Citius, Altius, Fortius

“Victoria!” I hear Vero yell as soon as I enter the secluded room in the back of the restaurant that Vero has reserved for the afternoon.
“Vero! How are you?” I ask, smiling and accepting the woman’s open arms.
“I’m doing well, mon amie. How are you?”
“I’m great, actually. So happy to be home for a couple of days.”
“That’s so wonderful to hear. Come, sit. The other girls will be here soon.”

I take the seat that Vero offers me, facing the room with the window behind me. She sits across from me, claiming she likes to be able to see everyone- especially the guest of honor. I laugh at the title, but accept it.

“So, I was wondering....” Vero starts as soon as I sit down.
“Yes?” I prompt, unable to control the smile on my face as I watch her smirk.
“Well, Marc and I were talking and we haven’t had a date night in... well, since last spring! I was hoping to ask you before the other ladies showed up if maybe you’d be willing to babysit for us while you’re home. Maybe tomorrow night?”
“Of course!” I laugh, relieved that her request is something so simple.
“Oh, thank God!” She sighs, relieved. “I love my little Estelle, but we could use a break.”
“I totally understand. I don’t even have a kid myself, but when I’m around my nieces and nephews and little cousins for a long period of time, I need a break too. Just text me your address and what time you want me to be there.”
“You, Victoria McKinley, are a life saver.” She laughs.
“I’m sure Estelle will be the easiest little girl to watch. It’s seriously no problem.”

“Hello, ladies! So sorry I’m late. Alex just would not let me go.” Catherine Letang says, interrupting our conversation and rushing into the room.
“No worries, dear. It’s just Tori and me. And we both just got here.” Vero responds.

I stand and hug Catherine before she chooses the seat to the left of me.

“Who else will be joining us?” I ask.
“Carol-Lynne should be here any minute.” Catherine says. “She texted me and said she was leaving around the same time as I was.”
“Fantastic. Then we can really talk.” Vero smiles.

A waiter comes into the room quietly with a bottle of wine, pouring a small glass for Vero to taste. She approves and he pours glasses for the four of us before exiting the room, promising to return later for our orders.

“So how is school?” Catherine asks, sipping on her glass.
“It’s going well, actually. I’m passing all of my classes with good grades and the team is ranked number one right now. And I think I have a serious chance at getting this internship I applied for.” I respond, scanning the menu for something that fits into my in-season diet.
“What’s the internship?” Vero asks.
“It’s with NBC.” I gush, a smile spreading across my lips like a wildfire. Just thinking about it gets me really excited. “They’re looking for a short-term intern to go to Sochi for a couple of weeks during the winter Olympics. They want to add a short bi-weekly segment to their coverage, and they’re interviewing college seniors for the position. I heard thousands of students applied for it, and they’re down to the final five now. Including me.”
“What would you be doing?” Catherine asks.
“I’m not sure, actually. I think it’s mostly behind the scenes stuff, but I heard a rumor that they’re actually interviewing for the lead position on-camera. If that’s true, I think my experience with the Olympics and with high-profile athletes will give me an advantage. At least I hope so.”
“Oh that’s wonderful!” Vero says, just as Carol-Lynne enters the room in a rush.
“Hello dearies!” She says, her face still flushed from the cold.
“Hi!” I exclaim, getting up to hug her.

She embraces me and I can’t help but smile at how warm and inviting it is-- how warm and inviting they all are. They hardly know me, and yet they’ve already accepted me.

“Well, I hope you get the internship.” Catherine says as we sit back down.
“Thanks. Me too.” I smile.
“How was your American Thanksgiving with your family?” Carol-Lynn asks, scanning the menu.
“It was wonderful!” I gush. “So great to see all my family together. It’s been a while since we’ve had all of us under one roof. I met my younger brother Steven’s new girlfriend, Lydia. I really like her. She seems good for him. And my sister Josie announced that she’s pregnant again!”
“Oh how fun!” Vero says.
“I’m so excited to have another niece or nephew on the way.” I admit with a smile.
“How many nieces and nephews do you have?” Catherine asks.
“I have three nephews and three nieces. So this will be the tie-breaker. I’m kinda hoping for another girl.”

They laugh with me, just as the waiter returns. He’s here just long enough to place our orders and ask if we need anything else. He’s respectful and attentive, and I have no doubt he knows exactly who we are. Well, who they are at least. It makes me wonder how often they come here. Do they choose this place because it’s familiar?

“So tell us more about what you’ve been up to!” Vero pushes, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Yes! What else is new?” Catherine agrees.
“Not much, really.” I respond with a half-shrug. “Just diving and school. That’s pretty much it. And trying to get this internship.”
“I heard you had a wonderful birthday, though.” Carol-Lynn interjects.
“Oh, I did!” I exclaim, my hand instantly involuntarily reaching for the silver bracelet on my wrist. The movement doesn’t go unnoticed, and all three sets of eyes are staring at it.
“That’s a very nice bracelet.” Vero smirks.
“It’s gorgeous.” I admit, showing them. “My favorite birthday present, by far.”
“It has their numbers...” Catherine points out.
“Yeah. Pat said they had that added for me.” I explain, blushing. “The other stuff I got was from the whole team, but this was just from Jon and Pat.”
“And you aren’t dating either of them?” Carol-Lynn asks, her eyebrows raised suggestively.
I laugh. “No, definitely not. I love them both so much, but no.”
“Good. We still have a chance to set you up with one of our guys.” She chuckles.
“We have to keep you here, no matter what!” Vero adds, causing the three of them to clink their glasses together in a toast.

