Last Chance

She looked at me and pouted. "I do not cheat! I'm hurt you would think such a thing."

"You don't cheat? Really? So why is it everytime you have to mortgage a property in Monopoly you always pack 'er in? Or when I'm not looking you always switch your cards. Face it Kel, you're a cheater and you hate to lose."
"Whatever Crosby, think what you want. It's gonna be a long flight if you end up playing Solitar by yourself." She picked up the remote and tried to turn on the tv.
"How about we watch a movie instead?" I suggested, trying to make her forget about her cheating ways.
"Fine, but I'm picking. Now how does this darn thing work?" She was shaking the remote so hard that it came up and smacked me in the face.
"Owww!" I cried out, grabbing my nose.
"Aww, shit! Sorry! Sid, I'm so sorry. I didn't mea-" I cut her off and raised my hand.
"Easy Kel, here, let me try." I took the remote from her and started playing around with it. "Looks like the batteries are dead. Let me see if Janice has some stashed around here somewhere." I took my seatbelt off and headed towards the galley where Janice was getting our drinks ready. "Hey Janice, do you guys have any extra batteries around anywhere? Double A's?"
"I think so, let me have a look. And you need to be seated Sir, we we've just been cleared for take off." She shooed my out of the galley and I quickly found my seat.

"Should be good to go in no time. We just have to wait until we're airborne. Okay?"
"Okay. In the mean time, do you wanna play Crazy Eights?" She asked teasingly.
"No, no Crazy Eights, you cheater." I grabbed her and started tickling her. It was nice that now she didn't flinch when I touched her. The attack on her ribcage soon turned to an attack on her lips and before I had even realized how much time had passed we were interrupted by Janice clearing her throat. "Excuse me Sir, your batteries, and your drinks." She held her hand out and then quickly turned away, clearly taken aback by the scene she had just encountered. "Do you think we embarrassed her?" Kelly asked.
"Nah, probably nothing she hasn't seen before." I put the batteries back into the remote and turned on the tv, scanning the movie listings. "So, what'll it be? Shutter Island for some suspense? Or perhaps Alice in Wonderland for adventure?"
"Oh, I don't think so Sid, we're watching Twilight. Eclipse to be precise. Since I get to pick. I'm going to make you suffer through some Vampire lovey dovey shit."
"For real?" I couldn't believe she was going to make me watch that shit. Actually, yes I could.
I let out a huff. "Fine, Twilight it is. But I'm going to need another drink if I'm going to survive this." I pressed the call button and waited for Janice to arrive.

