At Last

On Fridays, Stella got off work at noon and would meet Jordie for lunch after practice if it wasn't a game day. He had texted earlier to say he wouldn't be able to meet her that day but that he wanted to come over after she got Alex from school. She didn't think much of the change in plans, knowing that sometimes things came up that couldn't be helped and if Jordie needed to change their plans, then it was something important to him. She went to her aunt's instead to catch up.

Linda Mills had been the person she was closest to growing up and she couldn't count the times she had heard that she was just like her aunt Linda. She remembered being in awe of her aunt's life as a flight attendant as a little girl and being swept up in the romanticism of her dating and then marrying Bill when she was a teenager.

When she first got to Dallas, she and Alex stayed with Linda and Bill for a month until she found their little rental house. It wasn't far from where Linda lived and she loved watching Alex and offered to keep him regularly, which was a blessing since she didn't know anyone else to have babysit after getting there. Stella and Linda had always been close, and since she never had children, was as close to a daughter as she could have. She doted on Alex much like any grandmother would.

They had lunch sitting in the kitchen, catching up on Alex and her job. She asked how things were with Jordie and she smiled, telling her that things were good. Jordie had met Linda and Bill in the beginning, right after she told him about Alex. It had been a month of seeing Jordie before Stella had worked up the courage to tell him about Alex. She had been positive he was going to leave her in the middle of the restaurant when she told him, had even told him it was okay to go but he didn't. He stayed, asked questions without prying and listened to her story. That was when she knew she was truly falling for Jordie Benn.

When Stella decided to introduce Alex to Jordie, it had been at one of Linda's family dinners. She had been impressed with the way he interacted with Alex, and even more impressed with the obvious affection he had for her niece. She told Stella to follow her heart, the same thing her mom told her when she had met Bill. Stella never looked back after that.

The two women parted with a promise that the three of them would come over for dinner one night soon. She left to pick Alex up from school and called Jordie on her drive home and he told her he'd meet her at her place. When she pulled into the driveway of her house, Jordie was already parked there. She smiled at him and kissed him when he opened her door and leaned in towards her before greeting Alex. He helped him from his booster seat and Alex took his hand, talking a mile a minute up the driveway. Stella followed and the two waited to the side for her to open the door. Alex dropped Jordie's hand and took off for his room.

"He's done nothing but talk about going to the game tomorrow night since I picked him up," Stella told him. "He's so excited to see you play. And Brendon. And Jamie, even though he hates me."

"Jamie does not hate you," Jordie replied automatically.

"I appreciate that that is your brother so of course you're going to lie for him; I still do it too when it comes to my baby sister, but please don't lie to me. Jamie does not think you should tie yourself down with a girl with a kid. He thinks you're making a mistake."

"Stella..."

"It's fine, Jordie," she cut him off. "If Avery decided to jump head first into a relationship with some single dad, I'd have more than my fair share of problems with it too. I just wish Jamie would talk to me and maybe then he'd be okay with this."

"I can make him do that."

"I don't want you to make him do anything. When Jamie's ready to give me and Alex a chance, he'll come to me on his own."

"You should let me make him."

"And get a repeat of when he found out about Alex? Pass."

When Jordie had first suggested that they introduce Stella to his teammates, she had been hesitant for sure. Jordie's calm reassurances though helped her decided it was now or never. They had gone to watch practice and then skate with Jordie after. She had let Alex skate with Brendon who he had taken an immediate liking to, leaving Stella to find Jordie. When she saw him skating with Jamie, she started towards him, skating up behind them and hearing Jamie question Jordie about her and Alex. They hadn't known she was there, or that she heard everything Jamie said about her, until Tyler had skated up and cleared his throat after hearing only ten seconds of Jamie's diatribe. Tyler had squeezed her hand with a smile before pushing Jamie away and leaving Stella with Jordie.

He had apologized for Jamie but Stella waved his words away. She knew what people would think when they found out about Alex and so long as their words weren't directed at him, she could take it. They could think or assume anything they wanted about her, but Alex she would fight to the death for.

