Standing in a dusty room of an old farmhouse, Emme looked at her reflection in an old mirror over the mantel. She adjusted her vale so it sat on her hair a little straighter and looked over her face one more time. She slowly walked toward the back of the house where her family and her to-be family were gathered. She heard them talking, laughing, and her smile reflected their happiness.

“Mommy!” Annie shrieked with happiness as she ran toward her, carrying her basket of flowers.

“Hey princess! Are you ready?” Emme asked as she bent down to hug the little girl. Annie smiled and nodded, so happy to be wearing a pretty dress and to be the first one to walk down the aisle.

Annie and her cousin Burgundy were ushered toward the door by Emme’s bridesmaid and sister-in-law Maria. Emme watched the two four year old girls throw flower petals as they carefully walked down the grass aisle. Next, Maria was escorted down the aisle by Emme’s future brother-in-law, and then it was Emme’s turn.

For the second time in her life, the wedding attendants rose and turned to face her as she walked, unattended, down the aisle. Except this time, she felt happy with her decision, more than happy, she was ecstatic to the point of tears, which she fought back for fear of ruining her makeup.

While all eyes were on her, she was looking at the man waiting for her at the altar; the one person who had been there for her from the beginning, the one person who had supported her when everything fell apart; the person she would spend the rest of her life with.

-


Fall, 2015

On the strongest anti-depressants you can take while pregnant, Emme tried to drown out her life by writing. Not in her diary (that stupid thing had only caused her life-ruining problems); no, she was writing a novel. In a way, she was writing her story, but on her terms. It was her way of explaining why she did all of that, but through the voice of a fictional character. It was her confession, her road to acceptance and redemption. And it helped her remove herself from the situation; if she pretended it was happening to someone else (such as the fictional character in her book, Madison) it wasn’t as hard for her to deal with it.

It was like instead of Emme losing custody of Teddy to Geno, Madison was losing custody of Mason to Nikolay. Emme sort of projected her despair, misery, and growing pessimism with Sid and Chelsee onto her fictional characters.

But in the end, it was real. It was way too real.

On October 4 Emme went into labor. She was at home with the nurse/nanny Sid had hired to take care of the twins (although now it was just Annie, since Teddy lived with his biological and legal father, Evgeni Malkin). Sid was already at Console for their first game of the season, and just Emme’s luck, it was against the Flyers. The nurse, Cheryl, packed Annie up and drove Emme to the hospital. She stayed long enough to make sure she was okay before returning home to take care of Annie. And then Emme was alone, and in labor.

She insisted the nurse turn on the game, and since the nurse was a Crosby fan, he obliged. He was thrilled to get to help deliver Sid’s baby, even though he wasn’t too excited about Emme. It was public knowledge that things were not okay between the two of them, and even though most of Teddy’s custody case had managed to stay out of the tabloids, it was obvious something had happened.

The game was in the third period, only 7 minutes left. Emme didn’t even notice the score, however did see that the familiar 87 jersey was not present on the bench or the ice. And then she realized 16 from the Flyers wasn’t there either. Maybe it was the pain meds, maybe it was the pent up stress, but she started crying she was so happy. Realizing that there was still someone out there who cared about her the way Brandon did gave her a reason to keep living.

The child had already been named Lucas Troy Crosby by Sid, and Emme had already accepted that this wasn’t her son. She was simply the vessel carrying him.

There was a clause in Sid and Emme’s prenup that prohibited Emme from keeping any of Sid’s money, assets, and possibly children if she cheated on him. So she decided to do one last favor for Sid, and it was really the only thing she could do at this point.

And so, this led her to do something she’d wanted to for a long time, something she knew she wouldn’t regret.

Emme continued watching the game while she waited for Sid to arrive, but Brandon got there first.

“Sid will be here in a few minutes,” he said as he caught his breath.

“You didn’t have to come, but I’m glad you did. I need you,” she held out her hand and he enclosed it in his. A smile slowly spread across her face and she realized she probably looked like she was high (and she might have been, there was a lot of pain mediation in her IV).

