Knocked Up

When his parents had made the suggestion last night going for a walk and then a quite late lunch had seemed like a great idea, he’d used practice as an excuse to let Kimmy sleep in agreeing with his parents that they would all meet at the arena at eleven when practice finished. He’d text Kimmy the information and when she didn’t reply he’d gathered that she was asleep. His alarm had woken him up at half five and he’d been unimpressed to see a reply from Kimmy it was only one word ‘cool’ but it had been sent at three in the morning. She’d been replying to his texts at weird times of night for the past couple of weeks and he was sure she couldn’t have been getting enough sleep.

She’d turned up with Lianna halfway through practice too still looking tired but at the same time looking adorable all wrapped up in her little bobble hat and scarf. Winter had starting to set in, in Philly and whilst to him the American Winters weren’t always too bad he was sure that Kimmy was used to the warmer British winters and finding it freezing already. That was when he started to regret saying yes to going walking with his parents.

Next was when they arrived at the trail his parents had chosen, they were both experienced walkers – he had no idea what Kimmy would manage and despite the trail been short it would be muddy and climbing over rocks would be involved. But as they arrived Kimmy had surprised him by pulling a pair of rain boots out the bag she’d put in the trunk of his car, he watched with a smile as she changed her sneakers to the rain boots. “I had to borrow these off Lianna, mine are in Buffalo.”

“Do you go walking often?” His mom asked as they started down the track, his Dad leading the way.

“I was raised on a farm and then when my friends and I went kayaking if it was a natural river in the country we used to go out on an evening walking and exploring up or down the river. We’d take some food and usually start a fire before heading back. There was this dam released river they’d turn it off every night and we used to walk down the river bed, that was one of my favourites.”

“Canoeing was a big part of your life?” She asked, and Jake was glad as they walked his mom was at least now getting to know Kimmy a little more, understand she was a person.

“I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it, I learnt so much through canoeing and kayaking and of course my kayaking skills are what got me the job in Ottawa without which I wouldn’t have met G and without G I would never have met Kuba.” He couldn’t help but smile at that one squeezing Kimmy’s hand.

“I am really glad you started Kayaking.” Placing a kiss on the top of her head, as he held a gate open for her. It seemed funny that everything that had happened between them could be boiled right back to a decision each of them made years previous, his to play hockey and hers to start kayaking without those childhood decisions they would never have met.

“How did you get into Kayaking?” This time it was his Dad asking the questions and Jake relaxed a bit, his Dad wouldn’t be looking for alterior motives in any of her answers, hidden agendas – his Dad genuinely seemed to be interested in Kimmy’s life in getting to know her as a member of his family.

“My mum calls it the most expensive hot dog she’s ever purchased, I’d nagged her into taking me to get one after a day out when I saw them kayaking on the old docks nearby I told my mum I wanted to try it, of course she thought I’d get into the middle of the dock and then decide I didn’t like it and wanted to get off – turns out I didn’t. Everyone who went to these trail sessions got entered into a draw to win a year’s membership and I won, been a member ever since fourteen years now.”

“You were very lucky.”

“I really was, my mum worked so hard to support me – to pay for all my kayaking kit. I think she cried more than me when we won in Prague.” Caroline Krantzberg sounded like an amazing woman and an amazing mom not to mention her daughters’ hero and that made him more and more terrified for the moment that the tables would be turned and it would become his turn to meet Kimmy’s mom.

“Kimmy was part of the GB team that won the Canoe Polo world Championships last summer they were held in Prague.” He explained what Kimmy had meant by Prague trying to remember if he’d already mentioned she was a World Champion in Canoe Polo or not, he couldn’t so he just felt it best to cover it in case.

“Did you like Prague?” It wasn’t so much the question more the way his mom asked it that made him nervous like if she for some reason said no which he knew she wouldn’t they often talked over her love for the city but if she did his mom would banish her from his life forever somehow.

“I love Prague I think it is such a beautiful city, so much history some of it sad but ultimately it shows the strength of its people. I love to visit as often as possible; I used to do a lot of my training for Canoe Slalom in the city that was why I started to learn Czech.” He had been shocked when he discovered Kimmy shared his love of history be it European, American, Asian or anywhere else they both loved curling up with a history documentary or good book. Kimmy tended to lean towards criminal history whilst his was more political but still it was an interest they shared. One he looked forward to sharing further with her when they visited over the summer after bean was born.

“You speak it very well.” His Dad had comment on her fluency last night when he’d gotten home, how impressed with her accent he’d been and he hadn’t been able to help the little flutter of pride knowing his Dad approved of her knowledge of the Czech language.

“Thank you, Kuba has helped a lot.” He didn’t, he was awful at teaching Czech Claude had been trying to pick bits and pieces up but he hadn’t been much help.

