‹ Prequel: Pride
Sequel: Without You ›
Dark Paradise
two.
Luca cheered as he saw his father walk through the front door of the apartment. He dropped his Legos in a pile on the living room carpet and ran straight into his father’s arms. As TJ spun around with his son in his arms, both Oshie boys laughing, a blonde woman holding a very young looking baby wrapped her arm around his waist causing him to stop. TJ moved into the apartment to greet his hosts for the evening. As soon as Jon and Quinn saw which family TJ brought to Chicago, they exchanged a knowing look before Quinn excused herself to call Emma.
Jon stepped out from his hiding place in the kitchen and gave his friend a hug, “TJ, man, it’s good to see you!”
“Jonny! It’s been ages since we’ve talked off the ice.” TJ lowered Luca back onto the floor before wrapping his now free arm around a slender waist, “You remember Kayla, don’t you?”
The woman flashed a smile and extended her hand which Jonathan tentatively took, “Of course, of course. How have you been?”
She leaned into TJ a bit more and ran a hand over his chest to flash a familiar looking diamond ring, “Great! TJ and I just got married actually, it was a small ceremony, immediate family only.”
Jonathan swallowed heavily. He felt as if he were just kicked in the family jewels by a person wearing steel toe boots, “Married, eh. That’s a uh, nice looking ring you got there. Is that your kid?” He pointed to baby cradled in Kayla’s arm.
“Victoria Marie Oshie.” Kayla announced happily.
The baby looked up at the hockey player with big brown eyes. Tufts of dark, nearly black hair caught Jon’s eye causing him to furrow his brow and couch gently, clearly not expecting it. Quinn reentered the room and rubbed her husband’s back during his coughing fit as Kayla covered her baby’s face from the possibility of any germs. Quinn looked at her husband with an amused smile, “You alright there, babe?”
He nodded before excusing himself from the room, TJ right behind him. Quinn ushered Kayla into the living trying to create friendly small talk whilst Quinn anxiously awaited Emma’s arrival. Jon went straight for a bottle of water in the fridge and felt relief wash over him as the cool liquid ran down his throat. TJ leaned against the counter and happily helped himself to a chocolate chip cookie from the platter sitting beside him. Jon took another sip of water and studied his friend for a moment and said, “When you said family, I thought you meant your siblings or like, your dad or something...”
TJ laughed, “I was going to bring Coach and Taylor but they cancelled last minute. I didn’t want to waste the tickets, you know?”
“You are aware that Emma is living here and will be back from work any second now.” Jon warned his friend before tossing the empty bottle in the recycling basket. Just as the words came out of his mouth, the door opened and shut again. the sound of heels clicking on the hardwood floor echoed throughout the entry way.
Emma shrugged off her jacket and hung it up in the closet before kicking off her shoes. Her toes ached after spending all day in those heels, something she would soon have to get used to. As she made her way into the apartment, the brunette noticed an unfamiliar jacket draped over the couch. Emma stopped in the dining room and pulled her son onto her lap.
“You have a good day, baby?” She asked littering his chubby cheeks with kisses.
He nodded and pointed to the drawing before them, “Look, it’s for Daddy!”
Emma looked at the drawing and sighed. Messily drawn with blue crayon, there was a picture of TJ, a woman who Emma could only imagine as herself, Luca, and a baby cradled in her arms. “Did you make this in school today? I”m is going to love it.” The brunette then heard an all too familiar laugh from the kitchen. She stood, holding her son in her arms and headed toward the kitchen, “Let’s go give it to him, yeah?”
Avoiding her ex-husband while he was in the apartment was impossible. The place was only so big after all. She took a deep breath as she slowly made her way into the kitchen and felt her heart drop as she saw TJ, looking better than ever, with a gold ring on his finger. Luca wiggled out of his mother’s arms and ran to his father who scooped him up.
“Hey buddy, what you got there?”
Luca handed the piece of paper to his father as Emma stood next to Jon, “How was the first day.”
“Exhausting.” Emma said, proving her point with a soft yawn, “Couple shit heads as expected, but for the most part, pretty nice kids.” She rested her head on Jon’s shoulder and smiled softly as she watched Luca and TJ.
Jon chuckled, “Hot for teacher type of shit heads?” He winced slightly as he got hit in the chest in a joking manner, “You set yourself up for that one.”
Emma rolled her eyes at the other brunette, “Where’s Q?”
The hockey player felt his body tense up slightly, “In the living room, I can go get her for you.” He pulled away from his friend and headed into the living room when Emma called him back.
She reached out and pulled him back, “Stay, I’ll go. I want to see Taylor anyways, haven’t seen that kid in a while...” Emma left the kitchen after kissing her son again and brushing shoulders gently with TJ, “Good to see you.” She whispered.
