Back It up, Baby

For the kind of life I was supposed to have, my life got pretty boring. I spent most my days training, my evenings either at our games or playing video games with James and my nights back in Pittsburgh with Brandon. The only changes to my routine were when Leah invited me out to dinner with her best friend Bethany or when I slept in at Brandon’s and spent the mornings with him. Really, between my first game on the 16th of October and December 1st, two exciting things happened.

The first was the night after my first game. I walked over to Brandon’s and knocked on the door. I purposely forgot the key to his house at mine because I was still extremely uncomfortable with the idea of being able to just walk into someone else’s house. He didn’t say anything when he let me and didn’t direct me to any designated area, he just leaned against a wall and watched me.

The thing was once I was inside, with my shoes off, I felt at home. I wandered around, looking at all his pictures. I found myself in his study, a room I hadn’t been in yet. He had one wall lined with books, a desk facing a big bay window with a laptop neatly in the middle. Behind the desk chair was a giant picture of what appeared to be his family. I got closer and frowned, “wow.”

“That was taken a year ago at my cousin’s farm. I don’t think a single person was missing from that reunion,” I jumped when he spoke. He grinned at me before leaning over me and pointing at the picture, “see, there’s my sister, my brother, and my cousin Brett. My uncles and aunts and if you look really close right there next to Uncle Rich, holding the little girl? That’s me.”

I bit my lip and looked up at him, “family is really important to you, eh?”

“It’s not for you?” He asked, surprised. I shook my head and took a step back so, I could lean against the desk.

I grew up with a very ambitious mother and a father that just did whatever she said,” I blew my bangs out of face as I reflected. He was the one who generally took me to hockey and such until my mother landed Tuukka as her client. Then I just spent so much time with him and then shipped off to the Hamilton’s that it stopped being dad’s responsibility to watch over me. “I didn’t even really see my grandparents much before. They don’t ask about me I suppose. It wasn’t until I became best friends with Tuukka and started going over to Finland for the summers did I feel like I had a family.”

“That sucks,” he answered. I was shocked by how blunt he was but, he was right. It did suck and it was kind of shitty that I had to search for other people to make my family. Everyone else always skated around my family issues but, Brandon just blew it up in front of us. Before I could say anything else, he leaned past me and opened a drawer in his desk. “I have your birthday present still.”

I grinned, “you didn’t have to.” But, I held out my hands with excitement. He smirked and handed me a rather small box. I faked shock, “are you going to ask me to marry you? Oh Brandon, I couldn’t! It’s too soon!”

“Shut up,” he laughed. I excitedly ripped at the paper and opened the box. Inside was a Pandora charm bracelet with a smiling frog charm on it. I looked up at him, a tear in my eye. He shrugged like it wasn’t the cutest present in the world, “I just remembered your tattoo, that’s all.”

I didn’t say anything, I couldn’t. If I opened my mouth, I would just ruin the moment and it was almost movie-style perfect. I just took a step forward and walked into his arms. I just barely felt his lips kissing the top of my head.

--

The second exciting thing happened during a game against the Stars. We were up 4-1 in the last five minutes of the game and I was mindlessly skating around my net. We were on TV time-out and usually anyone on the ice went to the side but, one player came skating up to me.

“Can we be friends again?” I looked up to see a frowning Beau. I obviously had talked to him but, since I changed roommates to James, we really hadn’t spoke about anything that had happened. I was mad but, at the same time a little grateful. If it wasn’t for him completely embarrassing me, I wouldn’t have smartened up about my game. “I’m really sorry about your birthday.”

“Of course we can be friends again,” I chuckled and touched my helmet to his. When he turned to return to the bench, I swatted at his ass. I could hear his laugh as he spun around.

“There’s the rumour mill, starting already. We’re in love now, Larch,” I grinned. I watched him skate up to take the face-off and got ready. Unfortunately, his face-offs had been shit lately, and the Stars nabbed it quickly, racing it up to me. A quick shot, glove save, when will they ever learn?

“Nice try, Seguin,” I mocked. He skated past me and stuck out his tongue playfully. “That’s hot, boy.”

“Anything for you, gorgeous,” I shook my head while squirting water on my face. I was so used to this. Men always chirped me in one of two ways, either pretending to hit on me or calling me a slut. Since the last time when I accidentally called out Joe Thornton’s wife for cheating on him with Couture, which I still stand by that I had no idea was going on, I tried not to retaliate against the slut remarks. The flirting though was always fun. He looked up as he lined up for the face-off on my right, “can I get your number, girl?”

I didn’t have time to respond. The puck dropped and Beau, who I had realized was in front of Seguin, stood and cross checked him, right in front of the referee. I could clearly hear Beau when he yelled down, “you leave her the fuck alone, got it horn dog?”

The crowd was silent and I’m sure the first couple of rows could hear him too. I looked over at James as the whistle blew. He just shrugged. I turned back to where the referee was pushing Beau towards the penalty box. He looked at me and mouthed, “I told you, I’m sorry.”

“I know,” I mouthed back and this time, I knew he really meant it.

--

December 1st, I woke up and stared at the hotel room ceiling. We were in Colorado and I already knew I was starting. Something was just different. I could feel it, like this day was going to change everything for me and I was terrified for a second that it would be for the worse.

I rolled over to see James snoring quietly. I got up and shook him awake. He opened one eye and groaned, “there’s no way its eight yet.”

“No, it’s only four,” I earned a moan for that one. Chuckling, I poked him. “I just don’t feel well, Nealsy and I don’t know why.”

“Well, come here then, kid,” he opened up his blankets and held out his arm to me. I crawled in next to him, facing outward. It wasn’t like sleeping next to Brandon, who I almost always had my head on his chest now, but it did make me feel much better. Safe, like a big brother would make me feel. “Just don’t throw up on me.”

“No promises,” I giggled before falling back asleep.