I shake my head at the three women, somewhat enjoying their determination to officially make me one of them. But it makes me feel awkward, thinking about dating someone again. And a Penguin to boot. While it’s nice to know that these ladies have already accepted me, I’m just not sure the Hockey WAG life is for me.

“Nah, I’m not ready for that yet.” I say, sipping my wine. “Especially not with an athlete.”

The three women share a look and I know they’re thinking about Russ’s statement at the last Penguins game about my love life. Sighing, I down the rest of my glass, knowing I have no choice but to finally explain what he was talking about.

“I guess I finally have to explain.” I say, gaining three nods in return. “So two years ago I started dating this guy, Shaun. He played football at OSU and graduated last year. He was an amazing boyfriend at first- supportive and loving and kind. But then I went to the Olympics and won my medals and everything changed. See, Buckeyes football is such a huge thing. The players are like local celebrities on campus, especially when they’re doing well. My sophomore year, Shaun was a superstar on the team. He was one of the core players, and people were expecting great things from him for his senior season. But then when we came back to school last fall, people were more interested in me than him. Despite it being football season. People would come up to us while we were on dates and ask for pictures with me and completely ignore that he was there. Alumni wanted me and Aubrey at their functions, not the football players. It was like suddenly the two of us were the stars of the Athletic Department. Well, and Jake from the men’s gymnastics team. They weren’t as obsessed with football anymore- it was all about the three Olympians. Shaun started getting angry with me all the time. The team didn’t perform as well as they thought they were going to, and he started blaming me. He believed that because everyone’s attention was focused on the Olympic medalists, the football team wasn’t getting any support anymore. Mind you, their entire season sells out within ten minutes of tickets being available. Meanwhile, our meets don’t even sell out when we’re at Nationals or NCAAs. So where he got that idea from is beyond me. But anyway, he basically just started cutting me down whenever he got the chance. I’d get a less than stellar grade on an exam and he’d tell me I’m stupid. I’d have a rough practice and he’d say something along the lines of it’s because I’m a washed-up, one-hit wonder. It really hurt my confidence, which was already shaken from losing the gold medal that was so close to being mine. I-I had to put on a show every time I went out of the house to pretend like I was happy with my success. And he made it even harder to do that.”

I take a sip of the water sitting in front of me and breathe in and out a couple of times before continuing.

“I think the breaking point, though, was when he found out that none of the NHL teams were interested in him. Not even for their practice squads. After he found that out, he became absolutely insufferable. I was miserable every day I had to see him, and dreaded the times he would come over. We never went out anymore- I think mainly because he couldn’t handle not being the superstar out of the two of us. It escalated so far that there came a point where he wouldn’t even pretend to be happy when I was winning meets. He would just sneer and tell me that I got lucky. That the other girls sucked more than me, and that’s why I won. Not because I was good- but because I sucked less than my competition. Eventually, my cousin and our three friends sat me down and told me that they thought I should break up with him. I was worried, to be honest. Because I didn’t know how that was going to go. But I knew that it was the right thing to do. I wasn’t happy anymore, and I couldn’t continue to be in such a toxic relationship. So I invited Shaun over while the guys were at my apartment and told him that we were done. He called me a whore, accused me of cheating on him with Drew, my ex who’s still one of my best friends. He also accused me of sleeping with Nick and Will, which was even more ridiculous than Drew. He threw a fit, and I was really glad that they were there to make sure things didn’t get out of hand.”

I shrug, not really sure what else to say.

“Basically, he was jealous that my career was successful and his wasn’t. He made me miserable and it was awful and since then I haven’t dated anyone. I’m kind of afraid to. And now I’m especially weary of other athletes.”

What I don’t tell them is how absolutely shot my confidence is. I know I’m fairly attractive, and I know I’m a nice person. But considering two out of my three relationships have failed miserably, it kinda puts a damper on my love life. I’m not so sure I can put myself out there again, knowing that it’s possible for things to end just as badly or even worse that my relationships with Brett and Shaun.

And really, even the relationship with Drew wasn’t normal. We were basically friends who hooked up. We were mutually exclusive, and considered ourselves dating. But we only lasted three months before we realized that we were better off as friends, and that being in each other’s lives was more important than forcing a relationship that was failing. And, well... it’s a little embarrassing to admit. But- the sex totally sucked. It shouldn’t have. Drew is packaged quite nicely, and I know I’m an attractive woman who knows what to do. But there just wasn’t any passion- any lust. And the physical aspect of our relationship suffered greatly because of that.

The ladies are silent, and I can tell they’re letting all this information process before they say anything.

