I'll Be There

Geno was around the house less often than usual. Rachel and Evgeni had agreed to take it a little slower since Halloween and Ava was glad not to see him every day like she had been getting used to. They didn’t go to hockey games, at least, Ava didn’t, and he only came by maybe once a week for dinner or for breakfast on Sundays. Rachel went back to working more hours so Ava spent the mornings in Adventure Club and took the bus home after classes were over.

Sure, she much preferred when she got to sleep in and have Geno take her to school rather than going in early with her mother, but there was only so much she could do. Tonight was one of the two nights a week that the three of them would have dinner together. Tonight they would be going to Geno’s house, which meant they’d eat something a little weird, or that he’d be ordering in food – she hoped for the latter.

It was cold now, end of November, and Ava bundled up in one of her favorite sweatshirts as she swung her legs in her booster seat. The drive to Evgeni’s wasn’t long, but she was tired and wanted to take a nap. Rachel ended up carrying Ava up to Geno’s gorgeous home, one that she envied when she looked around at the manicured yard that looked picturesque with a few leaves that had fallen.

“Hello, I just – ” Geno immediately silenced when he noticed the sleeping girl in Rachel’s arms. Both of the adults were shocked when the little girl looked up at Geno and reached for him. There was just something different about being held by a Daddy than a Mommy. Rachel followed Geno quietly through the house and upstairs to where he knew there was a big bed he could lay her down in. Reaching the master bedoom that he and Rachel frequently shared, she whined when Geno tried to put her down, tightening her grip around his shoulders.

“No, Geno.” She whined softly, burrowing into his neck, making him shiver with the feeling of her cold nose into his warm skin. Geno couldn’t help but smile a little, thinking that maybe she had started to forgive him for what happened two weeks ago on Halloween. Rachel shrugged and they walked back downstairs to the kitchen.

“Hi baby.” Rachel laughed softly when Ava’s breath evened out and she was mostly asleep. Geno stepped to her, a big hand on Ava’s small back as he kissed Rachel’s lips gently.

“I haven’t seen you in a long time.” He frowned after kissing her, going in for another peck before he could nod over to the fridge. “I bought stuff to make pizzas. Does that sound good?” He asked.

“That sounds perfect, good idea babe, Ava will love it.” She added. They moved to the family room, Ava still cradled into Geno’s chest as they settled on one of the black leather couches. They talked for a little bit about their upcoming plans for Thanksgiving, they would be hosting it together at Geno’s and inviting a lot of the guys on the team who were either Canadian or didn’t have time to go home to celebrate with their families. Needless to say they were expecting a lot of people over. They also wanted to talk about how to best break it to Ava that they would be moving into Geno’s house. Rachel and Geno were ready for the next step and thought that it would be best to move in together so that they could try and fix things between Ava and Geno. He had, after all, been essentially living at their place when they started to get along and they wanted to continue with that technique.

They spent a relaxing half an hour on the couch, talking and drinking wine as the oven heated up for pizzas. Rachel made a pizza for she and Geno first, knowing that Ava was hungry and the smell of the baking pizza would pull her out of her nap. Ava was arm and content in her little spot against Geno’s chest.

“Geno?” Ava mumbled as she blinked her eyes open.

“Yes, kotehok?” He asked, rubbing a hand down her hair, making her tired again.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you.” She whispered, making him wish Rachel were in the room to witness this.

“I’m sorry too, Ava.” He whispered as she started to wake up.

“Geno?” She asked again.

“Da?” He asked, as she wiggled against him.

“I’m hungry.” She said, holding on tightly as Geno got up from the couch. He carried her into the kitchen and set her down on the counter of the island opposite of where Rachel was cutting their sausage and onion pizza, a little station set up for Ava with a crust, cheese, sauce and pepperoni.

“This is for you, baby girl.” Rachel said, setting her up and watching as she put her pizza together, forming her pepperonis into the shape of a crescent moon. It wasn’t long until Ava’s little pizza was finished and she was wiping sauce off of her chin from her last piece. Geno boxed up the leftovers and stuck them in the fridge as Rachel grabbed a juice box for Ava. “Ava honey, let’s go upstairs.” Rachel insisted, taking Ava’s hand who looked up at her mother skeptically. She had only been to the second level of Geno’s house once before and that was to take a bath after she had spilled jam all down the front of her shirt.

Evgeni followed them up the stairs and he pulled at the collar of his sweater awkwardly, wondering how this was going to go over.

Rachel pushed a white door open to reveal a powder-pink bedroom. Geno held his breath as the little girl took in the space that he had for worked months to put together. There were constellations painted in glow-in-the-dark paint on the ceiling, white fabrics strung around like the Milky Way and a custom mahogany sleigh bed. His mother had sewn a quilt just for her, deep pink with white stars and moons.

