Sequel: Tied Together ›
This Wasn't Suppose to Happen
Bonus Chapter (Sid's POV)
After the baby was cleaned up, weighed and measured; Olivia grinned and turned to face us. “Who’s next?” she asked as Nate and I both stepped forward. “I’m the father”, I said as Nate elbowed me. “I’m the Gunkle”, Nate said as I tried to step past him.
“You’re what?” I couldn’t help but ask as he reached his hands out for Olivia to hand him the baby. “The gay uncle, don’t you watch TV?” Nate said as he shoved me aside and Olivia put the baby into his arms.
“Would you shut the hell up?” I snapped and strolled over to the door and slamming it behind me. Who the hell does that guy think he is? I said to myself as I paced outside the door. I was furious, I knew I hadn’t been the model father to be, but I had tried. I fucking tried and that should count for something. The last 12 hours were pure torture as Nate made jabs at me, I could always do something on ice to get back at someone who chirped at me, but standing in a delivery room…I couldn’t think of anything to say to get him to shut up.
I started walking down the hall, it was time to make the phone call and let people know that I’m officially a father. Father. Wow, that was hard to wrap your head around. The waiting room was deserted, it was just after 5 am and I was exhausted. I slumped onto the hard waiting room chair and saw that the TV was on a local Pittsburgh channel, the volume was low but it was still audible. Closing my eyes, I listened to what the anchor had to say.
“In sports news, the Pittsburgh Penguins fall to the Philadelphia Flyers in a 6-2 game this evening. This is the first lost for the Pens in almost a month, following an unbelievable performance in their past 15 games and giving them the longest winning streak so far this year.
One person notably absent from the game was captain Sidney Crosby who failed to show up despite being listed on the game day lineup. Coach Dan Byslma did not answer any questions regarding the star captain. Sports analysis at TSN have speculated that Crosby, who was having concussion like symptoms late last season, was once again sidelined by symptoms. It is still unclear as to when he will return. One thing is for certain, the Penguins need him as we enter the final 2 months of regular season games and the race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs”.
Fuck, we had a good streak going and I was on a personal one as well. We were on top of our division and now we had lost… to the Flyers. And I was a father. And now everyone speculated that I was sidelined with concussion symptoms again.
Ignoring the television, I started to pace around the room. How the hell was I going to juggle this? I couldn’t juggle a relationship and hockey and now I have a daughter, what kind of father am I going to be if I continued the way I was? Mario, Duper, Adams…they all somehow magically managed to combine hockey and family so easily into one. Was that possible? My whole entire life was hockey, that’s all I knew, my friends knew they took the backseat to hockey and sometimes so did my family when I was really caught up in the playoffs.
Shit, I still hadn’t made the call. Dialing the number I waited while the phone rang and rang. “Oh, hello?”
“Mom?” I could hardly hear her, there was so much noise on the other end.
“Sid, hi. We’re in the airport just about to board the plane, we got on the first flight out of Halifax and we’re coming your way”, she practically shouted into my ear. “Is everything okay? Is the baby here?” she added.
“Ya, Mom, the baby is here. It’s a girl!” A girl, I still couldn’t believe there was going to be a little baby girl running around someday.
The other end was silent for a moment and then I heard the sobs. “Oh Sid, a little girl. We’re on our way and will be there as soon as we can. They’re boarding us now, we love you and give that baby lots of kisses from us. See you soon. Love you”, she said quickly and hung up.
That went well, I was still a little concerned with how my Dad would react when he met Janelle and actually saw the baby, but hopefully the baby would melt their hearts in an instant just like she had done to mine and make them realize that everything was going to be okay.
“You’re what?” I couldn’t help but ask as he reached his hands out for Olivia to hand him the baby. “The gay uncle, don’t you watch TV?” Nate said as he shoved me aside and Olivia put the baby into his arms.
“Would you shut the hell up?” I snapped and strolled over to the door and slamming it behind me. Who the hell does that guy think he is? I said to myself as I paced outside the door. I was furious, I knew I hadn’t been the model father to be, but I had tried. I fucking tried and that should count for something. The last 12 hours were pure torture as Nate made jabs at me, I could always do something on ice to get back at someone who chirped at me, but standing in a delivery room…I couldn’t think of anything to say to get him to shut up.
I started walking down the hall, it was time to make the phone call and let people know that I’m officially a father. Father. Wow, that was hard to wrap your head around. The waiting room was deserted, it was just after 5 am and I was exhausted. I slumped onto the hard waiting room chair and saw that the TV was on a local Pittsburgh channel, the volume was low but it was still audible. Closing my eyes, I listened to what the anchor had to say.
“In sports news, the Pittsburgh Penguins fall to the Philadelphia Flyers in a 6-2 game this evening. This is the first lost for the Pens in almost a month, following an unbelievable performance in their past 15 games and giving them the longest winning streak so far this year.
One person notably absent from the game was captain Sidney Crosby who failed to show up despite being listed on the game day lineup. Coach Dan Byslma did not answer any questions regarding the star captain. Sports analysis at TSN have speculated that Crosby, who was having concussion like symptoms late last season, was once again sidelined by symptoms. It is still unclear as to when he will return. One thing is for certain, the Penguins need him as we enter the final 2 months of regular season games and the race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs”.
Fuck, we had a good streak going and I was on a personal one as well. We were on top of our division and now we had lost… to the Flyers. And I was a father. And now everyone speculated that I was sidelined with concussion symptoms again.
Ignoring the television, I started to pace around the room. How the hell was I going to juggle this? I couldn’t juggle a relationship and hockey and now I have a daughter, what kind of father am I going to be if I continued the way I was? Mario, Duper, Adams…they all somehow magically managed to combine hockey and family so easily into one. Was that possible? My whole entire life was hockey, that’s all I knew, my friends knew they took the backseat to hockey and sometimes so did my family when I was really caught up in the playoffs.
Shit, I still hadn’t made the call. Dialing the number I waited while the phone rang and rang. “Oh, hello?”
“Mom?” I could hardly hear her, there was so much noise on the other end.
“Sid, hi. We’re in the airport just about to board the plane, we got on the first flight out of Halifax and we’re coming your way”, she practically shouted into my ear. “Is everything okay? Is the baby here?” she added.
“Ya, Mom, the baby is here. It’s a girl!” A girl, I still couldn’t believe there was going to be a little baby girl running around someday.
The other end was silent for a moment and then I heard the sobs. “Oh Sid, a little girl. We’re on our way and will be there as soon as we can. They’re boarding us now, we love you and give that baby lots of kisses from us. See you soon. Love you”, she said quickly and hung up.
That went well, I was still a little concerned with how my Dad would react when he met Janelle and actually saw the baby, but hopefully the baby would melt their hearts in an instant just like she had done to mine and make them realize that everything was going to be okay.