Father Figure
Fifteen
Sidney's Point of View
--
My good mood felt like it would never die. I was above cloud nine. It had felt so good to play again. I'd been waiting for this moment for almost a year now.
The guys and I had all done our cool down and interviews with the press. Dan had given us a quick speech and now we were all left to shower and change.
I was talking to Marc-André while I got my suit back on. "So, how do Vero and Nathalie know each other?" I asked curiously.
Marc glanced up at me. "T'ey met at some gym, I guess. T'ey started talking and were soon all buddy buddy," he told me.
I nodded my head. "How do you know Nathalie?" he questioned. I could hear a hint in his voice. Obviously Vero had said something to him.
I cleared my throat a little. "We grew up together. We used to be best friends, but we haven't talked since we were about 18," I told him.
He nodded his head. "Have you met her sons?" I asked finally.
He looked surprised I knew about them. "Yeah. T'ey're adorable. I watched t'em when t'ey went out a few times," he told me. "Good kids."
I smiled. "She told me they drenched themselves in paint a little while ago. She said she came home and they were being hosed off in the front lawn," I commented with a smile.
Jordan broke into our conversation. "Nathalie's kids?" he asked. I nodded my head. "God, that was such a mess! How much did she tell you?" he asked with a laugh.
I shrugged. "She just kind of skimmed over it," I admitted.
He nodded his head. "You know, I couldn't imagine being a girl at 18 and finding out I was knocked up with triplets. I don't know how she did it," he said in disbelief.
Eighteen... Something slowly started turning in my head. They were five now... It added up almost perfectly... A cold rush of fear ran through my veins. No... They couldn't be... She would have told me, wouldn't she?
But she had ignored me. She had never talked to me after that night...
"Holy fuck," I muttered to myself. I looked between Marc and Jordan, who were now talking to each other. "I'll see you guys later," I told them. "I'm gonna head out."
"Wait, you're not going out to celebrate?" Jordan asked in shock.
I shook my head. I couldn't think of celebrating right now. The possibility that... "I just need to head home. Get some rest. The adrenaline rush is gone now, you know?"
He nodded his head. "Well, good night. Awesome game!" he told me. I quickly said goodbye to everyone else before sprinting to my car. I got into the car and dug out my phone.
I pressed it to my ear after hitting the call button. I closed my eyes tightly. This had to be some weird kind of coincidence. They couldn't be... "Hey! Awesome game!" Taylor exclaimed as soon as she answered her phone.
"Thanks. I have to ask you something important, though," I rushed out.
"What's up?" she asked.
I inhaled deeply and slowly let it out. "Okay, remember when I was 18 and I'd just come to visit?" I asked. "It was in about March."
"Yeah, I guess so. Why?" she asked in confusion.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Did you hear about Nathalie Harris, my best friend back then, being pregnant?" I asked quickly.
I was praying to God Taylor knew some kind of gossip. Anything. "Yeah, of course. It was awhile after, though. Pretty sucky situation to be in," she commented.
"Who was the dad?" I blurted out.
She paused. "I... Don't know. I just remember some girl saying something about how she'd hate to get knocked up the time she lost her virginity like Nat, so I'm gonna guess whoever she slept with for the first time," Taylor reasoned.
I flung open my door and leaned over, letting the bile hit the pavement beneath me. I couldn't hold in the sick feeling in my stomach. God damnit... I'd gotten her pregnant. She was my best friend... We weren't even supposed to sleep together! Neither of us liked each other that way and we still did it.
"Holy crap, did you just puke?" Taylor demanded.
I spit on the ground. "Taylor, please tell me you know something more. Anything," I begged softly. I could feel my stomach turning again, ready to up chuck a second time.
Taylor was silent. "Um, they were born a month early. Her mom helped her through it all and helped her get her college degree. She moved to Seattle, Washington, I think it was. Last I heard, she had found some lawyer and he purposed to her. That's all I know," she admitted.
I rubbed my forehead with my hand. "Did you ever see them, her sons?" I asked.
"Yeah, they were really cute! They were about a year and a half or two at the time. It was kind of creepy. They looked a little like yo-Oh my God. Please tell me you aren't the dad," she gasped.