She didn't expect that Jamie would welcome her with open arms, and she hadn't expected that he would get why Jordie chose to be in a relationship with her still. She had hoped he would be more open to the idea, like his mom and sister had been, but eventually she hoped he would come around. Her plan was to just avoid Jamie as much as possible. Too bad he was high on Alex's list of favorite players.

The end result was that Jamie and Stella danced around each other, leaving Jordie in the middle. He loved his brother but he loved Stella too and they had to come together and make some sort of headway in finding middle ground with one another otherwise Christmas was going to be very awkward. Assuming of course that Stella agreed to go once he asked her.

"Forget about Jamie. I have something we need to tell Alex."

"We?"

Jordie nodded. "Brendon got traded; that's why I couldn't meet you for lunch. A few of us were helping him pack up some stuff and took him to the airport."

"He got traded? But that's his best friend on the team."

"I know and I don't know how to tell a kid that."

"This is gonna suck." She took a deep breath. "Alright, well, we just have to tell him. There's no sugar coating this." She took Jordie's hand and led him down to Alex's bedroom. She pushed him into the room and she only smiled sweetly when he threw a helpless look back at her.

"Hey, Alex, can I talk to you for a minute?" Jordie started. He looked up from his cars and scrambled to his feet, climbing into Jordie's lap after he sat on the bed.

"What is it, Jordie?"

Jordie found it hard to look back at the kid with the sparkling, crystal clear blue eyes shining up at him. Stella was right; this was gonna suck.

"Do you remember I told you that sometimes guys get traded from one team to another, and it's not because they were bad, but maybe there was somebody else that could help us more?" Alex nodded. "Brendon was traded today and he wanted me to tell you bye for him, but that he'd see you in February when he visits here with his new team."

Alex promptly burst into tears and Stella giggled to herself at Jordie's panic stricken expression as she swooped in to comfort her little boy. She sat beside Jordie and rubbed the little boys back. "I bet we can call Brendon later and tell him hi, wish him good luck in..."

"San Jose," Jordie supplied.

"San Jose," Stella repeated. Her heart thudded a little in her chest at the mention of the city but she pushed it away just as quickly. "I bet Brendon would even like it if we made him some chocolate chip cookies and sent them to him. Would you like to do that?"

"Yes," Alex sniffled softly into Jordie's chest. "Can I still wear my Brendon jersey?"

"Of course, baby," Stella smiled. "I bet Brendon would really like that."



Later that evening, after Alex had gone to bed, Stella sat beside Jordie on the couch and he held her against him. "I never got to ask; who did you get for Brendon?"

"Another defenseman a couple years older than Dills. Jason Demers."

"Oh," she paused. "Is he...is he any good?" She tried to ignore the roar in her head and was finding it hard to do so.

"Don't know much about him to be honest. He's right handed and we needed that so I guess it's all good."

"Jordie," Stella started as she sat up. "We need to talk."

"Oookay," he replied slowly, turning on the couch to face her. He could tell something was bothering her but wasn't sure what. "What's up?"

"I need to tell you about my past, my marriage."

"Stella, you don't have to if you don't want to. I've told you that."

"I need to."

"I'm not going to push you."

"I know but it's important." She sighed, chewing her bottom lip nervously. Telling Jordie her biggest secret meant risking all of it. Even though it had only been three months since they started dating, she didn't want to risk it. She hadn't been in a relationship, let alone a date, since Alex was born, and despite the cliche of it, Jordie made her feel complete.

Jordie could feel her unease and saw the worry etched across her features. "Stella, let's talk about this tomorrow. A lot has gone on today and we just need to sleep and start over tomorrow."

"Will you stay tonight?"

"I thought you didn't want to confuse Alex."

"It's too late for that, Jordie. Calling you my friend wasn't going to work forever. Besides, I just want you to hold me. I always feel safe when I'm with you."

