I'll Be There

It was another long day and late night at the hospital for Rachel. She’d only be pulling this schedule for another three weeks before she’d be dialing back her hours for six months. Living with Evgeni had been such a blessing, knowing that there was almost always someone with Ava put her nerves at ease.

However, this time, she was a little more frazzled than usual.

“And her Buzz, is he packed?” Rachel worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Baby, everything is packed, emergency numbers are in my phone, I will call you every hour.” Geno kissed her gently, bringing her into his chest. Ava would be accompanying the team along with a few other of the Penguins’ kids to the away game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In a promotional event for the Penguins, they would be going to Disneyworld the day after the game.

Evgeni lured Ava in by promising to take her to Cape Canaveral. Rachel stopped home for an hour to see them off on her break.

“’Geno I’m ready!” Ava bounced down the stairs in her Penguin fleece pajama bottoms and a long-sleeve white tee. The flight wasn’t leaving until eight that night and by the time they all got off the plane, she’d want to head right to bed. Evgeni was excited to be spending more time with Ava.

“Give Mama some love.” He insisted, taking her little backpack that had a small pair of aviation wings pinned to it alongside her bedazzled flowers as she lunged at Rachel who swing her daughter up into her arms.

“Be good for Evgeni, okay? Listen to him and don’t get separated. I want you to call me tomorrow, alright? Be a good girl.” Rachel kissed all over her daughter’s face. The three days Ava would be gone would be the most time they had ever spent apart.

“I will Mama.” Ava kissed her mother’s lips before dropping back down to her feet, pulling her coat and fur hat on top of her head. December fifteenth was warm in Tampa Bay but cold and chilly in Pittsburgh.

“Love you.” Rachel kissed Evgeni, seeing them off at the garage door as he buckled Ava into her booster seat.

“Bye Mama! Love you!” Ava yelled as Geno kissed Rachel once more.

“Take care of my baby, okay?” She asked, placing her hands on the lapels of his black pea coat.

“Of course,” Evgeni whispered. “No more worrying.” He insisted before bidding her goodbye and getting in the car. “Ready to roll?” He asked as she kicked her legs excitedly.

“Let’s go!” She squealed. Ava bounced in her seat, the ride to the airport taking entirely too long as she waited anxiously to get out of the car again. Ava had never flown in a plane before and this was as close to space travel as she’d ever be. “Whoa.” She marveled as Geno parked the car near the tarmac of the chartered plane complete with the Penguins logo.

“No turning back now.” Geno laughed, getting out of the car and handing his keys to one of the airport security members that would park his car along with his teammates for the duration of their trip. Grabbing his personal duffel as well as Ava’s duffel, he slung her little backpack on her shoulders before taking her hand in his. “Do you want Buzz out of your bag?” He asked as they joined a big group of the guys. Not many of them had kids, so only a handful of children were coming on the trip.

Ava nodded and watched as Geno kneeled down, zipping her pink bag open to grab Buzz from the top. She held the stuffed plush in her hand excitedly as she rocked on her feet that were tucked into her fuzzy moccasins.

“Ava! Hi Ava!” The girl turned her head and grimaced upon seeing Jonathan Staal who was walking hand in hand with Jordan who also held onto their next oldest, William.

“Geno.” She scowled, making the Russian laugh as he slung the two duffels over one shoulder and hoisted her up onto his hip. She immediately relaxed into his body and pretended to be very sleepy.

“Hi Geno!” John smiled as Jordan reached his good friend with an exasperated look, not necessarily prepared to look after two boys on top of his normal routine. “Can Ava play?” He asked.

“Maybe once we touch down.” Geno smiled, “Ava is very tired.” He explained, making Jordan grin at the little girl who peeked down at John through her long tresses. John frowned but nodded nonetheless as Dan came around with his own son to take a headcount.

“Geno, Ms. Ava…” he spoke as he passed by. Ava wiggled in excitement as Geno carried her up the stairs to the plane and walked them to his usual spot, knowing exactly who was going to sit down across from them. Ava got situated in her oversized, plush chair beside Evgeni’s, spreading out her blanket and buckling Buzz in beside her.

“Sidney!” She squealed as Sidney boarded, surpassing Marc-Andre Fleury who fussed with his three year old daughter, Annabelle, and went straight back to the four chairs that faced one another, dropping across from Geno and setting his bag in the seat beside him.

“Hey munchkin.” Sidney grinned as she tucked her feet under herself, Evgeni helping her with her buckle. “Look what I brought,” he smiled conspiratorially, pulling a Ziploc bag from his personal duffel full of candy – pixie sticks, Reese’s, Three Musketeers and M&M’s. Geno gave Sidney a dark look that chilled him to the bone, knowing full well that he was going to be up all night with an amped seven year old.

“Dorogoi, how would you like to have a sleepover in Sidney’s room tonight?” Geno asked, lightly nipping at Ava’s ribs as she and Sidney split a pack of Reese’s.

“Nyet.” Ava giggled, making Sid crack up. It was one of the few Russian words she had picked up since living with Evgeni and it was definitely one of her favorites – no.