“She is been modest I helped a little she spoke it wonderfully when we met in Ottawa.” It had been a huge turn on for him having her whisper dirty things in his language in his ear with G sat not a metre away.

“You met and a party at Giroux’s right?” Oh here we go Jake thought as his mom finally started asking the questions he’d been waiting for he knew this was where the real judging would begin.

“Yes, I was staying there after camp, we try to spend a week or so together before he comes back to Philly and I would go back to England. He knew how much I admired Kuba and as they were going to meet up with Wayne after I left he invited him down early.” He had no idea that the reason he’d been invited was because Kimmy was fan he just thought she was a Giroux and Flyers fan after all he was her best friend.

“So you were a fan of my son.” He kept studying his mom’s face as they walked along she really hadn’t liked the answer Kimmy had given her and he understood why. Whilst he knew that she wasn’t using him for who he was the fact she’d admitted been a fan of his before she met him before bean and that would set off alarm bells for his mom.

“I’ve had a soft spot for him since the 2008 Juniors I was over training at the time we got tickets for a game and went and I’d been watching hockey in the UK for years I was still playing at this point but there was something about him they lost we were watching the match against Canada but the way he played I told my friends I was with he would be great someday and look at you now. I was so happy when you became a flyer I didn’t have to hide my love of you anymore.” For six years she’d followed his career he felt honoured hugely honoured, he’d always assumed that G was her favourite player and now he was finding out he was and he couldn’t help the smugness he was feeling.

“Look Mrs Voracek I know how it sounds, that I just wanted Jakub because he is such a good hockey player because I was some fan but that wasn’t the case. Did I want to meet him because he was a fan yes did I want to sleep with him because I was a fan no, did I want to sleep with him because he is funny and charming and caring and king yes. Did I expect to get pregnant no, I am at the start of my career a career I’ve been working my arse off most of my life for I’ve been in education for the past nineteen years to get this job my plan was to take some time to myself to enjoy life for a while. But I got pregnant and I just so very lucky that the man who got me pregnant wasn’t a selfish prick or an arsehole but a good man willing to step up to his responsibilities’ who wants to be there for this baby and that is testament to your parenting skills. But you need to stop looking for a reason to hate me, a reason to push me away I am having your son’s baby and your son wants to be part of this babies life and I will be part of this babies life if you keep pushing me away you are going to push this baby away and if you push this baby away you are risking making your son chose between his child and his parents and that is not fair on him.” Everyone had stopped walking and the three Voraceks where stood staring at Kimmy half in shock and half in awe, no one ever spoke to Hanna Voracek like that. “Oh my god.” Kimmy suddenly breathed out before turning and walking away from them Jake instantly following her on autopilot until his mom pulled him back and went after her.

She got up to Kimmy about ten metres back down the path and Jake couldn’t hear what was been said but he could see from the body language that Kimmy was apologizing, until his mom did something that surprised him she hugged Kimmy. She opened her arms and pulled Kimmy in tight in a proper hug the type she normally only gave her family – this was his mom accepting Kimmy. Had what Kimmy had said struck so deep with his mom that she’d just gotten over it?

“Are we good?” Jake asked as he and his Dad walked towards the two women who were still hugging one another.

“I think we are - don’t you?” His mom asked stepping out of the hug but taking Kimmy’s hand and then he saw the tear marks on her face she’d been crying he didn’t want her crying.

“Yeah, we are good.”

“Oh thank god because that was hell.” Jake sighed hugging his mom before pulling Kimmy into his arms he loved having her in his arms sometimes he wished she was always around so he could just pull her into his arms but then he would have to remind himself that not only did they live in different states but he was firmly in the friend zone.

“Is that your phone?” Jake asked Kimmy as he heard what sounded like an engine been revved which he knew was Kimmy’s ringtone it was some specific Formula One Engine he really didn’t understand Lianna said it sounded like Satan yawning. Kimmy pulled back from his hug and reached in to her jacket pocket looking at her ringing phone in confusion.

“Yeah… its Eli? I should see what he wants.” Jake nodded understanding it was weird for Eli to call but also worried it was about bean.

“Hey Eli whats up?” Kimmy answered the phone turning her back on him and his parents but not moving out of ear shot, “Please… oh my god are you serious? Like for real you’re not shitting me right?” The scream was defiantly one of excitement, “The full offer? Oh my god… thank you.” Kimmy was crying now, “Defiantly, as soon as I get back… yeah you can tell him. Oh my god I can’t believe it, I am so happy… I’ll talk to you later… right now… love you too.”

Jake waited as Kimmy took a deep breath before turning back to them and pocketed her phone before walking up to him and taking his hand again continuing to walk like nothing had happened, “So I was wondering if you and Wayne would mind having another roommate for a few weeks whilst I look for a place around Phillly?”