Rescue Me (Sidney Crosby)

Chapter Six

-Marc-

It was Valentine's Day and I made sure that I left Veronique's gift out before I left for practice. I kissed her cheek and then smiled as she slept, and then headed out the door. I had gotten home late yesterday, because Geno, James, Tyler and I were helping Tyler's girlfriend and her friend with some of their baking, which was a lot.

As I pulled up to the igloo, Geno was walking out of his car looking tired. I laughed and he looked at me and then flipped me the bird, "Why are you so crabby?"

"Because I'm so tired. If I have to see another cookie, or cupcake or those freaking Oreo balls, I think I'm gunna hurl," he said and I laughed because it was true, I've never been so sick of seeing chocolate in my life.

"I hear ya, don't worry," I said as we walked into the igloo and headed towards the locker room.

"Man, that girl was smokin' though," he said and I shook my head and we walking into the looker room to see that some of the other guys were there, "Come on man, you even had a good time!"

"I did, I never said that I didn't, we had fun talking," I said as we walked over towards the locker.

"Hey guys."

We turned around and saw Tyler walking up to us, "He man!"

"Hey, I'm sorry about last night, I didn't know that what she called us for."

"Naw, it's no big deal," I said and Geno nodded his head.

"Man, I think this food dye is like stuck onto my skin forever," James said as he walked into the room scrubbing his hand.

"Yo James, what the hell happen to you?" Kris Letang asked and we laughed when we saw that James' hands were red and pink.

"Shut up man!" he said as he walked over towards us and threw his bag in front of his locker, "Do you know how to get this shit off? I've been scrubbing for hours!"

"Naw man, sorry, I'll call Allie later and ask her," Tyler said and Geno and I were laughing.

"What happened?" I turned to see our Captain, Sidney Crosby looking at us as he dug through his bag.

"We went to my girlfriend's bakery yesterday to help her and we were there for hours," Tyler explained and some of the guys laughed and started to bust us.

"Man you guys should have seen Kennedy's girlfriend's friend though, she was smokin'!" Geno said and James looked at him and agreed.

Some of the guys were going over towards the two and telling them to describe what she looked like, "Yo Marc, you were talking to her most of the time, what was her name?"

"Julie," I answered as I looked over towards Sidney to see that he was in a happier mood than normal, "What's up with you?"

He looked over towards me and shook his head, "Nothing man."

"Well you sure are in a good mood, in fact you seem to have come in, in a good mood since the beginning of the week."

"Well, I stop at this coffee shop before I come here, and there's this girl-"

"It's always girl," I teased and he shook his head.

"Well we've seen each other every day since Sunday, and she's really pretty," he said and I smiled.

"Good for you man, maybe this one you'll be happy about," I said and he nodded his head.

"She's a fighter though," he said and I laughed, "We literally ran into each other the first three times of meeting, and then yesterday when I asked her if we should come here together for coffee, she said no but man, the look on her face-"

"Oh brother."

"You know, this morning I brought her a rose."

My eyes widened and I looked at him and then laugh, "Do you even know her name?"

"I think the girl said her name was, Julie?"

"Come again?"

"Oh at the coffee shop, the girl yells out the person's name when her coffee is ready," he explained.

"Oh, ok," I said and we finished getting ready and headed out towards the ice.

-Julie-

"So who's the rose from?"

"Some guy at the coffee shop."

"Is that why you fought me this morning?" Allie asked and I laughed as I was rolling some crushed Oreos and cream cheese into little balls.

"Yeah, I've seen him every day this week, and we've talked while waiting in line for coffee. He surprised me this morning with a rose for Valentine's Day."

"That's sweet."

"What did Tyler get you?"

"We're going out tonight," she said and I smiled, "You seemed to have fun with Marc yesterday."

"Yeah, he was nice to talk with."

"I didn't know that you spoke French?"

"Yeah, my grandmother moved to America from France and she and I were close and she taught me how to speak the language and then I took it in high school too."

"That's so cool, maybe you and Marc can go out some time."

"He's married."

"Maybe you and Marc can talk some more French some time," she said and I laughed.

By the time it was time for me to leave and go pick up the boys, we were about half way finished with the Oreo balls. Yesterday when the guys were here, we got a lot of things finished and the only things that were left were the Oreo balls and hockey cake for Mary.

I walked to the school gate and saw that Josh and Conner were waiting for me. They ran over towards me and I smiled and hugged them.

"This is for you, Mommy!" Josh said and held up a picture of five people and a dog.

"Who's this, sweetie?"

"It's you, me, Conner, Grammy, Poppie and Bow!" he said happily and I smiled and kissed his head.

"It's beautiful, I'm going to frame it and hang it on the wall," I said and he smiled and nodded his head.

"Julie! This is for you too!" Conner said and I looked to see that he held a picture that read 'Happy Valentine's Day' with hearts on it, "And this is for Grammy!" he showed the same picture but with some more hearts on it.

"Oh Conner, yours are beautiful too, Grammy will love it," I said and smiled and then the three of us headed back home.

When we walked through the door of the shop, Josh and Conner ran up the stairs to head towards our apartment. I smiled and then followed after them and looked to see that they had thrown their backpacks on the table and were taking their books out. I walked into the apartment and headed over towards the kitchen and placed the pictures on the fridge.

"Ok, I'll be downstairs in the kitchen, you yell if you need me, all right," I said and they nodded their heads.

"You get the boys?" Allie asked as I walked in and I nodded my head. There was a ringing outside, saying that a customer was here, "I'll get it, you just keep working," Allie said and then walked out of the kitchen.

The phone then rang and I answered it to see that it was Mildred saying that she and Harold were going to be spending the night at a hotel because they were a half hour away and they decided they wanted to spend some along time together. She asked if I could watch Conner and of course I agreed.

"Ok, you two have fun," I said and then hung up the phone right when Allie walked in.

"Who was on the phone?"

"Milly, she and Harold are staying in a hotel tonight. Who was at the door?"

"Just some guy that was interested in one of the chests out there," she said and I nodded my head and we got back to work.

Day Thirty Seven, things are looking up, and it's been a good Valentine's Day.