“I can see why you’re worried about dating another ass hole like that.” Carol-Lynn finally speaks up. “You don’t deserve a man like that, and a man like that doesn’t deserve you.”
I nod, totally embarrassed that I shared all that information about myself in just a minute or two. I’ve kept everything that happened with Shaun bottled up for so long, only my family and closest friends know about it. Not even Pat knows about that part of my life, and I’m not sure I plan on telling him. But yet here I am spilling it so easily to women I hardly know.
“He is a piece of shit.” Vero agrees definitively. “But there are some good guys out there. You just have to find the right one.”
“Unfortunately, it seems as though I only find the bad ones.” I laugh dryly.
“Well you just need to look somewhere else.” Catherine adds. “Find one that will treat you the way you deserve to be treated.”
“In all honesty, I sometimes wish I had slept with Jon when I was in Chicago.” I admit. “Maybe Pat would have gotten his way and something would have happened there. Jon is such a great guy, I would have been a very lucky girl. But he’s too far away, and both of us deserve better than long distance like that.”
“Is Pittsburgh too long distance?” Vero asks.
“No.” I say, not even having to think about the question. “No, if I couldn’t find someone in Columbus, Pittsburgh is the only other place I’d consider. But probably not for a while, you know? I need to take a break from all that.”

She smiles, though it doesn’t reach her eyes like normal.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom.” I say, wanting to get up and take a minute before our food arrives.

When I come back to the table, the waiter is just setting down our plates. It’s good timing, and I appreciate the change in direction that the conversation has taken. I like being around these women, but I’m finding that the longer I’m around them, the more I tell about my life that I’m not so sure I want to share. So I don’t mind at all that the conversation revolves around the team and the season and the impending Olympics for the rest of lunch.

“Tori, it’s been so nice catching up with you.” Catherine says as the four of us move to put our coats on at the end of lunch.
“I agree. I feel like every time we see you we get to know you a little bit more.” Carol-Lynn adds.
“Probably some stuff you wish you didn’t know.” I chuckle, somehow over my embarrassment from before.
“Oh, nonsense.” She laughs. “What we learn just makes us love you more and more.”
“You just keep making us wish you were officially one of us!” Vero says.
I shake my head, negating all three of their nodding heads.
“One day, ma fleur.” Catherine says with a confident smile. “Maybe not for a couple of months. But one day.”
“We know you aren’t ready for that kind of commitment yet.” Carol-Lynn says, getting serious and grabbing my wrist to hold it close to her hip. Her face is set and each word that comes out of her mouth is careful and thought out. “But you have to understand... The boys are like our family. Sometimes we’re over protective of them when it comes to their relationships. It’s very hard for us to accept a lot of the women they bring around. You never know what some of them really want. And it’s rare for us to find someone who we connect with instantly, like we have with you. You have to forgive us for wanting you to be a part of our group so badly.”
“It’s okay.” I assure her. “I understand where you’re coming from. Maybe.... maybe one day I can be the woman you want me to be. But for now...”
“But for now, we let you be who you are.” Catherine finishes.
“But we will not stop wishing.” Vero adds with a wink.
“I can live with that.” I laugh.

The four of us laugh and make our way out of the restaurant and towards the parking lot. Catherine breaks off from our group first, followed closely by Carol-Lynn.

“I hope you can forgive us.” Vero says. “Truly, we don’t mean to put you in an awkward position when we joke about you being one of us. It just feels so natural.”
“Honestly, Vero, it’s okay. It... it feels natural to me, too. I feel like I belong with you ladies. I just...” I pause, thinking over my words. “I need time.”
“We can respect that.”
“And I need the right man.” I laugh as an after-thought.
“Oh, darling. That isn’t a problem at all.” She shakes her head. “I have a feeling I know exactly who you’re going to end up with. Eventually.”

I quirk my eyebrows at her, but the petite woman simply laughs and shakes her head.

“You will find out one day, mon amie.” She promises. “But for now, I must go. Estelle will be waking up about now and Marc is going to need my assistance.”
“Okay.” I smile. “Five thirty tomorrow?”
“That sounds perfect. I’ll text you our address.”

She leans in and pulls me into a hug, one that promises of friendship for a long time. We part and I slide into my car, instantly turning the heat up to full blast. I take a minute to myself, thinking about the events of this afternoon. I can’t shake the feeling that they’re right. I fit in with the group so easily, it’s almost like I’ve always been one of them. It’s comforting and completely terrifying all at the same time.

Shaking my head clear of these thoughts, I back out of my parking spot and head home. Aubrey and I have plans to work out in a couple hours and I should probably do a little bit of studying before hand.

The next day, a couple of minutes before five thirty, I pull into Marc and Vero’s driveway and shoulder my bag, ready for the night ahead. I brought my textbook, knowing that once Estelle goes to sleep I’ll have some time to myself. The first episode of the show is on tonight, too. Which of course I’m really excited about. But I have it set to record on my television at home, so I probably won’t watch anything.

