unfortunately, Jonathan.

“Bread, mayo, turkey, bacon, avocado.” Ava listed off. “This looks like Kermit the frog laid an egg.” Ava informed, holding up the avocado she had picked up from the counter.

“You know, you are very right about that.” Brianna giggled, taking the avocado and slicing it up for the sandwiches and Ava nibbled on a piece of bacon. “Hey babe.” She smiled when Sidney entered the kitchen.

“Hey ladies.” Sidney smiled, kissing Brianna’s cheek and rubbing his knuckles across the top of Ava’s head, making her grunt and swat at him. “How’s it going, kiddo?” He asked, hopping up on the counter beside her, wary of the six sandwiches that were laid out to be finished.

“Making sandwiches. You want some Kermit egg on yours?” She asked politely as he slung his arm around her narrow shoulders.

“You’re an odd one, you know that?” Sidney asked. “After lunch, let’s hit the trampoline, zero gravity.” He grinned, making her nod excitedly as Brianna handed her a juice box.

“If she barfs, you’re cleaning it up.” Brianna insisted, finishing up the sandwiches and pulling out six plates, serving them up with veggies and fruit. “Bring these out back, two hands.” She informed, handing Ava one plate as Sidney took three and Brianna took the last two out to the patio in the Crosby’s back yard.

Ava sat beside Sidney and as far away from Jonathan as possible, ignoring the goofy grins he sent her across the table. Sidney would eat the avocado off of Ava’s sandwich and she would steal his strawberries, making Sidney giggle as he would try to sneak them off of his plate without him noticing.

“Ava are you sad that you didn’t go to Russia with your Mom and Geno?” Jordan asked loudly as he took a drink of his water bottle.

“No.” Ava said with a shrug, swinging her legs that didn’t come close to touching the ground from her patio chair. “I wanted to go to Disneyworld.” She explained, making Phoebe laugh.

“I would take you to Disneyworld, Ava.” John smiled, making Jordan lean back and fold his arms behind his head with a big smile stretched across his features. Ava gave John a dark look before taking another sip of her lemonade.

“Who is your favorite cartoon character?” Sidney asked as Ava leaned into his side, shielding herself from the warm August sun as she flapped her pink jelly sandals against the bottom of her feet.

“Buzz Lightyear.” She replied with a giggle as he dug his big fingers into her ribs with a tickle.

“How did we not guess that one?” Brianna asked as Jordan and Phoebe whispered back and forth between themselves, John in Jordan’s lap as the oldest Staal son traced the tattoo that wrapped around his Dad’s bicep, covered in all of his son’s names.

“I wanna go into space just like he does and see all the planets and stars.” She explained. “I can take my Mama and fly wherever I want. I can fly home and see Daddy.”

•••

Another month had passed and Evgeni was spending more and more time at Rachel and Ava’s tiny apartment, and Ava couldn’t be more displeased, especially when she would see Evgeni appear from her mother’s bedroom in the morning and make breakfast. She wished it was just the two of them, now that school was starting soon, she’d get even less time with her Mama and now she had to share with Evgeni.

“Ava? Wake up, nap time is over.” Evgeni gently shook Ava’s shoulder as she curled tighter into her covers.

“Go away Ev-geeny,” Ava swatted in his direction. “Sleeping.” She insisted.

“No hitting, you know Mama’s rules.” He frowned.

“She’s my Mama, not yours.” Ava glared at him. “I’m awake, go away.” She huffed, turning over in bed.

“You need to get in the shower, we’re leaving in two hours and your Mama wants you clean and ready to go. There’s some leftovers in the kitchen if you’re hungry.” He gave her little belly a rub, making her frown even more. “Come on, up and up, Mama is home in 20 minutes.” He insisted.

Ava mean mugged Evgeni as she rolled out of bed, dragging her teddy with her as she went into the little bathroom that she shared with her mother and now for a lot of the time, Evgeni as well. Showering quickly, she trudged back into her room in her little pink bathrobe, combing her hair out and getting ready for the Penguins home opener.

“Knock, knock.” Evgeni rapped his knuckles against her bedroom door. “I have a snack.” He called out, knowing that she probably wouldn’t have let him in anyways. Ava cracked the door open enough to take the small bowl of cut up fruit, melon, pineapple, berries and pomegranate seeds – her favorite.

“Thanks.” She mumbled. “Where’s my Sid jersey?” She asked with a tilt of her head.

“Hanging in your closet,” Evgeni frowned, “don’t you want to wear the jersey Mama and I gave you?” He asked, referring to his own jersey, the Penguins blue third jersey that looked so nice with Ava’s eyes. Ava simply shrugged before closing the door and finishing getting ready, prepped for the game in a pair of jeans and her Sidney Crosby black and Vegas gold sweater.

“Mama’s running late, we’re going to meet her there.” Geno sighed, checking his cell phone to see a text from Rachel saying that her shift had gotten extended and that she’d be at the CEC in time for the game to start.

“Wait, let me grab my camera.” Ava ran back to her bedroom to grab her little disposable that she loved so much. She ordered it from the Scholastic Book Fair magazine they got in the mail and carried it with her everywhere.

“Do you want to take my picture?” Geno asked with a laugh as she joined him again in the entryway.

