Everyday I Think Of You

three months later
"Corey, my clothes don’t fit anymore,” I pouted to my husband. I was four and a half months pregnant, and shriveled from being burned in the car accident. Nothing looked good on me. Or that’s what I thought.

“That looks great,” he commented as he walked in to see me naked.

“Like I can go to the summer get together for the NHL in this. I’m sure you’d like it enough, but not everyone would. Besides, how am I supposed to go to this thing without Jackie? She’s always been there with me for these things. Abby too, neither one of them is going. Can’t I just stay here, in the house?”

“Sophie Crawford, you are the first woman to join the NHL. You can’t let your best friends not going to stop you from being yourself. The woman I fell so madly in love with.”

“Corey, I’m not that girl anymore. I’ve gone through so much in such little time. I just don’t know how to do anything anymore.”

“Yes you do, you know how to take care of Ava, of me, and of all your friends. Now it’s time to take care of you and our babies. I’ll pick something,” he said as he headed into our torturous closet, I had strewn clothes everywhere as I finished trying them on. “This will look great. Put it on, now.”

I did as he told because he rarely got bossy with me. “Fine, now what?”

“Look in the mirror, it looks amazing.” I went to the bathroom and was actually surprised. The dress made me look half-way normal again. My skin didn’t look so wrinkled and my hair, just the way it was, looked perfect. The dress itself was blue and black, so it was sliming as well.

“Okay, I must’ve missed this one.”

“Are you good now?” he asked quietly. I nodded and went to give him a kiss.

“Okay, let’s go. We can’t be late to the party thrown in our city, can we?” I laughed as he led me out into the warm Chicago air. Jon and Jackie were staying home tonight, as was Abby without Patrick. Ever since the accident, he’s been withdraw from just about everything except his kids. He didn’t live in the house with them any more though, he was living with us, which was why he was in our car right now.

“Patrick, are you sure you don’t want to take Abby? She could be ready to go in a half hour.”

“Soph, we’ve talked about this. Abby betrayed our marriage, I can’t just forgive her.”

“Okay, I’m sorry.”

The limo pulled up to the restaurant where we chose to host the annual NHL back to season party. Corey got out first, I followed, and Pat brought up the rear.

“Sophie, Corey! How are the babies? How are you recuperating?” the press’ questions were shouted from all directions. We just ignored them, but stopped to talk to the one reporter that the Hawks always guaranteed an interview with.

“Sophie, are you feeling better?” she softly asked me. She was one of the best reporters in Chicago and I was grateful she was the one Corey had stopped by.

“Much, actually, it’s just weird to not be getting ready to play. Very, very weird, that’s for sure.”

“Patrick, where is your wife?”

“Abby is home with the flu,” he swiftly replied. And we were moving in towards the restaurant with the rest of the crowd.

“Nice lie,” I mumbled as Pat left earshot. Corey heard me and shook his head. He didn’t like Pat living with us much more then I did, but he understood where the guy was coming from. I mean, our relationship had a rocky start since I was with Crosby first and then Corey; it just was a bit different since Corey was the ‘other’ man and Pat is ‘the’ man.

Corey found us a couple of chairs and I sat down for the first time since leaving the limo. My ankles were thankful; this was the most walking I had done since I left the hospital. Corey hardly let me lift a finger, can’t say I didn’t like that, it was just overbearing at times.

“Mr. and Mrs. Crawford,” Chicago Blackhawks General Manager, Rocky Wirtz, said to us.

“Evening, Rocky,” we replied as he and his wife took the seats next to ours.

“How are you feeling, dear?” Mrs. Wirtz asked me.

“This is probably the best I’ve felt since I left the hospital to be completely honest,” I told her.

“That’s wonderful. When are the little ones due?”

“Early February, possibly late January,” I said as I absentmindedly placed my hand over my bump.

“How are you and Corey preparing for the new additions?”

“He plans to build a new house actually, since our place is only a three bedroom. And we would like each of the babies to have their own room.”

“That would be very smart. How big are you thinking?”

“Six rooms,” Corey added into our conversation.

“Six bedrooms, which is quite a big house. I suppose you are planning on having more children after retirement than, huh?” she mentioned.

“It has been brought up. We just want to be prepared is all.”

“That’s a good plan,” she replied as they started to serve dinner. Conversation was light and cheerful around the Blackhawks table. We shared it with the Wirtz’s, KK with his date, Duncan Keith and his wife, as well as Brent Seabrook and wife.