The snow has just started coming down, but I know from the weather reports that it’s going to start coming down harder within the next hour. It’s crazy, how early in the year it’s starting to snow. But I kinda like the snow. It makes everything that much cozier inside.

Marc answers the door within ten seconds of me ringing the bell.

“Were you waiting for me?” I laugh.
“Nope. Just happened to be coming down the stairs at the right time.” He smiles.
“Sure you were.” I tease him with a wink.
“Come in, you brat.” He smirks. “It’s fucking cold outside.”
“Language, Marc.” Vero scolds, coming down the stairs with Estelle in her arms.
Marc laughs and takes his daughter, who’s smiling and grabbing at his hair.
“You look beautiful, Vero.” I say, appreciating her put-together look.
“Oh gosh. I’m just in nice jeans and heels.” She laughs.
“I think you look absolutely sexy.” Marc says, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Oh shut up, you.” She chides with a smack to his arm. “So Tori, I’ve left Estelle’s dinner out on the kitchen table. We also left some money if you want to order delivery for yourself. The Chinese place down the street knows our address by heart, so if you call just say it’s the Fleury residence.”
“Also, don’t tell Sid that. He’d have my head.” Marc puts in.
“I won’t tell, I swear.” I laugh. “But I brought my own dinner anyway. I’m under a very strict diet since I’m not training hard right now.”
“Well it’s there if you want it.” She says, putting her coat on.

Marc gives Estelle a kiss on the forehead and passes her over to Vero while he gets his jacket on as well.

“Depending on the weather, we might not make it to the movie. We’ll see how it goes. We don’t want you to end up stuck here.”
“Don’t you worry about me.” I assure her, taking the smiling baby from her arms. “I’ve got my dad’s truck, and I’ve lived with these crazy Pittsburgh snow storms all my life. Go out and have fun and don’t come back early for my sake.”
“And if need be, she can spend the night here.” Marc says pointedly at his wife.
“Okay...” She hesitates.
“Seriously, Vero. Don’t worry about any of it. Estelle and I will be just fine.” I assure the young mother. “Go. Have a nice dinner. Enjoy the movie. I’ll call you if I have any problems. Which I won’t.”

She seems to be satisfied for the time being, which allows Marc to pull her out of the house with just a thankful smile. After the door is shut and locked, I turn to the baby sitting on my hip.

“What should we do now, Miss Estelle?” I ask, not really expecting a response. She giggles and smiles, which makes me smile in return. “Play time it is.”

For the next half hour, I spend time playing with the little girl and talking to her. It’s no surprise that she’s an absolute angel- I mean, she is Marc and Vero’s daughter. She definitely takes after them in her looks and in her easy-going nature. Outside, the snow picks up and it gets dark pretty quick, a mixture of the early evenings and the storm clouds rolling in.

Eventually, dinner time rolls around. I’ve just placed my dinner in the microwave and sat Estelle down in her chair when the doorbell rings. My face draws together in confusion. Who would be ringing the doorbell right now? I pick up the smiling little girl and hold her on my hip as I make my way through the house to the foyer. I flip the light on and unchain the lock with ease, despite the squirming baby on my hip, and open the door.

“Oh.” I say, coming face to face with Geno. “Hey.”
“Hello.” He responds, his face contorted in confusion. “Uh... I’m here to see Marc.”
“He took Vero out for a date night.” I explain, causing the confusion creases to disappear from his handsome face. The flakes of snow settling in his hair start to melt and the moisture glints off the porch light, catching my eye and framing his face. He breathes out into the cold air, his breath visible.
“Oh. I’m sorry. I did not know.”
“Don’t worry about it.”

We stand there for a moment just staring at each other, him outside and me inside, until a huge gust of wind picks up and he shivers a little bit.

“Would you like to come in?” I offer, noticing he’s not wearing a jacket in this freezing weather.
“Sure.”
I step to the side and allow him to enter the Fleury household. He toes off his shoes and leaves them on the rug so he isn’t tracking the snow that’s gathered on them through the house and follows me back into the kitchen just in time for the microwave to beep.

“You eating dinner?” He asks.
“Yeah, I just put it in.”
“Estelle eat?” He brushes his finger against the little girl’s arm causing her to smile brightly at him. He smiles in return and it makes my stomach flutter.
“Not yet. I was going to feed her while my food was warming up.”
“Oh. I interrupt. I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t worry about it. I’ll just heat it up again when I’m done with her.” I assure him. It really isn’t a problem.
“I can feed if you want?” He suggests.
“Uh...” I hesitate, not sure if he’s offering because he feels bad for interrupting or if he actually wants to feed Estelle.
“Have done before.” He laughs. “Marc fool me into babysit.”
I smile, thinking about Geno falling for Marc’s antics. It’s totally believable.
“Okay. Thanks.” I say, buckling Estelle into her seat and pulling over the dinner Vero left for her.
“You get big!” Geno says to her. “Have real food now.”
“Last time she didn’t have real food?” I ask.
“No. Just bottle. Was hard to make right temperature. Must be warm, but not hot. Very hard to get right, and didn’t want to do wrong.”

