Big Girl Panties

“Fuck Detroit.” Trixie said nonchalantly. She popped a few pieces of popcorn into her mouth and Chaunette let out a throaty laugh as the two fans wearing Red Wings jerseys passed the two of them. Trixie’s face remind straight as she salted the bland tasting sustenance.

All nerves were running high as the minutes counted down closer to the time of puck drop to game seven against the Red Wings. When the Wings had been playing their final two games against the Ducks, Trixie had been one of the few not cheering for their series victory. While she knew it was good for both franchises to meet one final time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs as division and conference rivals, the born and raised Chicagoan couldn’t bring herself to cheer for the Motor City.

“Well, you are certainty feisty tonight.” The young girlfriend of Andrew Shaw had taken a liking to Trixie Carcillo the second the two had officially met. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, while Chaunette usually kept the things Trixie thought to herself.

Pressing down on her belly feeling the baby’s head just under her ribcage, Trixie was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. “I haven’t been sleeping well. And, you try going from uncontrollably horny to clinically depressed and then insanely pissed off six times a day.”

As she entered her third trimester, the only thing that kept Trixie from completely losing her mind was knowing she had just over ninety days to go until she gave birth. Trixie also knew that the coming summer months would be miserable as the muggy June weather was in full force. Being six months pregnant with 75% humidity wasn’t ideal for her.

“Dayna seems to be hanging on pretty well.” Chaunette hadn’t realized what a mistake those words were until they had exited her mouth.

With her hair up in a tight sock bun and her red jersey that was just big enough to fit over her belly, Trixie’s hormones got the best of her. “Fuck Dayna. Pregnancy seems to be agreeing with every other pregnant wife but me!”

Going into defense mode, Chaunette pulled Trixie over to the side.

“Trixie,” she soothed. “What is going on?”

Everyone on the team could sense the tension that had developed between the newlywed couple. Most had assumed it was petty first year marriage disagreements, but as soon as it had become team knowledge that Daniel Carcillo acquired to be traded to another team, it left a small rift and certain people taking sides. Especially the once closeness between Patrick Kane and Dan was starting to close as he didn’t want to see Trixie leave.

One night a week ago when the guys had gone out to release some pent up frustration over the series against Detroit, Patrick had let Dan know how he really felt about him. While he had consumed a considerable amount of alcohol, Dan knew the drunken words of Patrick telling him how he wasn’t good enough to have Trixie were sober thoughts but tried his best to tell himself he was in fact good enough.

Unbeknownst to Trixie, his drug use had been team knowledge as well and one of the best kept secrets from the higher ups. After Ray had let it slip to a few others that Trixie had caught him with the nose candy, they all wondered why she hadn’t left him and found it bewildering that didn’t seem to be too upset. However, what they didn’t know wasn’t the dumb and naïve woman they were taking her for.

The guilt Dan felt inside was vast. Trixie knew that if she treated him with nothing but kindness, the guilt would kill him and she would have him wrapped around her finger. She figured that was punishment enough.

Wiping the single tear off her cheek, Trixie, licked the peppermint gloss on her lips. “My doctor appointment didn’t go so well Monday.”

Chaunette’s face read a shocked expression, urging Trixie to go on.

“I’m showing signs of preeclampsia. The doctor put me on blood pressure medication and told me to avoid unnecessary stress and told me to rest. When I go back next week, if my pressure isn’t down then I go on total bed rest and have to schedule a c-session. My doc wants me to get to about 35 weeks before I deliver.”

Chaunette pulled Trixie into a hug and used her free hand to rub her back. She had never seen Trixie so vulnerable before and it was a heart breaking scene; Trixie was supposed to be the strongest one of them all.

Pushing away, Trixie used her hand to free her face of the dampness left from the tears. For the last three days, both Trixie and Dan had been putting on their brave faces, keeping the news from those close to them as they didn’t want them to worry. But, the more the couple researched preeclampsia and eclampsia, their fears grew. Dan was the one with the bravest of faces; assuring his wife it wasn’t her fault as she had worked extremely hard during the first two trimesters, pushing herself to the absolute limits. What Trixie didn’t know was that for the last three nights, Dan had barely slept. He was afraid that her blood pressure would rise dangerously and she’d either stroke out or seize.

