A New Life

-Sean-
I can’t even begin to explain how amazing it feels to finally be home with Charlie again. Especially considering the new status of her bed rest. I know Drew has been driving her crazy, so I’m trying my best not to be too over protective.

But... she’s the love of my life, carrying my two daughters. I have to be over protective. I can’t let anything happen to any of them.

Despite that, I listen to my father when he sits me down and tells me to tread carefully. While I want so badly to stay by Charlie’s side as much as possible, I know she needs her space as well. And like he said, “a happy wife is a happy life.”

That’s why when Charlie asks me again if I want to go to the family Christmas skate, I finally give in and agree to go. Honestly, I don’t really want to. But I can tell that she wants me to. I know she feels guilty for keeping me away from it, and for making this holiday season very different than usual. Even though it’s not her fault at all.

So my dad and I grab our skates and head over to the SkateZone for the party, leaving my mom and Charlie home in bed watching the Harry Potter marathon on ABC Family. I’m glad there’s finally something good on tv for her to watch, since lately it’s all been reruns of old sitcoms and bad day-time shows.

Charlie actually asks me to log on to her Instagram and post a picture of me with some of the guys, since her social media accounts have taken a hard hit lately. While her sponsors understand why she hasn’t been active, she feels guilty for letting her followers down. So I agree, and take a picture with my dad, Mase and his dad. I also take one of Brayden and Luke with their family.

I’m surprised at how many likes and comments she still gets instantly. Most of them are fans, and it warms my heart that the city still loves her.

My dad and I don’t stay for the whole skate, since I’m missing my wife. But we stay long enough that I realize Charlie was right. I did really want to go. Despite not having her there, it still felt like I was celebrating with my family. And it was nice.

I make sure to stay long enough for the annual announcement by Coach, and I’m glad that I did. He has a huge surprise, and ends up presenting me with a gigantic pile of gifts that the team put together for me, Charlie, and the babies. I don’t really want to open it now, but I promise to open them with Charlie as soon as I get home.

Charlie is just as surprised as I am when I come home with the pile, and we have a lot of fun opening them. We take turns guessing who each gift is from.

Some are easy, like the “HartnellDown” onesies (Obviously from Hartsy himself). But some are a little harder, like the set of children’s books that shockingly ended up being from Jake Voracek. Most of the gifts are clothes and toys, and there’s an obvious theme to them all- black and orange, with a certain NHL logo on it.

I think Charlie is extra excited about it all, since she hasn’t been able to have a proper baby shower. She and the girls were planning one, but with the sudden change to bed rest and then the extra precautions, it had to be put on hold. We’ll probably have a baby shower/meet the girls party once they’re born, instead.

Charlie laughs at the “Mini Broadstreet Bully” shirts she opens and guesses correctly that they’re from Zac Rinaldo.

In this moment, I can’t help but marvel at just how wonderful she really is.

To think about all that Charlie has been through. Her mother abandoned her when she was little. Her father raised her and her brother as a single father, scorn by the scandal of Anne leaving. She joined the Air Force and went through one of the toughest physical, mental, and emotional training in the military. She suffered the loss of her father. She was deployed to Afghanistan where she watched as a whole bunch of little kids died from a suicide bomber. She dealt with Anne showing up and stealing from her, and then turning a gun on her. She went back to Afghanistan again, where she fucking lost her leg. She went through months of intensive therapy, never knowing if she was ever going to be able to be herself again. She dealt with Anne again when she showed up at our wedding. She went through all the emotional and mental pain of her depression and PTSD. She found out that there was a possibility she would never have kids, and that her uterus was ripped. But then got pregnant with the one situation her doctor said was the most dangerous for her and the babies (cue PTSD again...). All of that on top of being the wife of an NHL player, who’s constantly on the road and at risk of getting injured. A man who got attacked by his mother-in-law, and almost didn’t remember her afterwards.

All of that, and Charlie is still the most beautiful person I’ve ever met- both inside and outside. And she’s the most positive thing in my life. As long as I have Charlie, I feel like I could take on the entire world with my own two hands.

“What’s with the face?” She asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Nothing.” I respond.
“Liar.” She smiles.

I lean over to kiss her, savoring the taste of the hot chocolate on her lips.

“Just thinking about how amazing you are.” I admit.
“Stop.” She blushes.
“No, really. I’m so lucky to have such an amazing woman in my life.”

My eyes search hers, daring her to disagree. Somewhere along the line I think she realizes that resistance is futile, and simply smiles bashfully. Her eyes look tired and I can tell she wants to take a nap.

“I’ll take all this stuff up to their room.” I suggest, rubbing her thigh with my hand.
“Okay.”
“Let me get you situated first, so that you can take a nap.”
“I’m fine, Sean.” She protests.
“Charlie, love. I can see your eyes fighting to stay awake.”
She giggles.
“Okay, but you have to promise to come right back and snuggle with me.” She bargains.
“Absolutely.”

I hurry to take the new gifts upstairs to the nursery, but by the time I come back she’s already asleep. I check on my parents who are sitting comfortably on the couch watching a movie and bid them good night before I crawl into bed behind my wife.

I know that Christmas tomorrow will be very different, but I also know it’ll be completely worth it. Charlie doesn’t know it, but some of our friends have agreed to come over and visit for a while. And I’ve got a plan to make sure it still feels like Christmas to her.

“Merry Christmas Eve, Sean. I love you.” She mumbles to my surprise.
“Merry Christmas Eve, Charlie. I love you too.”

I kiss the back of her head and settle in for the night.