He shakes his head and I can see the fear of making it wrong in his eyes. I can tell he was a good choice for Marc and Vero to fool into babysitting- much better than someone like James who wouldn’t pay attention to the little details like the temperature of her bottle. He’s also a little naive, an adorable trait that means he was an easier target than someone like Sid or Paul, who would have seen right through Marc and Vero’s tricks.

I laugh, shaking my head and pulling my own dinner out of the microwave.

“Babies don’t know the difference in the temperatures. As long as it’s not too hot, they’ll drink it regardless. Warm liquids just help them calm down better.” I explain.
“Oh. Did not know that.” Geno says, opening the jar of baby food and accepting the spoon I’ve grabbed form the drawr.

I sit down with my dinner on the other side of Estelle from Geno and mix around the rice with my fork, stirring in the pineapples.

“What you have?” Geno asks, carefully scooping a little bit of the mashed peas onto the little spoon and offering it to the grinning baby.
“Pineapple glazed grilled chicken and rice with pineapples.” I answer, watching with a smile as Estelle takes the bite still staring at Geno’s face. Half of the food ends up dribbling down her chin, and I can tell Geno has no idea what to do with it.

“Here.” I offer, taking the spoon from him. My fingers brush against his and I notice they’re still cold from being outside. He gives me a sheepish smile, a little embarrassed that he doesn’t know what to do. I catch the falling food easily and offer the rest of the bite to her, which she accepts eagerly. “You’re hungry.” I laugh.

“Growing girl needs food.” Geno says. I look up and my eyes lock with his, soft and inviting. He cracks a small smile and reaches over to take the spoon from my hand. “Eat your dinner. I handle baby. Yes?”

“Okay.”

The rest of our meal is quiet- me eating my own dinner and Geno focusing very hard on feeding Estelle properly. I finish before them and rinse out my container in the sink, leaving it off to the side so I remember it later. I return back to the table just in time for Estelle to make a face and whine a little, refusing the bite of food Geno is offering her.

“What I do?” He asks, looking up at me with panic in his eyes.

“Looks like she’s done.” I respond with a smile. “I’ll take that stuff if you’ll clean her up?”

Geno hands me the jar and spoon in exchange for the warm wet paper towel I grabbed. I turn back to the sink, rinsing the spoon off and setting the jar where Vero asked me to leave it. I hear soft murmurs in what I assume must be Russian and look over my shoulder to see Geno smiling and speaking to Estelle while he wipes the mess from her face and hands. It hits me, now, just how natural he is with her. How good he is with tending to her needs. It seems easy for him, feeding her and cleaning her up, despite not fully knowing what to do.

He looks up and catches me staring, which makes me blush.

“Something wrong?” He asks, pulling away from Estelle and staring intently at me.
“No. No. Nothing’s wrong.” I respond, snapping out of my haze and moving around to get Estelle out of her seat. “Just... I probably have to change her.” I muster, still completely embarrassed he caught me staring at him.

“Okay. I clean rest of stuff up.” He says with a soft smile.

I’m grateful for the break I get from being around Geno while I take little Estelle upstairs to change her diaper. I just... I can’t really seem to catch my breath when I’m around him. The way his eyes smile even when he doesn’t, the way he listens intently when I speak to him, the way he interacts with Estelle, the way his voice is rough and strong, even sexy at times. I’m finding it very hard to be around the Russian without feeling things that are really starting to confuse me.

“Alright little one, let’s get back downstairs.” I coo, buttoning Estelle’s pants up.

I hold her on my hip and carry her back downstairs where Geno has helped himself to Marc and Vero’s couch and television I figured he would be getting ready to leave now, but here he is comfortable just hanging out with me and Estelle. Not that I’m complaining, of course. It’s been nice having him here. Eyeing him out of curiosity, I sit down on the floor in front of the couch and sit Estelle on her butt. I grab a couple of toys and start playing with her, getting her to interact with me in hopes that maybe it will tire her out a little bit so she’ll go to sleep easier later on. I look up and notice that the NHL channel is on and snicker at the Russian.

“What?” He asks, muting the television and scooting off the couch so he’s next to me, with only Estelle between us.
“It’s just funny. Pat and Jon do the same thing. You only watch that channel. All you hockey guys are the same. Eat, sleep, breathe hockey.”
“Of course. Is best sport in world.” Geno laughs, reaching for the toy Estelle just threw away from us. His shirt rides up a little bit as he stretches, exposing his still somewhat-tan side. He’s all muscle, strong and powerful, and I have to avert my eyes so he doesn’t catch me staring. Instead, I focus my attention on Estelle and try to make the blush trying to form on my face go away.

The two of us spend about the next hour taking turns holding Estelle’s attention and talking about our lives. I tell him about my classes, and how excited I am to be graduating in the spring. We talk about the Olympics, and how happy he is to be playing for his country in front of his country. I tell him about the internship I applied for, and that I have a feeling I’m going to get it. He gets excited for me, and tells me he’ll teach me some basic Russian so I can get by. I doubt NBC would leave me on my own without someone there to help me, but I’m grateful for his offer. And it certainly wouldn’t hurt to spend some time with Geno, learning his native tongue.