“Why would I want a picture of you?” She mumbled, following him to the elevator that they took down to the parking garage where Geno’s silly car was parked. It was his sleek little Mercedes that looked very aerodynamic and ‘like a fish’ in Ava’s opinion. “I hate this thing.” She grumbled, strapping herself into the booster seat in the back that she’d have to sit in until she was a little bigger.

“Stop mumbling.” Geno said, focusing the rearview mirror on her as he tugged on his tie and pulled out of the parking garage. “You and Mama will have fun at the game, I promise.” He insisted. “Phoebe and the boys will be there, too.” He offered, as if that sounded any better to Ava who detested all of the Staal boys – they were icky and loud and didn’t even like the same things she did.

“Yay.” She sighed.

Evgeni had the hardest time with Ava. He tried everything to make her like him, good conversation, gifts, bribery, becoming interested in the things she liked… but Ava was determined to keep him out of her life. The worst part was, she always seemed like such a sad little girl. All he really wanted was to see her smile, but she could be so dark and sarcastic that he wasn’t sure if he knew how to be a happy little girl.

“Hand.” He insisted, sticking his big paw out after he helped her down from the car seat. Ava tucked hers into his and they crossed the parking lot into the arena together.

“Sidney!” Ava smiled upon spotting the Pens captain, running to him excitedly as he scooped her up in a hug.

“Captain Sid saves the day.” Evgeni muttered, loosening his tie even more as he felt just the slightest hint of pre-game jitters like he did before every home opener.

“Stop mumbling, Ev-geeny.” Ava stuck her tongue out at the Russian who disappeared into the locker room.

“You need to be nicer to Geno, Ava.” Sidney said, giving her a stern look. “He really cares about you and he wants you to like him.”

“I don’t like him.” Ava frowned. “He’s trying to be my Daddy and I already have one.” She flopped against Sidney’s chest. “I wish you were dating my Mama, not Ev-geeny.” She whispered, just barely audible, but loud enough for Sidney to hear, and just enough for Geno to catch as he entered the hall again from the locker room. There was no way the captain could deny the flash of hurt that crossed Geno’s features.

“Come on, Ava.” Geno sighed, reaching his hand out to Ava as Sidney placed her down onto her feet. “I’ll take you upstairs.” Ava looked up at Sidney once more before taking Geno’s hand and following him, head down as she watched the way her sneakers moved against the floor. The walk up to the suite went by quickly as her small legs tried to keep up with his long strides. “Your Mama will meet you up here soon.” He opened the door to the family suite where Ava could already see Staals running rampant.

“You’re just gonna… gonna leave me here?” She asked, looking very much like a lost little girl.

“That’s what you want, isn’t it?” He asked before dropping her hand. “I’ll see you after the game.” He turned, walking back out to the upper level concourse.

“Bye.” She whispered as the door closed behind him.

Rachel wasn’t there in time for the game to start – Phoebe kept a keen eye on Ava as the starting roster, including Geno, was announced to the roaring crowd. She couldn’t believe all the people that were cheering for him, why was he so special? She also could recognize people who had Geno’s jersey on. Did they really pay money for those?

Ava had never seen something like a hockey game before, the way the players moved up and down the ice, throwing their bodies into the boards and shooting the little puck at the net. She went through all the film in her little camera in the first six minutes.

“I wonder where your Mom is.” Phoebe frowned at the end of the second period as she returned to the suite with Brianna soon-to-be Crosby, each of them carrying meals for the little Staal boys and Ava, cheeseburgers and hot dogs for the boys and chicken nuggets for Ava.

“Probably at the hospital.” She mumbled, swirling one of her French fries around in a pool of ketchup. “She’s really important there.” She added, trying not to sound so sad.

“Well we’ll have fun and then if she can’t be here before the game ends, we’ll get you down to Geno.” Brianna smiled, softly stroking Ava’s soft hair as the little girl perked up when the home team took to the ice again.

“I wanna go home.” She mumbled.

“Soon, babe.” Phoebe smiled sadly at the little girl who couldn’t seem to be more down. The third period came and past with a victory over the Coyotes in the Penguins favor five to two. Ava held Brianna’s hand as they all headed down to the locker rooms, all the Staal boys holding another’s hand as they followed Phoebe like ducklings in a row – each wearing a Staal jersey that one would grow out of and hand down to the next in time.

Ava was dead tired on her feet, eyes droopy and body exhausted as they waited in the lounge for the players to file out. She was actually relieved to see Geno for once. Wordlessly, she lifted her arms up towards him as he entered in his disheveled suit. He gave her a small smile, lifting her up into his arms and carrying her out to the car.

“I had fun,” she whispered against his chest as she nuzzled the top of her head under his chin. Geno knew she wouldn’t notice, so he took another lap around the parking lot to the car to wipe her out just a little more. Besides, he rather liked holding her, especially when she was quiet and tired.

“You did?” He asked, the rumble of his deep voice soothing her. “So you will come to another game?” He asked, rubbing a hand up and down her back as her lips parted in a soft snore.

“Yuh.” She smacked her lips softly.

“And wear my jersey?” He asked, knowing he was pushing his luck.

“Shh.” She whispered, making him stifle a laugh as he made it up to the car.

He wasn’t ready to give up on her yet.