Walking into the living room and seeing Quinn sitting beside a woman with a baby in her arms was something Emma would have never been able to prepare herself for. Her heart stopped as the blonde raised a hand and gave a small wave. Quinn turned and gave a sad, sympathetic smile, one that she had always received after someone found out about her divorce. Emma returned the wave and sat on the other side of Quinn.
Jon stepped out from his hiding place in the kitchen and gave his friend a hug, “TJ, man, it’s good to see you!”
“Jonny! It’s been ages since we’ve talked off the ice.” TJ lowered Luca back onto the floor before wrapping his now free arm around a slender waist, “You remember Kayla, don’t you?”
The woman flashed a smile and extended her hand which Jonathan tentatively took, “Of course, of course. How have you been?”
She leaned into TJ a bit more and ran a hand over his chest to flash a familiar looking diamond ring, “Great! TJ and I just got married actually, it was a small ceremony, immediate family only.”
Jonathan swallowed heavily. He felt as if he were just kicked in the family jewels by a person wearing steel toe boots, “Married, eh. That’s a uh, nice looking ring you got there. Is that your kid?” He pointed to baby cradled in Kayla’s arm.
“Victoria Marie Oshie.” Kayla announced happily.
The baby looked up at the hockey player with big brown eyes. Tufts of dark, nearly black hair caught Jon’s eye causing him to furrow his brow and couch gently, clearly not expecting it. Quinn reentered the room and rubbed her husband’s back during his coughing fit as Kayla covered her baby’s face from the possibility of any germs. Quinn looked at her husband with an amused smile, “You alright there, babe?”
He nodded before excusing himself from the room, TJ right behind him. Quinn ushered Kayla into the living trying to create friendly small talk whilst Quinn anxiously awaited Emma’s arrival. Jon went straight for a bottle of water in the fridge and felt relief wash over him as the cool liquid ran down his throat. TJ leaned against the counter and happily helped himself to a chocolate chip cookie from the platter sitting beside him. Jon took another sip of water and studied his friend for a moment and said, “When you said family, I thought you meant your siblings or like, your dad or something...”
TJ laughed, “I was going to bring Coach and Taylor but they cancelled last minute. I didn’t want to waste the tickets, you know?”
“You are aware that Emma is living here and will be back from work any second now.” Jon warned his friend before tossing the empty bottle in the recycling basket. Just as the words came out of his mouth, the door opened and shut again. the sound of heels clicking on the hardwood floor echoed throughout the entry way.
Emma shrugged off her jacket and hung it up in the closet before kicking off her shoes. Her toes ached after spending all day in those heels, something she would soon have to get used to. As she made her way into the apartment, the brunette noticed an unfamiliar jacket draped over the couch. Emma stopped in the dining room and pulled her son onto her lap.
“You have a good day, baby?” She asked littering his chubby cheeks with kisses.
He nodded and pointed to the drawing before them, “Look, it’s for Daddy!”
Emma looked at the drawing and sighed. Messily drawn with blue crayon, there was a picture of TJ, a woman who Emma could only imagine as herself, Luca, and a baby cradled in her arms. “Did you make this in school today? I”m is going to love it.” The brunette then heard an all too familiar laugh from the kitchen. She stood, holding her son in her arms and headed toward the kitchen, “Let’s go give it to him, yeah?”
Avoiding her ex-husband while he was in the apartment was impossible. The place was only so big after all. She took a deep breath as she slowly made her way into the kitchen and felt her heart drop as she saw TJ, looking better than ever, with a gold ring on his finger. Luca wiggled out of his mother’s arms and ran to his father who scooped him up.
“Hey buddy, what you got there?”
Luca handed the piece of paper to his father as Emma stood next to Jon, “How was the first day.”
“Exhausting.” Emma said, proving her point with a soft yawn, “Couple shit heads as expected, but for the most part, pretty nice kids.” She rested her head on Jon’s shoulder and smiled softly as she watched Luca and TJ.
Jon chuckled, “Hot for teacher type of shit heads?” He winced slightly as he got hit in the chest in a joking manner, “You set yourself up for that one.”
Emma rolled her eyes at the other brunette, “Where’s Q?”
The hockey player felt his body tense up slightly, “In the living room, I can go get her for you.” He pulled away from his friend and headed into the living room when Emma called him back.
She reached out and pulled him back, “Stay, I’ll go. I want to see Taylor anyways, haven’t seen that kid in a while...” Emma left the kitchen after kissing her son again and brushing shoulders gently with TJ, “Good to see you.” She whispered.
Walking into the living room and seeing Quinn sitting beside a woman with a baby in her arms was something Emma would have never been able to prepare herself for. Her heart stopped as the blonde raised a hand and gave a small wave. Quinn turned and gave a sad, sympathetic smile, one that she had always received after someone found out about her divorce. Emma returned the wave and sat on the other side of Quinn.