Eventually, I notice Estelle starting to grow tired and head into the kitchen to warm up her bed time bottle. When it’s at the right temperature, I bring it back in to the living room only to find Geno speaking softly in Russian again to her. I stand in the doorway unnoticed for a moment, listening to the smooth flow of the foreign language. It’s similar enough to Polish that I recognize simple word structures, but it’s so different at the same time that I have no idea what he’s saying. Realizing I could stand here for the next hour listening to Geno speak to Estelle, I clear my throat and walk into the room.

“Would you like to give her this or me?” I ask, offering the bottle.
“You the babysitter tonight.” Geno smiles, glancing at the clock. “And I have to call mother.”
“Oh. Okay.” I say, assuming he’s getting ready to leave. “Well I can walk you to the door before I feed her.”
“I’m think I stay here?” He says, giving me a questioning look. I notice a faint pink quickly form on the back of his neck and he looks a little sheepish. “Lazy say your show is on tonight. I’m think I watch with you.”

My eyebrows raise up, completely unaware that anyone knew the show was premiering tonight. It isn’t my episode with Pat, but I’ve been getting excited over the start of the series. Tonight’s episode is Meryl Davis and Ryan Lochte. Ryan is a good friend of mine from London, and I’m sure it’s going to be an interesting episode.

“Well if you want to stay, that’s fine with me.” I agree, catching the slight twinkle in his eyes. I take Estelle from his arms and sit down with her, offering the sweet girl her bottle. She accepts is greedily and starts drinking, her eyes drooping slightly. Geno pulls out his phone and dials a number. After a couple of rings, he begins talking with who I assume to be his mother. His voice is soft and kind, like when he was speaking to Estelle. But what really gets me is the giant smile on his face. Even when he groans and rolls his eyes, he’s still smiling.

“Mamma says she watch last game and I look skinny. Need to eat more.” He explains to me, chuckling. I hear an excited woman’s voice on the other end, and Geno turns back to his phone quickly. “Nyet, ne Lily.” He says. I hear the voice speak again, this time less excited. Almost... well, almost disappointed. It makes me wonder why his mother was so excited that he was with this Lily. And who is this Lily? One of Geno’s friends here in Pittsburgh? A... oh God. It’s not a girlfriend, is it? Have I been developing feelings for a taken man? I couldn’t live with myself if I did that to someone. Not after that’s essentially what Kylie did to me with Brett.

My panic is broken up by the little in my arms squirming. Her bottle is about finished and she seems ready for bed. I place the bottle on the floor and hold her tight to my side while I stand up. It’s not an easy task, holding a baby in your arms while standing up. But it’s one that I’ve mastered in my years as a free babysitter for all my cousins. I silently mime to Geno that I’m taking her upstairs and he nods his head.

By the time I’ve gotten up to Estelle’s room, she’s just about asleep in my arms. I check her diaper, happy to find that it’s clean, and put her onesie on her. It’s adorable, yellow with pink and purple hearts all over it. And it seems warm. I wonder briefly if I can find one in my size.

“Okay, little one. Time for sleep.” I say softly, placing her in her crib. As soon as she’s out of my hands her face twists and her eyes are wide open. I’ve been around enough babies to know that she’s about to cry so I pick her back up immediately, avoiding a crisis. She whimpers a little and I start rocking her, murmuring soft phrases in both English and Polish. She seems to like the Polish, and I have an idea that might help to get her to sleep.

Softly, I begin to sing the old Polish lullaby that my grandmother used to sing to us kids when we were younger and spent the night at her house. I don’t know how I remember all the words, but I’m through three verses when I feel the presence of someone else in the room. I look up to the doorway and find Geno staring at me, a soft smile playing on his lips and a warm look in his eyes. It makes me blush, so I turn away to face the rest of the room in order to finish the lullaby.

By the time I’m through all seven verses of the song, Estelle is fast asleep in my arms. This time she’s easy to put down, hardly stirring once she’s in her crib. I turn on the night light next to her bed and grab the second baby monitor from the shelf.

To my surprise, Geno is still standing in the doorway to Estelle’s room when I turn back around. And he’s still got the same look on his face. He doesn’t move until I’m standing right next to him, following my movements with his eyes.

“You very good with her.” He says in a hushed voice.
“I’ve had a lot of practice.” I admit with a shrug.
“She really like you. She not like just everyone. She not like Sunshine last girlfriend at all.”

I don’t know what to say, so I look down at the floor. Geno’s hand shocks me, reaching forward to cup my chin to force me to look up at him.