Two hours and four drinks later the credits to the worst movie I had ever watched were finally rolling. "Well, that was two hours of my life I'll never get back."
"Hey, it's wasn't so bad."
"I'm picking the next movie, and yes, it was so bad."
"Fine, fine. Whatever you want." She leaned her head on my shoulder. "Hey Sid?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you remember in Grade Twelve when Mr. Wilson made us do that English project at the end of the year?"
"The Bucket List?"
"Yeah, that one."
"Sure, do. It was actually something that I still refer back to all the time." Truth was, at the time I throught it was the dumbest thing. I was so focused on hockey that I knew what I wanted out of my life. It was the personal side of things that I hadn't thought about. It was that project that helped sculpt who I was going to be.
"Really? Me too. What's on your list?" She asked. I remember her asking me when the assignment came up what I had written down but I had refused to tell her. Mainly because to me, they were so personal that at the time I couldn't even share them with her. There was five personal items, and five professional items on our lists and we were not only to write them down, but describe how we were to achieve them. "I'm sure I told you didn't I?" I lied. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder as she sunk into me.
"No, you sure didn't. I tried for weeks to get you to tell me, but you refused. C'est la vie I guess." I laughed to myself as I played with the lose strands of her hair. "Number five: Make the NHL. Number four: Score a hat trick in the NHL. Number three: Win a World Championship. Number two: Win the Stanley Cup. Number one: Win an Olympic Medal." When I was finished she looked up at me.
"Well, I think you need to make a new bucket list. Because, big shocker, you've crossed everything off of that list. What's on your other list?" I cleared my throat. "Okay, well um....Number five: Start a Charity. Number four: Buy a house. Number three: Pay off my parents mortgage. Number two." I stopped short. The last two were hard to say, even now. "I, I can't remember."
"It's okay if you don't want to tell me. I mean, if you haven't accomplished them yet or whatever." She looked up at me again and put her hand on my thigh. "Tell me when you're ready, okay?" I nodded.
"Okay, now what about you? What's on your bucket list?" She instantly lit up and then snuggled back into me and relaxed. "Well, my professional goals, I can't say I've accomplished them all like you Mr. Superstar, but I have crossed a few off." She put her hand on her mouth and pretended to clear her throat. "Ahem, number five: Go to college. Number four: Play university hockey. Number three: Get my first Gordie Howe Hat Trick." I put my hand up to stop her.
"Wait wait wait, how are you supposed to get Gordie Howe Hat Trick? There isn't fighting in Women's hockey."
"You think you're so smart don't you. First year I was in Montreal. Outdoor Shinny with the local junior team. I kicked the shit out of Jared Parks, after he cross checked me when I scored. I then assisted on a goal later in the period. So there you go. Gordie Howe Hat Trick." I gave her an impressed smile and nodded my head. "Not bad. And number two?" I asked.
"Yes, number two. Number two is to play for Team Canada, and number one is to win an Olympic Medal."
"You will Kel. You'll be there in Sochi, and hopefully we can experience it together." I ruffled her hair playfully. "How about those personal ones? Care to share?"
"Of course. That's why I brought it up. Number five: Leave Cole Harbour, get as far away as possible. Number four: Go Lobster fishing. And don't laugh. I know I've leaved on the sea pretty much my whole life. But I've never caught a lobster. Number three: Lose my god forsaken virginity. Number two: Start doing yoga. And, number one:" She closed her eyes as if she couldn't look at me. "Number one: Make myself pretty so Sid will notice me as more than just the girl down the street." I pulled her onto my lap, her eyes were still closed. "Hey, look at me." I lifted her chin up. She shook her head. "No. I can't. For some reason I don't know why I was so nervous and embarassed to tell you that. But there you go."
"I've always thought you were beautiful. I just never knew how to tell you." I took a deep breathe. It was now or never. "Number two: Find someone that I love more than hockey. Number one: Be with her forever." I felt my face heat up as I confessed to her what had been waiting to check off my list since I was seventeen.
She finally opened her eyes. "Sidney Crosby, are you blushing?" She teased. "I'm yours now. Forever. You know that right?" Her tone serious. She wound her fingers in tufts of hair at the nape of my neck. Giving me butterflies as she touched me. I grabbed her hand that was at the back of my neck. "I know." I brushed my lips against her ear. "Forever." I brought my lips back to her nose and then to her lips where our kiss was something new. Something permanent. It was like what we had just confessed to each other solidified everything.

"Sorry to interrupt, again. Sir, ma'am. Lunch?" Janice had peaked out frombehind the curtain.
"Yes please!" We said in unison and then laughed.

We spent the remainder of the flight snuggled into the too small seat watching re-runs of Two And A Half Men. "Doesn't Charlie ever wear anything but bowling shirts?" Kelly asked.
"Nope, I think it's in his contract or something." I felt the plane descend and grabbed her tightly. My stomach floating up to my throat. "We're almost home Baby."
"I know" She giggled. We looked out the window and soon saw the coastline come into view.