•••

“Geno is good for… folding laundry, making pizza, Vicks vay-po-rub.” Ava listed as she and Evgeni walked hand in hand through the fast lane for the Rock ‘n’ Roll rollercoaster. There was no waiting in lines for the Penguins today.

“And what else?” Geno laughed as Pens TV filmed he and his little friend.

“Oh, and Geno is good for light bulbs, he’s tall.” She explained, making the camera crew laugh. Geno looked a little uneasy as the girl bounced her way to the front of her line, Jordan loaded John into the car behind them while Sidney entertained William who was just a bit too small to ride the rollercoaster.

Geno’s worries vanished when he saw how excited Ava was, it was nice to see her so carefree for a change. He regretted letting Ava eat her bag of cotton candy and a corn dog before eleven that morning, knowing that it could definitely make a guest appearance after this ride.

Ava clutched Evgeni’s hand tightly before the rollercoaster could take off, bouncing in her seat as the carts rolled up to their first drop. Seven minutes later, they were getting off of the contraption, Geno’s knees wobbling unsteadily as Ava ran with Jonathan Staal to the next ride.

“Ava! Ava, wait for me!” Geno called, feeling a little lightheaded. Ava slowed and ripped her hand away from Jonathan as he tried to grab it with a wide smile. She bounced over to Geno, putting her arms up and staring down at Jonathan with her pink tongue stuck out as she looked down at him from her perch on Geno’s hip. “Ava.” Geno warned. She had gotten a talking-to several times from both he and Rachel about sticking her tongue out at people.

“Geno I’m hungry, can we get some spaghetti?” She asked, knowing exactly how to work him as she placed her hands on his cheeks, looking into his dark eyes. Evgeni melted.

“I bet we can find something to eat.” He nodded. It was something he had grown accustomed to quickly, carrying the little forty-pound girl in his arms. It made him feel so paternal, like the father he had always wanted to be. He hoped that they could keep up with this trend and stay on good terms. Now that he was used to the feeling of holding her in his arms, he didn’t want to give it up. Jordan liked to insist that he was spoiling Ava, carrying her everywhere. Evgeni reminded his teammate that he had a surplus of children whereas all he had was Ava.

Evgeni and Ava had a wonderful day at the park together and PensTV was eating it up. They also especially liked when the two got matching Mickey Mouse ears. Evgeni was glad they were there since he had forgotten his camera at the hotel and Rachel was going to want to watch the broadcast.

By the time the fireworks were exploding high in the sky over Cinderella’s castle, there were several children that were dead on their feet. Jordan had rented a stroller from the park, sticking Jonathan and Ava in it as they slept on their way back to the hotel. Evgeni couldn’t resist snapping a phot on his cell phone of the two that were snuggled together under Jonathan’s new Tigger blanket. Ava’s shining moment of the trip was when she got to actually meet Buzz Lightyear.

Geno saw tears shining in the toddler’s eyes as Buzz held her close and let her whisper her secrets into his ear. She got to meet her actual hero and Evgeni was going to be able to reap all the credit. That would get him off the hook with her for future arguments at least.

“Nuh, that’s wrong, Geno.” Ava mumbled as she spun her nightgown around – the Russian almost pulling it over her head backwards. “There.” She commented as she crawled on all fours into her giant bed that was all to herself. She had never had a bed that big for just her little body. Geno crawled into the bed across the room from her and they both felt just a little off kilter. It was weird that the two beds in the suite were easily ten feet apart.

Geno had set his alarm, text Rachel a goodnight and was just feeling his eyelids becoming too heavy when he felt Ava crawling up to the top of his bed. He wordlessly peeled back his covers and watched as she snuggled into the extra pillow beside his.

“Do you think Cinderella is sleeping in the castle?” She asked quietly, able to see the blue and purple illuminated structure from the bed.

“Da, where else would she sleep?” Geno asked as the little girl bawled her hands into fists, rubbing them into her closed eyes.

“Does Buzz sleep in the castle, too?” She asked, her body curling up into an impossibly small little ball under the warm comforter.

“No, Buzz sleeps in Andy’s room, remember?” Geno asked. How could he forget? He had only watched the three films fifty times apiece.

“Oh, right. Woopsie.” She blushed with a small giggle, making him grin. It was the rare moments that he saw her acting like a little girl her age that made him smile the biggest. Another few moments of silence passed and Geno was just on the verge of sleep once again when she spoke up.

“My Daddy said that he was going to take me here someday.” She whispered quietly. “Do you think he still will?” She asked. She was sure full of a lot of questions that night.

“I think that I’m excited to go to Cape Canaveral tomorrow.” He reminded the little girl, wanting to take her mind off of her deadbeat father.

“Do you think Buzz Aldrin will be there? Or Neil Armstrong? Or!” She gasped for dramatic effect. “Kathryn Sullivan?!” She asked, eyes wide as she inched closer and closer to Geno.

“I don’t know, milaya moyna, but I know we have to sleep before we can go.” He whispered, brushing her hair back from her face. Ava nodded with a pout of her lower lip and screwed her eyes shut, wishing for sleep to come.

He brushed his hand over her hair repeatedly, letting his big, clunky fingers get tangled in her silky strands.

Seeing her joy made him excited for the day ahead. And that made him feel like a father.