He had bought toys, placed telescope next to the bay window, and even put up some framed photos by her walk-in closet of the Consol, knowing how much she liked it there. Beside it was a photo of he, Rachel and Ava at one of his hockey games.

Ava took a few cautious steps into the room, looking to the corner where her bed was sitting. Big, white letters spelt out her name about three feet above her headboard.

“Is this for me?” She asked from the middle of the large bedroom, not moving her feet, but twisting her upper half to face her mother and Evgeni.

“It is.” Rachel nodded, walking in and sitting down on the edge of the bed that was rather tall. “Evgeni was hoping that we could share his home. What do you think of that?” She asked softly, approaching Ava like she was a wild animal – no sudden movements to startle her. Ava looked at her mother and then back to Geno who stood in the doorway, taking up ninety-five percent of the space. He offered her a smile.

The only way Rachel could have described the look in her daughter’s big eyes as she nodded was defeat.

•••

Evgeni grinned as he looked up at Rachel who was drunk with lust, her eyes rolling back as he peeled her lacy white underwear from her body.

“Geno, baby, I –” She stuttered, lacing her fingers through his hair.

“Shh.” He silenced her, placing light kisses on the insides of her thighs as he pulled her body from the edge of his bed a little closer to where he was kneeling on the floor before beginning his assault. Dragging his tongue up and down her lips, he pressed it against her throbbing clit like he was pressing the buzzer on Jeopardy and he knew all the answers. Rachel thought she would black out when she felt one if his long, thick fingers prod at her entrance. She couldn’t remember the last time they had actually gotten some time for just the two of them.

“Geno, please, I need you.” She insisted, reaching down and caressing his cheek. Geno kissed his way up her midsection; stopping to wrap his dinner-plate hands around her breasts, thumbing over her hard nipples with a smirk on his face, knowing how badly she wanted him. “Cut it out.” She giggled, knowing that cocky look on his face all too well. Geno silenced up when her warm fingers wrapped around him, guiding his hard member to her warmth.

Evgeni made an indiscernible noise of satisfaction as he slid into her, hovering over her as he leaned down to kiss her gently. He couldn’t wait until they were doing this with the hopes of having their own children. Kissing down her neck, he relished in the sound of the small noises she made, urging him on.

“Mama? Geno?” Evgeni froze when he heard it.

“Fuck,” he hissed.

“Did that just happen?” Rachel asked, breathing heavily, her heart racing in her chest, not from Evgeni.

“Mama? I had a nightmare.” Rachel could hear the sadness in Ava’s voice.

“Shit.” Evgeni got off of Rachel, running into the bathroom and grabbing his sleep pants on the way. Rachel hurried off the bed, grabbing her sleep shorts and pulling Geno’s shirt over her head before opening their double doors to the hall. Ava stood there in her pink nightgown, clutching her Buzz Lightyear plush with unshed tears in her eyes.

“Hi sweetheart.” Rachel smiled sadly, swinging Ava up into her arms.

“It was scary.” Ava sniffled as Rachel carried her over to she and Evgeni’s big, California King bed. Rachel tucked her in tightly between she and Geno’s side of the bed, brushing her little wispy bangs out of her eyes before kissing her gently.

“It’s all over now, once it’s over – it’s over.” Rachel smiled. “You can sleep in here with Mama and Geno.” She insisted. Ava nodded, sniffling as she turned into her mother’s chest, squeezing Buzz to her little body.

A few moments later, Evgeni emerged from the bathroom after having had time to cool off, splash some water on his face and get something to drink. He couldn’t help but grin upon seeing Ava in bed with Rachel, her body so small in contrast to her mother’s – a tiny clone clinging on. He scooted into bed, sighing at his aching joints and the comfort of the soft, warm, bed below him. He froze as Ava turned over in her sleep, snuggling up to him as she deserted Buzz. Relaxing, he slung an arm around her, letting her little chest meld into his as she snuck her thumb into her mouth.

He’d let it slide, just this once.

“’Geni?” Ava whispered softly, half conscious a few moments later.

“Da?” He asked, rubbing his big hand up and down her back, hoping to lull her back to sleep. Ten-thirty was way past her bedtime and the last thing he wanted to deal with the next day was a cranky Ava.

“Please don’t leave us, too.” She mumbled. Evgeni frowned. A girl her age shouldn’t have to worry about being left and he couldn’t help but grit his teeth thinking of her father and how he had abandoned she and Rachel.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’m not going anywhere.”