The plane landed with a gentle thump and I grabbed Kel's hand as we taxied on the tarmac. We off loaded and quickly cleared customs. "Welcome home Mr. Crosby, Ms Nelson." The customs offer said as he stamped our passports and let us through. "Thank you." I said to him. I called the valet for my car and waited with Kelly outside the terminal for it to arrive.
"So, now that we're home, what do you want to do first?"
"You know what I want to do first." She replied with a sly look on her face.
"Ah, yes, how could I forget. Double Double?"
"Double Double." She replied. My car arrived and I opened the door for her to climb in and then quickly ran around to the drivers side. I paid the valet and put the car in drive. "First stop Ms. Nelson, Tim Horton's. As requested."
"Why thank you Mr. Crosby."
"Don't you want to see your mom first?" I asked as I pulled onto the freeway.
"No, It's Monday. She'll be at the Legion playing Bingo. We can meet her when she gets home. Surprise the hell out of her."

We pulled up to the drive thru at Tim Horton's and ordered our usual. Two large Double Double's. We had been going to Tim's since we were kids. First for donoughts and hot chocolate, and later for Iced Caps and Double Double's.

-----July 2004-----

"Are you cold?" I asked.
"A little, but I'll be okay."
'How bout we pack 'er in and go get some coffee."
"I like the sound of that." She sat up and grabbed her shoes. It was something we had been doing every summer since we were kids. Sitting on the roof of her parent's house to watch the stars. It was one of my favourite things that we did together. I helped her climb down the lattus and then followed her down, landing with a soft thud on the grass.

When we reached Tim's, the restaurant was closed. "Only the drive thru is open. That's lame." She said. "Now what are we supposed to do? Make our own coffee?"
"Let's walk through the drive thru."
"It's called a drive thru Sid, they won't let us through without a car. So unless you can magically make one appear, we're screwed."
"Wanna bet?" I asked. I knew Kelly was always up for a bet.
She looked at me skeptically. "Depends"
"If I can get them to serve us in the drive thru, then we stay up on the roof to watch the sun come up. If they refuse to serve us, then I'll mow your lawn for the rest of the summer." She immediately held her hand out.
"Deal Crosby, but anyone who would serve you this late at night is nuts."

I walked up to the speaker and waited to be greeted by the voice on the other end. "Welcome to Tim Horton's. How can I help you?"
I eyed Kelly and then turned on my P.R. voice. "Good evening, I would like two large Double Double's please."
"Is that everything?"
"Yes."
"That will be $3.25 at the first window please."
"Thank you." I walked up to the window and was greeted by an older lady, who didn't look too pleased to be doing the job she was doing. "I'm sorry sir, this is a drive thru, not a walk thru."
"I know, I understand, but the store is closed and you see, me and my friend would really just like a cup of joe. Please?"
"What's the point of rules and policies if they are not going to be followed." She said in a low monotoned voice. "I'm sorry sir, I cannot serve you through the drive thru." I felt my luck was running out. "Please? If you turn me away I'm going to end up cutting my friend's lawn all summer. I promise never to come back and walk through again."
She gave me skeptical look. 'Yeah, yeah, whatever. You lazy bunch of punks. Take your coffee and skiddadle."
I grabbed our coffee's off the counter, paid my money and took off as soon as I could. I met Kelly in parking lot. "See, piece of cake." I handed her her coffee.
"Sure sure Sid, I saw her yell at you. I gotta admit though. This was worth it." She took a sip of her drink and gave me a smile. "Ready for the sun to come up?"
"As long as I can enjoy it with you."
"Well my dear friend, you aren't getting rid of me anytime soon. So let's go before the stars dissapear."

-----------

Kelly's laughing brought me back to the present. "Whats so funny?"
"Oh my god, I was just thinking about the time you walked through the drive thru. You're lucky you're so charming or you would have been stuck mowing the grass all summer."
"Ha ha, I was just thinking about that too. And trust me, it took all the charm in the world. That lady was such a wench. I couldn't take my eyes off of the hair that was growing out of the mole on her face. Gross."
"Yeah, gross. Change the subject please." She peeled back the lid on her cup.
"Okay, time to go home?" I winked at her and grinned.
"Yeah, time to go home."