A New Man in the Family
one/one
A flutter or a kick? I wasn’t quite sure but I still grabbed Henrik’s hand to place on top of my swollen belly. The feeling happened again and his face lit up like a Christmas Tree.
“Did she just kick my hand?” he asked with a toothy smile.
“We don’t know for sure it’s a girl,” I reminded him with a smirk.
“Not for sure, but I know she’s a girl. And she’s going to be just as beautiful as her mother.” My face turned beat red. “No need to blush. You’re not just beautiful, you’re gorgeous, babe.”
“Thanks, Henrik.” I kissed his cheek. “I’m glad you didn’t go away with the guys for a boy’s weekend.”
“I would’ve killed myself for missing this,” he promised.
“It’s really hard, you know. I lost my husband to the war but regained my best friend. I don’t know what I would do without you here.”
“You won’t ever have to find out. I’m here for the long haul. You and this baby are going to be taken care of, by me and even the team. You are as much family to them as you are to me.” He squeezed my hand and planted a quick kiss on my lips. I was the one to make it deeper and pull him closer to me. It was hard with my belly in the middle, but he knew what I was thinking. This would be the first time since John died that I would be having sexual relations.
It was quick, meaningful, and fun. Exactly what I always pictured being with Henrik would be like, afterwards, he spooned with me as his big goalie’s hand lay across my fluttering belly.
A couple of weeks later, Henrik was gone on the longest road trip of the year and Lindsay Staal was over to help take care of me when my water broke. I broke into hysterics because the guys had just started their long road trip and I knew I couldn’t ask Henrik to come home. But nevertheless, Lindsay got me to the hospital where I was admitted to go through labor. When I arrived, I was only dilated to a two so I had a very long night ahead of me, according to Lindsay and Lindsay’s sister-in-law, Tanya, who she had called after I was admitted.
Lindsay made me call Henrik when we were finally settled into a room to tell him what was going on even though I knew it would worry him. But Henrik was worried as it was without me even telling him I was in labor without him here. When he found out where I was calling from, he promised to jump on the next flight out of Pittsburgh. I told him not to, but he insisted.
“What if your back up can’t handle all these road games?” I had asked.
“Than they’ll call up someone from the minors, I’m coming home.”
“I love you, Henrik.”
“I love you too, babe.”
Seeing that Pittsburgh is only an hour’s flight away, he made it there within two hours of my call. He hadn’t even bothered to completely change after morning practice, just put on a t-shirt over his under armor and some shorts too.
“I didn’t miss anything, did I?” he asked with a smirk. I shook my head and he entwined our fingers.
“Just some contractions, but Lindsay’s been so helpful,” I looked to where my best friend stood and she nodded.
“Do you think you need more ice chips?” she asked to try and give us a minute or two alone. I nodded and she grabbed the cup.
“Oh,” I squeezed Henrik’s hand harder as a contraction hit me hard. The doctor came in and checked my dilation. He determined that I was at a nine so I could be moved to a delivery room. Henrik had just made it in time.
“I love you,” he kissed the top of my head and went to get in scrubs to be able to be in the delivery room while the nurses prepped me. We met again in the sterile, white room.
“Alright, I need you to push now,” the doctor instructed. He counted out loud to three and I was pushing the hardest I could. I heard the sound of a baby’s squeal as it was welcomed into the world and was handed my beautiful baby girl after they got her cleaned up a little. Henrik had cut the cord and everything.
“I told you it was a girl,” he said with a smirk as he went to place a kiss on our daughter’s head and than mine. “I love you, babe.”
“I love you too.”
“Marry me?”
“I can’t refuse,” I smiled up at him and he kissed me quickly on the lips before we both turned to stare at our little girl.
“Did she just kick my hand?” he asked with a toothy smile.
“We don’t know for sure it’s a girl,” I reminded him with a smirk.
“Not for sure, but I know she’s a girl. And she’s going to be just as beautiful as her mother.” My face turned beat red. “No need to blush. You’re not just beautiful, you’re gorgeous, babe.”
“Thanks, Henrik.” I kissed his cheek. “I’m glad you didn’t go away with the guys for a boy’s weekend.”
“I would’ve killed myself for missing this,” he promised.
“It’s really hard, you know. I lost my husband to the war but regained my best friend. I don’t know what I would do without you here.”
“You won’t ever have to find out. I’m here for the long haul. You and this baby are going to be taken care of, by me and even the team. You are as much family to them as you are to me.” He squeezed my hand and planted a quick kiss on my lips. I was the one to make it deeper and pull him closer to me. It was hard with my belly in the middle, but he knew what I was thinking. This would be the first time since John died that I would be having sexual relations.
It was quick, meaningful, and fun. Exactly what I always pictured being with Henrik would be like, afterwards, he spooned with me as his big goalie’s hand lay across my fluttering belly.
A couple of weeks later, Henrik was gone on the longest road trip of the year and Lindsay Staal was over to help take care of me when my water broke. I broke into hysterics because the guys had just started their long road trip and I knew I couldn’t ask Henrik to come home. But nevertheless, Lindsay got me to the hospital where I was admitted to go through labor. When I arrived, I was only dilated to a two so I had a very long night ahead of me, according to Lindsay and Lindsay’s sister-in-law, Tanya, who she had called after I was admitted.
Lindsay made me call Henrik when we were finally settled into a room to tell him what was going on even though I knew it would worry him. But Henrik was worried as it was without me even telling him I was in labor without him here. When he found out where I was calling from, he promised to jump on the next flight out of Pittsburgh. I told him not to, but he insisted.
“What if your back up can’t handle all these road games?” I had asked.
“Than they’ll call up someone from the minors, I’m coming home.”
“I love you, Henrik.”
“I love you too, babe.”
Seeing that Pittsburgh is only an hour’s flight away, he made it there within two hours of my call. He hadn’t even bothered to completely change after morning practice, just put on a t-shirt over his under armor and some shorts too.
“I didn’t miss anything, did I?” he asked with a smirk. I shook my head and he entwined our fingers.
“Just some contractions, but Lindsay’s been so helpful,” I looked to where my best friend stood and she nodded.
“Do you think you need more ice chips?” she asked to try and give us a minute or two alone. I nodded and she grabbed the cup.
“Oh,” I squeezed Henrik’s hand harder as a contraction hit me hard. The doctor came in and checked my dilation. He determined that I was at a nine so I could be moved to a delivery room. Henrik had just made it in time.
“I love you,” he kissed the top of my head and went to get in scrubs to be able to be in the delivery room while the nurses prepped me. We met again in the sterile, white room.
“Alright, I need you to push now,” the doctor instructed. He counted out loud to three and I was pushing the hardest I could. I heard the sound of a baby’s squeal as it was welcomed into the world and was handed my beautiful baby girl after they got her cleaned up a little. Henrik had cut the cord and everything.
“I told you it was a girl,” he said with a smirk as he went to place a kiss on our daughter’s head and than mine. “I love you, babe.”
“I love you too.”
“Marry me?”
“I can’t refuse,” I smiled up at him and he kissed me quickly on the lips before we both turned to stare at our little girl.
♠ ♠ ♠
Hope you like it!