“Of course I came, though I won’t stay in here once Sid arrives. Why do you need me?”

Emme very suddenly pulled him closer and he almost fell on top of her. Hearing Sid’s footsteps in the hallway, she grabbed Brandon’s face and kissed him. At first he resisted, but then he leaned in and kissed her back, entwining his hands in her hair. It was like a curse had been broken; prince charming kissing his sleeping beauty.

And in a way, a way that was all too clear to Emme, the curse had been broken, the bond severed, the ties snapped. This was Emme’s moment of liberation; not for her, but for Sid. She was setting him free of everything, but mostly, of her.

Sid walked into the room hurriedly, but stopped suddenly when he saw Brandon leaning over his wife, lips securely locked onto hers. After a long pause, long enough for the meaning to sink in, Emme released Brandon and he pulled away from her, trying to figure out what was happening.

Brandon took a step away from the hospital bed and looked apologetically at Sid, whose face was set in hard lines. His face was surprisingly emotionless, like he knew that was going to happen eventually, but there was a hint of a sigh as he relaxed. He would no longer have to deal with the lengthy legal battles of a divorce and fight over custody battles, and what belonged to whom, because it was all his now. Emme was forfeiting everything, even the son she was about to give birth to, for Sid.

Because after all, he deserved it. She had put him through hell and now it was his chance to be happy.

And there was not a time in Emme’s memory that she remembered Sid looking so elated and blissful than when he was holding his newborn son, Lucas. Though Emme regretted that Sid couldn’t look at Lucas without being reminded of her (he had her blue eyes), she hoped that they would spend many happy years together.

And years later, almost three to be exact, Sid was teaching his toddler to skate for the first time. He held onto his tiny hands as he guided Lucas onto the ice. At first, Lucas’s legs were wobbely and shakey, but after he got the hang of it, Sid let go of his son’s clasping fingers and let him glide a few feet on his own, before Lucas ultimately fell, like most kids learning to skate. Even the best hockey player in the world’s son isn’t born knowing how to play hockey, but he was sure going to learn pretty fast.

“Can I be a goalie like Aunt Taylor, or Grandpa?” he asked as Sid was teaching him how to hold a stick.

“You don’t want to be a center like daddy?” Sid teased. “If you want to be a goalie, I’m sure uncle Flower would love to teach you.”

The little boy smiled up at his dad as Sid stared proudly back at him.

-

A couple thousand miles away, on the other side of Canada, Emme was completely oblivious that her son was learning to skate while she was getting ready for her wedding. And if she’d known, it would have only made her day happier.

A published author, under a pseudonym of course, Emme’s first story had been a success. She changed the characters names and the setting (it wasn’t about NHL players, or any other sports team) and so far, no one has figured out who it’s really about. She has written several more books, and she finally finished her master’s degree. She doesn’t skate anymore, that part of her life is over, but she still laced up on occasion. Annie wants to play hockey, just like her dad, and Emme couldn’t be prouder.

Emme watched Annie reach the front of the aisle, with a trial of flower petals behind her, and she ran forward to give Brandon a hug, wrapping her little arms around his legs.

“Good job, Annie,” he bent down to hug her back, before she was escorted to the side with her cousin to sit with her grandmother. Brandon stood up again and watched his brother lead Emme’s sister-in-law down the aisle, taking their respective places next to the bride and groom. As Emme emerged from the house, he felt his throat tighten with emotion. She was beautiful, but she’d always looked that way to Brandon. Today she was finally, after being in love for nearly five years, becoming his wife.

Notes

It's finally over!!! (And if you have any questions, please ask)

If anyone would like to continue writing this, or write a sequel, please let me know.

I made a pinterest board about Emme's wedding, because I'm bored: http://www.pinterest.com/purplecrayon03/emmes-wedding/

http://www.pinterest.com/purplecrayon03/redemption-of-a-puck-slut/

http://www.pinterest.com/purplecrayon03/diary-of-an-unintentional-puck-slut-crosby-house/

and I made one for Emme too: http://www.pinterest.com/purplecrayon03/emmeline-saxon/