Here I Am

“I cannot believe we’re having a baking party,” Jonathan Toews grumbled as he walked into my house.

“You’re the last to arrive,” I said. “Where’s Kaner?”

“I’m here! And I have the sprinkles you asked for!” the blonde popped in. “This is so exciting. I love sprinkles!”

“Well everyone is happy but you,” I looked at the captain.

“I only got roped into this because she kept annoying me,” said, taking off his coat and shoes. “I wish we had a game tonight or something.”

“But you don’t!” Delia sang from my kitchen, in a hot pink apron. She had dressed Riley in a black apron and he looked pretty bad ass.

“Aw, don’t you two look cute,” Kaner said, ruffling the boy’s hair.

Riley grinned. “Are you going to help me bake the chocolate chip cookies?” he asked the winger.

“Yes!”

“Let’s do this!”

Kaner and Tazer were helping Riley bake cookies. Kruger and Stalberg were making apple crumble. Scott, Sharpie, and Seabs were making brownies.

“So what are we making?” I asked Delia.

“Cupcakes,” she grinned.

“All right. Teach me how to make some cupcakes.”

A few hours later, we all sat in my living room, eating and enjoying everything we baked.

“So is this our dinner?” Scott asked, reaching for another cupcake. The cupcake I decorated. I found I was seriously talented with some red icing.

“Sometimes you have to live a little. And living means eating dessert for dinner once in a while.”

“Can we do this tomorrow too?” Riley asked his nanny.

“You didn’t even have a prayer going for you on that one mister,” she raised an eyebrow playfully.

He sighed and flung himself on Scott and Kaner. “She’s so mean sometimes. She won’t let me cake for dinner or. . . .” he struggled for another reason. “Or cookies for breakfast.”

Everyone laughed. “Good reasoning kid,” Scott ruffled his hair.

They all were starting to leave and my heart tugged at the idea of Delia and Riley leaving again.

“So,” I started awkwardly as the nanny bundled her energetic kid up in a winter coat and hat.

She stood to her full height and looked at me, smiling. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow Corey,” she basically read my mind.

“How come you get to talk to all of them ALL the time and I don’t?” Riley pouted.

Delia and I both chuckled. “Because mister. I have a cell phone and I am able to and you’ve got school. You can’t possibly talk to them ALL the time while learning those lovely subjects, no?”

He pouted. “You’re always right!” he whined.

The familiar smirk crossed her lips. “Of course I am. I’m right about everything,” she said, looking at me when she said this, tipped her hat to me and waltzed out into the gently falling snow.

“God, she is a weird one, isn’t she?” Scott waved to the two and Riley waved so hard I thought his arm would fall off.

“You’ve no idea,” I shook my head.

“You two are perfect for each other,” Seabs, pulled on his winter coat. “I mean, I don’t even know.”

“It’s because she’s so weird,” Kaner said. “She brings out the weirdness in him. I mean look at him now. A baking party? Totally weird. But awesome,” he added on, seeing my look.

“And you ground her, it seems,” Krugs said.

“Get out. All of you,” I sighed, but smiled anyways. “And no more of this Delia and I are perfect talk.”

Tazer was the last to leave and he paused for a moment, turning back to me, a smirk on his face. “I notice how you didn’t deny a single thing.” And before I could respond, he was already getting into his car, no doubt, still smirking.