“You surprise me, Tori.” He says.
“What do you mean?” I manage to ask. The smell of Geno’s cologne and being so close to him and the feel of his hand on my face makes it almost impossible for me to breathe.
“When Pauly say we going to meet Olympian friend, I’m think you be very different. I’m think you like to party and not be serious about things. But you surprise me. You... interest me? You drink vodka and laugh with team. But you also very serious about school and sport and future. You love family more than anything. And you make Sid friend, which is very hard. So clearly you special.” He chuckles and makes an exaggerated face, clearly poking fun at his captain’s reservations about personal relationships. I can’t help but smile back at him, a comfortable warmth spreading throughout my body. “I’m like you, Tori.” He says softly.
“Geno-”

What I’m about to say gets cut off by the alarm on my phone blaring. I panic immediately, not wanting it to wake Estelle up. Grabbing Geno’s arm, I pull him down the hallway and rip my phone out of my pocket, turning the alarm off.

“Sorry.” I whisper, still clutching his bicep. “That was the alarm for the show.”
“Is okay. Come. Let’s watch.” He says, guiding us to the steps.

He lets me lead the way, and sits next to me on the couch. He isn’t too close that I can’t breathe again, but he’s close enough that even if I close my eyes I can feel his presence. I flip to the channel the show is on just in time and the two of us smile awkwardly at each other as the show starts.

Meryl and Ryan get along almost exactly as I expected- in that they don’t dislike each other, but it’s obvious that Meryl isn’t oblivious to Ryan’s antics. I really like the guy and it’s obvious he’s an excellent swimmer, but.... he’s lacking a little in the brains department. I cringe when she shows him how close they have to skate in order to do their partner work, foreseeing a fall in their future. Fortunately for Meryl, the multiple times Ryan does fall, he doesn’t bring her down with him. Meryl surprisingly does well in the pool. Well, it’s a surprise until she admits she swam when she was little. Then it makes sense why she was able to pick it up so easily.

I’m really happy with the way the show turns out, and hope my episode with Pat is just as entertaining. I compose a tweet as soon as the show is over.

“What an awesome show @RyanLochte and @Meryl_Davis! Can’t wait for my episode with @88PKane in a couple of weeks! #CAF #USA”

Almost immediately, I get retweets and responses inundating my phone. I choose not to look at them now, instead putting my phone on silent and turning to Geno.

“Was very good show. But I’m think yours be better.” He says.
“I hope so. I think Pat and I had a lot more fun than they did.” I respond.
“Pat Kane is interesting person. Good hockey player.” Geno says with conviction.
“He’s one of the best.” I admit with a smirk, thinking about my friend.
“You are good friends, yes?” Geno asks.
“Yeah. He’s become like another brother to me.”
“Is why you wear Kane jersey in Chicago?”
“Mmhm.” I smile, thinking about the night Pat gave me the jersey. “He said all his sisters wear his jersey to the games. That’s why I had to wear it too.”
Geno nods, a small and knowing smile testing the corners of his mouth.

“How long Marc and Vero be gone?” He asks.
“Probably another two hours or so.” I respond. “They said they were going to dinner first and they’re going to see a movie around now.”
“We should watch movie too.”

Geno gets up and ruffles around the cabinet to the side of the television. He shuffles through the options until he finally pulls one out. I can’t help but laugh when I see the blue box.

“They have shitty movies.” Geno says sheepishly, turning to put Finding Nemo in. I have no idea how to work their system, but fortunately it seems like Geno isn’t a stranger to it. In mere seconds the menu is up and he’s making his way back across the room to the couch with the remote in his hand.

“You want to share blanket?” He asks, sitting a little closer to me and pulling the black and gold blanket from the back of the couch.
“Sure.” I say, shifting so he can cover us both with it.

Rather than just covering my legs with the blanket like I expected him to, Geno takes the opportunity to scoot a little closer so our legs are right next to each other before carefully draping the blanket over us. He hesitates for a second before putting his feet up on the table and relaxing into the couch. By this time, the movie is just starting and I’m relieved that I can focus on that instead of how incredibly close Geno’s warm body is to mine.

I make it to the part where Dory and Marlin are almost at the EAC before I start feeling myself falling asleep, and don’t remember anything after they get safely out of the jellyfish.

What wakes me is Geno’s soft whispering and his rough hand stroking my arm. Before I open my eyes, I realize I’ve slumped over onto his shoulder- my cheek is pressed to his chest. The arm closest to me is wrapped around my shoulders and his chin is resting next to my forehead. I take a deep breath, savoring the intoxicating smell of him before opening my eyes.

“I think Marc and Vero are home.” He whispers, his sleepy voice sending chills down my spine.

I sit up and look at the clock on the cable box- it’s around the time they said they would be back, and Finding Nemo is just about over.

“Okay.” I answer, still half-asleep. Instead of moving, though, I let my eyes close again. I hear Geno chuckle and feel his arm squeeze my side.
“You too tired to drive home? I’m take you if you need.” He offers, taking the blanket off of us and folding it neatly.
I briefly consider the possibility of Geno driving me home, his warm hand resting on my forearm as he drives. He probably listens to Russian music in his car. And he probably has heated seats, unlike my dad’s ’01 Chevy that’s sitting in the driveway waiting for me. But somehow reality overpowers the part of my brain that wants to give in and let him drive me home. How would I get my car back? And they have a game tomorrow. It’s already late, I don’t want Geno to have to drive across town just to drop me off and drive back to this side of the city.
“No thanks.” I say sleepily, hearing the front door open. There are hushed whispers being shared in the foyer and I hear the sound of Vero’s heels clicking on the hardwoods. I stand and Geno turns off the television before following me out to meet the couple.
“Hey guys. Have a nice night?” I ask, holding back a yawn.
“We did. Thank you so much for spending the night with Estelle.” Marc says as he hangs up his coat.