"I'll always protect you, Stella. No matter what." He pulled her into his lap and tipped her head back to kiss her. "Look, I know the timing isn't right, but I really want you and Alex to come home and spend Christmas with my family. You already told me you weren't going home to Massachusetts so come with me. My mom is dying to meet you and Alex and I want to spend the holiday with you."

"Jordie," she breathed out softly, wrapping her arms around him and holding tight. "You're too good to be true, I swear."

"That wasn't an answer."

She looked up at him and leaned in to kiss him again. "Ask me again tomorrow, after I work up the nerve to tell you my story."

"My mind is made up, Stels. I love you, and I love Alex, and I want to share Christmas with you both. Nothing you can tell me about your life before me is going to change my mind. I'm in this, no matter what."

It was the first time he had said those words to her and she felt her heart sing. "I love you too, Jordie," she repeated as she held on to him.



Stella had tried all day Saturday to work up the courage to talk to Jordie but she couldn't. She certainly couldn't tell him before the game that night against the Kings and let it weigh on his mind while he was doing his job. Jordie didn't push, just like he said he wouldn't and let the whole thing drop.

She wanted desperately to skip the game altogether but couldn't break Alex's heart, not when he was so excited about going. So they went, sitting with Shawn Horcoff and Jason Spezza's wives and kids. Stella had been apprehensive about meeting Jordie's teammates, particularly their wives, but the two women had quickly put her at ease with their acceptance into their group.

Alex had cheered excitedly for every Stars goal, turning to Stella after the fifth goal and tugging at her sleeve. "Who is that?" He pointed at the new player wearing Brendon's familiar number four.

"That's the guy we got for Dills," Stella explained to him. "His name is Jason."

"I don't like him," Alex declared, folding his arms over his chest.

Cindy Horcoff laughed and ruffled Alex's hair. "No one can ever replace your first favorite player," she said.

After the game, they waited in the family lounge and Stella watched the door, waiting for Jordie and the moment she could run out the door with him and Alex. Every time the door opened, she flipped around to see who came in. Courtney Spezza touched her arm and she startled at the contact.

"Are you okay? You're so jumpy tonight."

"I'm fine, honest."

"Are you sure? Everything's okay with you and Jordie?"

"He told me he loved me last night."

"Sweetie!" She cooed, pulling her into a hug. "I just knew it. You can tell, every time he looks at you. Cindy, he finally said it."

"Said what?" Cindy asked, looking up from the kids who she was handing out cookies too before they dispersed.

"Jordie; he finally said I love you."

"He did? Oh, Stella, I'm so happy for you both. You and Jordie are great for each other. And he just adores Alex. What else could you ask for?"

Stella smiled and Jordie walked in then, followed closely by Jamie. He made a beeline for Stella and she saw Jamie roll his eyes before continuing to follow. Jordie pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Where's Alex?" She pointed where he and Will Horcoff followed some older boys around and Jordie chuckled. "Guess they had too much of all you girls," he teased. He tucked Stella under his arm and she looked over at Jamie.

"That was a great goal, at the end of the first, Jamie," she said politely. "Alex was ready for the hat trick."

"Those are my speciality," Tyler spoke up as he slid in between Jamie and Stella.

She laughed. "Alex said you need to score more. You only had two points tonight."

"Two points is good."

"But Jamie had three," Alex said as he wandered up. "You gotta be better, right mom?"

"Right." Tyler frowned as everyone else laughed.

"Hey, Demers!" Jamie called out. "Good first game." Stella looked in the direction of the door where Jason Demers had just entered. She turned away quickly.

"I have to be at work tomorrow early to oversee the installation of a new exhibit," she said to Jordie. "Do you want to walk us to my car?"

"I'll do you one better and follow you home," Jordie whispered close to her ear. She nodded and grabbed Alex's hand in hers while Jordie grabbed the other, calling out a goodbye to the group as they went. She kept her head down and hurried past Jason and a few of the other players as they went out the door.

"Are you guys hungry? Should we stop somewhere on the way?" Jordie asked as they walked to the family lot.

"I have leftover pizza at home if you're hungry," Stella answered.

Jordie grinned and kissed the top of her head. "Perfect."