I rest my head against the back of my seat. "I don't know... I ran into her and she mentioned having three sons that were five. I didn't think of it. Then I was talking to Jordan and Marc and they said something about how it would such to get pregnant at 18 and it just clicked. I mean, time wise and everything. Shit..." I whispered.
Taylor was quiet as I rambled to her. "What the hell am I supposed to say? Why wouldn't she even tell me about it?! Damnit, I would have helped her out! I could've been in their lives," I groaned out.
"Why don't you go make yourself present now, then?" she suggested.
I was quiet for a moment. "What do I say to her?" I asked. "She ignored me this whole time, so obviously she didn't want me to know," I mumbled. Why didn't she want me to know? We had been best friends... If anyone, I would have been the one to take care of them all and step up to the plate.
"Just say you want to be their dad. You want to be in their lives and you expect to share the responsibility of raising them or something all grown up like that," Taylor told me. "You're a big boy. You became the captain of an NHL team before you were 21, won a Stanley Cup, and went to the Olympics and won a gold medal. You can tell your old best friend you want to know your kids."
I let out a small laugh. "Thanks, Taylor. I'll let you know how it goes," I promised.
"No problem. And send me a picture of my nephews!" she exclaimed.
I laughed. "Will do. Don't tell mom and dad yet, though, okay?"
She agreed and we hung up. I had sons. I had three sons. What were their names? What were the like?
What if they didn't like me, though? What if they liked the guy she was engaged to more?
My mind filled with questions as I drove the familiar road to Mario's house. I parked next to her car and began walking to the small house I'd once stayed in. The light from the main area was on, but other than that I was pitch black. My heart was racing in my chest. My eyes drifted over to the area of the house where the bedrooms were. Were my sons fast asleep on the other side of that wall?
I knocked on the door, my hands shaking. I quickly wiped my clammy palms against the pants of my suit. The light above me flicked on and the door swung open. Her straight red hair was tugged up into a messy bun. She was wearing a simple pair of jeans with a Penguins shirt. Her small feet were covered in a pair of light green socks. She didn't have any make up on besides some mascara. She was the same Nathalie I knew in high school. Her head slowly lifted so her eyes could meet mine.
"When were you planning on telling me I was a father?" I blurted out.
--
My good mood felt like it would never die. I was above cloud nine. It had felt so good to play again. I'd been waiting for this moment for almost a year now.
The guys and I had all done our cool down and interviews with the press. Dan had given us a quick speech and now we were all left to shower and change.
I was talking to Marc-André while I got my suit back on. "So, how do Vero and Nathalie know each other?" I asked curiously.
Marc glanced up at me. "T'ey met at some gym, I guess. T'ey started talking and were soon all buddy buddy," he told me.
I nodded my head. "How do you know Nathalie?" he questioned. I could hear a hint in his voice. Obviously Vero had said something to him.
I cleared my throat a little. "We grew up together. We used to be best friends, but we haven't talked since we were about 18," I told him.
He nodded his head. "Have you met her sons?" I asked finally.
He looked surprised I knew about them. "Yeah. T'ey're adorable. I watched t'em when t'ey went out a few times," he told me. "Good kids."
I smiled. "She told me they drenched themselves in paint a little while ago. She said she came home and they were being hosed off in the front lawn," I commented with a smile.
Jordan broke into our conversation. "Nathalie's kids?" he asked. I nodded my head. "God, that was such a mess! How much did she tell you?" he asked with a laugh.
I shrugged. "She just kind of skimmed over it," I admitted.
He nodded his head. "You know, I couldn't imagine being a girl at 18 and finding out I was knocked up with triplets. I don't know how she did it," he said in disbelief.
Eighteen... Something slowly started turning in my head. They were five now... It added up almost perfectly... A cold rush of fear ran through my veins. No... They couldn't be... She would have told me, wouldn't she?
But she had ignored me. She had never talked to me after that night...
"Holy fuck," I muttered to myself. I looked between Marc and Jordan, who were now talking to each other. "I'll see you guys later," I told them. "I'm gonna head out."
"Wait, you're not going out to celebrate?" Jordan asked in shock.
I shook my head. I couldn't think of celebrating right now. The possibility that... "I just need to head home. Get some rest. The adrenaline rush is gone now, you know?"
