The Next Year

Nealer and Max stayed a week. Jack had planned on staying two weeks already so we had a houseful of friends. While we could have used some private time together it was nice to know our friends had our backs too. With so many in the house and needing the gym, we decided that it would be easier to go into Halifax and meet up with Marchy for training. Of course the 6 of being together garnered a lot of attention, but we were all used to that.

Being together also helped us all push each other in the gym. I was pretty sure that we were all hyper competitive, not that it mattered. After we went out for lunch. It was nice to be around guys who understood why I pushed myself harder than they did, not to mention it helped us all have a blast too.

Today on the way home we stopped by mom and dad’s house to see what was going on with them. As we all got out we heard the laughter of a bunch of girls in the back. Then we heard Taylor yell. “Damn it Ashley!” That made Sid giggle.

“Tay must have friends over. Probably all under 18 too.” I sighed mentally. No one we had with us would ever look at a friend of Tay’s like that. To stop Sid’s rant, I walked into the back yard.

Sure enough Taylor and 3 friends were in the pool having a grand time. “Is someone trying to drown my favorite sister back here?” I asked as I rounded the corner. Taylor lit up and moved to the edge of the pool.

“Aleks! Are the rest of them with you too?” I nodded and turned in time to have them following me. “Woohoo! Hey guys!” Taylor always enjoyed seeing the guys, her friends suddenly couldn’t be teens but had to get out and try to flirt with Jacks, Nealer and Talbo.

Talbo extracted himself by going over and splashing Taylor and calling her his favorite sister. Jacks looked at me carefully but his horror was clear. One of the girls moved over to Sidney and tried flirting with him, he was clueless about it though which made me have to try not to laugh in his face. I decided it would be up to me to stop this insanity.

I walked up behind Talbo, picked his pockets of his phone and other electronics I could get and then pushed him into the pool. The guys all laughed. Talbo surfaced angrily snapping at me in French. I held up his phone and wallet he just glared at me then. “Like I would do that to you.”

I put his stuff on the table as well as my purse. I then pulled my top off, I had been smart and put my bikini on under my clothes as I had plans to go swimming when we got home. I then shucked my shoes and shorts. Before Sid could step in front of me, I dove into the pool.

Under the water, I found Talbo’s knees and pulled him down hard then I surfaced. “See, I do nothing I’m not willing to do myself.” I then moved over to Taylor.

Sid must have had a bad feeling about the two of us being that close to him. He moved away and put his stuff on the table next to mine. “There is no way you two are going to pull me in.”

Jacks and Nealer soon had gone out to the car and changed into their swimsuits. This left Sid surrounded by flirting teen girls. Fortunately mom heard us all out here and came out. I then took pity on him and got out. I sat near but not next to him. “We really just stopped to say hi but we heard Tay and her friends and couldn’t resist coming back. Then Talbo set himself up to be pushed in.” I explained to mom who just laughed.

“Well you’re welcome to stay for dinner, as long as you’re willing to help with it.” Mom said happily.

One of the girls leaned into Sid and tried a husky voice. “I’ll help you however you need. I’m over a lot.”

I placed a now dry left hand on his shoulder and pointedly ended the little girls’ fantasy. “I’m sure _my _husband knows his way around his childhood home better than you do.” She huffed.

Soon enough Sid and his mom went inside to start making plans for dinner. I was going to go but he stopped me. “You’ve fed all of us plus the party without a break, let me help mom.” I tried telling him that I didn’t mind, but he stopped me with more logic. “Do you really trust Taylor to have control over her friends? I mean she loves the guys but I trust you more.”

I moved out to where there was sunshine and set myself up to bask in the sun. This led Taylor to pull herself out of the pool and join me. “I’m glad you guys stopped by. I know you might not have plans for his birthday yet and that after he’s got a wedding he can’t take you to in Ottawa. I was wondering if you and I could take a trip up to see Brette and get her ready for school.”

I thought about it. I knew that after Sid got back from Ottawa we were going out to California to train seriously with someone he’d been training with for years. This trip would be a good chance for me to have some girl time with Taylor this summer. “You know that sounds great. We need a weekend away from all the stressers here. We could show Brette that it’s not just being on ice that she’ll have to do. I mean I _do still need to train.”

Taylor grinned, right up until Jack and Nealer splashed us. “Oh My God I’m going to _kill you two!” She shouted, I just laughed, I knew she couldn’t really hurt them. She got up and made her way back into the pool.

One of her other friends joined me then. “Do you mind if I sit down?” I shook my head. “I’m Leah. Are you really Sid’s wife?”

I paused, trying not to laugh in her face. Ah the briskness of youth. “Yes I am. I also am the woman who was on the Capitals when they won The Cup. I’ll get my day with it in early September.” Was I looking forward to that? Nah, not at all.

Realization dawned on Leah’s face. “Oh! My brother was sure they wouldn’t let you play in the Finals. I’ve never been happier to have him proved wrong.” I just smiled; I knew how she felt. “I thought everyone got their days earlier in the summer though.”

I chuckled. “They accidentally forgot about me. So to make up for it, I get it before it goes to D.C. but _after it gets engraved. I’ve kind of got a plan for the day but I have to check a few things before anything gets more permanently set.” I hadn’t noticed Max coming up behind me until he leaned into me; I was now mostly dry. “Oh god!” I jumped when he touched me, which just made him laugh. “God Maxime I _truly hope you find someone who can and will take you down a peg or three. And stop laughing at me, it’s not funny!” Of course he only laughed harder.

Eventually we all got tired of being at the pool and went inside. While I put our swimwear in the dryer on air dry, Max borrowed a pair of old shorts of Sid’s. Sadly they fit him really well. That led to new and not so improved jokes about his ass. To deflect the guys from this, I spoke up about the tentative plans Taylor and I made. “Mom, when Sid goes to Ottawa for that wedding, do you mind if I kidnap Taylor and go up to see Brette, the girl going to Shattuck from Kentville.”

Both mom and dad looked up relieved. “We were wondering how we were going to get them together before we all went to send them off. This would take care of that nicely. Thank you Aleks for offering.”

I just shrugged. It was no big deal to me. “I know what it’s like to be sent off like she’s about to be too. I know how great it was for my development and can tell her folks things that you just don’t know. Besides, if we work on it, we can get her in a routine of working out now before she has practice at god awful early on top of school.” It was true I did know the routine and what would be needed to stay on top of her game. “It’ll give me a chance to show Taylor some of the exercises I’m doing too. Not to mention having a partner for my yoga.” I threw a look at Sid who just looked innocent. It cracked everyone up.

With things settled, the last weeks of our trip home were mostly planned out and I felt good about what was coming next.