“If there are any two people who can get through this, it’s you and Dan. You guys are so strong.”

Trixie appreciated the pep-talk from the twenty-one year old. It didn’t do much to settle her nerves. Looking at the analog watch on her left wrist, Trixie knew it was time to get her mindset to hockey. It was a big night in the city and the Madhouse would be madder than ever.

“C’mon,” Trixie grabbed the sleeve of her loose Shaw jersey. “We have fifteen minutes before puck drop.”



During the intermission between the second and third periods, Trixie had excused herself from the other WAG’s as she desperately needed to stretch her legs. Plus the baby had started kicking as she noticed the more active she was, the less active he was. It seemed like a good trade off.

What was meant to be a quick walk turned in to Trixie buying five hot dogs and heading up another level. She passed by several people she hadn’t seen since her last day and they all marveled at how big she had gotten in a matter of only a month and a half. When she reached the press box, Trixie waved with her fingers in a hello to Eddie Olczyk and continued her walk to the bottom portion of the box where her husband sat with a few other scratched players. He and Jamal were deeply discussing the progress going on within the Eastern Conference.

Coming up behind Dan, Trixie motioned with her finger for Jamal to remain quiet as she put the hot dogs down. Simultaneously wrapping her arms around him, she made a random ‘roar’ sound that definitely caught him off guard. Jamal busted out laughing as Dan turned his chair around. Trixie couldn’t contain her laughter either.

“Shit, Trix.” Dan tried to get his heart rate back to normal. “What are you doing up here?”

Trixie took a seat in the unoccupied chair beside Dan and tossed a hot dog to Jamal before handing one to Dan and unwrapping one for herself.

“I got bored. And I missed you.” Trixie smiled as she leaned over and kissed his scruffy cheek. While she couldn’t deny the tingling feeling that was caused by how sharp he looked in a suit, Trixie preferred him with a cleanly shaven face…and when he had his teeth in.

As Jamal squeezed a packet of mustard on his hot dog, he asked the question Trixie was hoping to avoid for the rest of her pregnancy.

“It feels like I haven’t seen you in forever. How are you holding up?” The father of three knew how rough pregnancy was.

Dan shot Trixie a sympathetic look as she swallowed hard. “I’m feeling great now that I’m not working. Plus the late night runs for frozen yogurt and cheese fries that he makes, makes me even happier.”

Three times in the last month, Trixie had made Dan put pants on at eleven o’clock to head out in search of a pint of frozen yogurt or a burger joint still open. She knew there was no way, not now; Dan would ever tell her no.

When the horn sounded to signal the start of the third period, Trixie decided to stay up in the press box and finish watching the game with Dan and Jamal. It was after Detroit scored and tied the game 1-1, did Trixie start wondering if hockey would be one of those unnecessary stressors that she would have to avoid. As the period ended and overtime started, Trixie’s anxiety of this possibly being the last game the guys would play for the 2013 season.

At 3:35 in overtime, it was Brent Seabrook who found the back of the net, ensuring the Chicago Blackhawks would live to play the Western Conference Final.

Jumping to their feet, Trixie, Dan and Jamal whistled, cheered, high-fived and hugged as they sang along to the tune of Chelsea Dagger. Wrapping her arms around Dan’s neck, she collided her lips with his for a celebratory kiss before they would head down to the locker room and congratulate the rest of the team. They were eight games down with eight more to go.

As Trixie moved away, he couldn’t help but stare at her. With that Original Six sweater on her back, Dan realized there was no other color than red she meant to wear. The hawk head belonged on her chest, her heart belongs to the United Center and her life was devoted to the Blackhawks.

He knew he was asking a lot of her. To leave her heart behind in Chicago as she traveled with him to root herself in a foreign city and slip into a hockey sweater she could never wear with true pride. Trixie was doing it all for him, making him realize he was beyond lucky to have found a women as loyal as Trixie. It was at that moment did he fall in love with her all over again.