I don’t miss the look on either of their faces as Geno appears behind me.

“Hey G.” Marc says with a smile. “What’s up?”
“I’m come to talk to you about defense tomorrow. But you no here.” Geno explains innocently.
“So... you just stayed?” Vero asks, her smirk matching Marc’s.
“Yes.” Geno responds simply, either ignoring the implications in her question or missing them entirely.
“Okay.” Vero says, her small smirk turning into a full-blown smile.
“But. Think I’m too tired to talk now. So I’m talk to you tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Sounds good, G.” Marc chuckles, sharing a look with his wife.

I can’t handle the awkwardness radiating between us, so I excuse myself to the kitchen where I left my stuff earlier.

“So. Geno showed up.” I hear Vero ask from behind me as I’m putting my container from dinner into my bag. I can hear the smile in her voice.
“Yeah, around dinner time. I invited him in since it was cold out and he kinda just never left.” I answer, hoping she isn’t mad at me.
“Well he seems happy to have been here tonight.” She smiles.

“It was nice to have him. He’s so good with Estelle.”
“Was she any trouble?” Vero asks.
“Oh, no! She was an absolute angel. Didn’t fuss about anything, really. Except when I tried to put her down for bed.”
“She can sometimes be really fussy.” Vero shakes her head. “Some nights it takes me an hour to get her to sleep.”
“I sang a Polish lullaby that my grandmother used to sing when I was younger. She fell asleep right away after that.” I admit.

Vero looks at me, a tired happiness in her eyes.

“Well, it seems as though you’re the one who’s really good with her.” She says.
“She’s an easy baby. Way easier than any of my cousins ever were.”

I follow Vero back out to the foyer where Geno and Marc are talking.

“How much do we owe you, Tori?” Marc asks.
I shake my head, smiling at the idea.
“Absolutely nothing.” I say.
“Oh, no.” Vero says. “I promised we’d pay you. So how much?”
“Seriously.” I laugh. “Estelle is such a sweetheart I barely had to do anything. And I had Geno helping me.”
“Sweetheart, we haven’t had a date night in months.” Vero says honestly. “We owe you something.”
“Fine. Next time we meet for lunch or dinner, you’re buying.” I offer.

Vero stares into my eyes for a minute, probably trying to mentally convince me to give up. But I won’t, and eventually she realized that. With a sigh, she shakes her head and chuckles.

“Very well, mon amie. Next time I will buy.” She agrees.
“I will walk you out to your car.” Geno offers, handing me my jacket.
“Oh, thanks.” I blush, accepting it. I slide my snow boots on and button up my jacket before hunting through the pockets to find my keys. Once I locate them, I turn back to give Marc and Vero hugs.
“You’ll be at the game tomorrow, right?” Vero asks.
“Of course.” I respond. “Paul got me tickets with you ladies again. And this time, my cousin is actually available to come with me.”
“Sounds wonderful. I can’t wait to meet her.” Vero smiles.

Geno opens the door and I follow him out the door.

“Text us when you get home to let us know you’re safe.” Marc says, staring out into the building snow on the street.
“Okay.”
“You too, G.”
“Yes.”

Marc shuts the door and suddenly the temperature seems to drop. The wind picks up, flinging the falling snow around my face, and I can’t help but shiver despite wearing my warmest winter jacket. Geno chuckles at my reaction to the wind, and I’m reminded that he isn’t wearing a jacket at all.

“Aren’t you freezing?” I ask as we reach my car.
“No. Russia winter is much more cold.” He responds, taking my car keys from me and reaching in to start the engine.
“Well you’re crazy.” I laugh. “I don’t think I could do it.”
“You could get used to it.” He jokes.
“Probably.” I admit.
“When text Marc and Vero, text me too. Yes?” He asks, his voice soft like when he was talking to his mother.
“Of course.” I respond. “You too.”
“I will be fine. More worried about you.” His bare hand reaches up to brush back a stray lock of hair that has been blown into my face. I look up at him, our bodies so close to touching that even with the massive height difference it feels like we could rub noses whenever we wanted.
“This isn’t my first Pittsburgh snow storm.” I joke, my voice quiet.
He thinks for a second, a soft tug pulling at the corners of his mouth.
“Still want you to be safe.” He finally says.
“I will be.” I promise.

What happens next completely takes every ounce of oxygen out of my lungs. Geno leans down and presses his lips softly to my cheek, almost at the corner of my mouth. My eyes close, allowing my brain to fully process the feel of his lips on my cheek. It’s so close to a real kiss that my heart skips a beat and I feel my skin start to buzz like it’s been electrified.

“Good night.” He murmurs softly, pulling away.
“Good night.” I manage to respond in a whisper.