He nodded his head. "Well, good night. Awesome game!" he told me. I quickly said goodbye to everyone else before sprinting to my car. I got into the car and dug out my phone.
I pressed it to my ear after hitting the call button. I closed my eyes tightly. This had to be some weird kind of coincidence. They couldn't be... "Hey! Awesome game!" Taylor exclaimed as soon as she answered her phone.
"Thanks. I have to ask you something important, though," I rushed out.
"What's up?" she asked.
I inhaled deeply and slowly let it out. "Okay, remember when I was 18 and I'd just come to visit?" I asked. "It was in about March."
"Yeah, I guess so. Why?" she asked in confusion.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Did you hear about Nathalie Harris, my best friend back then, being pregnant?" I asked quickly.
I was praying to God Taylor knew some kind of gossip. Anything. "Yeah, of course. It was awhile after, though. Pretty sucky situation to be in," she commented.
"Who was the dad?" I blurted out.
She paused. "I... Don't know. I just remember some girl saying something about how she'd hate to get knocked up the time she lost her virginity like Nat, so I'm gonna guess whoever she slept with for the first time," Taylor reasoned.
I flung open my door and leaned over, letting the bile hit the pavement beneath me. I couldn't hold in the sick feeling in my stomach. God damnit... I'd gotten her pregnant. She was my best friend... We weren't even supposed to sleep together! Neither of us liked each other that way and we still did it.
"Holy crap, did you just puke?" Taylor demanded.
I spit on the ground. "Taylor, please tell me you know something more. Anything," I begged softly. I could feel my stomach turning again, ready to up chuck a second time.
Taylor was silent. "Um, they were born a month early. Her mom helped her through it all and helped her get her college degree. She moved to Seattle, Washington, I think it was. Last I heard, she had found some lawyer and he purposed to her. That's all I know," she admitted.
I rubbed my forehead with my hand. "Did you ever see them, her sons?" I asked.
"Yeah, they were really cute! They were about a year and a half or two at the time. It was kind of creepy. They looked a little like yo-Oh my God. Please tell me you aren't the dad," she gasped.
I rest my head against the back of my seat. "I don't know... I ran into her and she mentioned having three sons that were five. I didn't think of it. Then I was talking to Jordan and Marc and they said something about how it would such to get pregnant at 18 and it just clicked. I mean, time wise and everything. Shit..." I whispered.
Taylor was quiet as I rambled to her. "What the hell am I supposed to say? Why wouldn't she even tell me about it?! Damnit, I would have helped her out! I could've been in their lives," I groaned out.
"Why don't you go make yourself present now, then?" she suggested.
I was quiet for a moment. "What do I say to her?" I asked. "She ignored me this whole time, so obviously she didn't want me to know," I mumbled. Why didn't she want me to know? We had been best friends... If anyone, I would have been the one to take care of them all and step up to the plate.
"Just say you want to be their dad. You want to be in their lives and you expect to share the responsibility of raising them or something all grown up like that," Taylor told me. "You're a big boy. You became the captain of an NHL team before you were 21, won a Stanley Cup, and went to the Olympics and won a gold medal. You can tell your old best friend you want to know your kids."
I let out a small laugh. "Thanks, Taylor. I'll let you know how it goes," I promised.
"No problem. And send me a picture of my nephews!" she exclaimed.
I laughed. "Will do. Don't tell mom and dad yet, though, okay?"
She agreed and we hung up. I had sons. I had three sons. What were their names? What were the like?
What if they didn't like me, though? What if they liked the guy she was engaged to more?
My mind filled with questions as I drove the familiar road to Mario's house. I parked next to her car and began walking to the small house I'd once stayed in. The light from the main area was on, but other than that I was pitch black. My heart was racing in my chest. My eyes drifted over to the area of the house where the bedrooms were. Were my sons fast asleep on the other side of that wall?
I knocked on the door, my hands shaking. I quickly wiped my clammy palms against the pants of my suit. The light above me flicked on and the door swung open. Her straight red hair was tugged up into a messy bun. She was wearing a simple pair of jeans with a Penguins shirt. Her small feet were covered in a pair of light green socks. She didn't have any make up on besides some mascara. She was the same Nathalie I knew in high school. Her head slowly lifted so her eyes could meet mine.
"When were you planning on telling me I was a father?" I blurted out.