These Things We Do

Two days after her surprise visit, Charlie gave her mother a call and invited her out for lunch while Sean was in Toronto. The two talked about their lives, and Charlie’s fears were simmered. She was still cautious of Anne, but was thankful for the chance to get to know the woman who had given birth to her. Throughout their talk, Charlie learned a lot about her father that she hadn’t known before. Anne shared stories about when they were younger. Stories her father was never willing to discuss with her, due to the painful memories of Anne leaving them. It helped Charlie feel closer to the man she had lost. And while she still had a wall built between them, she was starting to open up and talk more about her personal life.

A few days later, Sean had a day off and decided to plan a huge surprise for Charlie. It was one of the last off days he would get before the playoffs, and wanted to do something special with her. He wouldn’t tell her where they were going, only to dress comfortably for the day but bring a nicer outfit with her for dinner. She settled for a pair of jeans and her long-sleeved Phillies shirt, since it was still chilly outside. He picked her up from her apartment building right on time, pressing a sweet kiss to her lips before opening the car door for her.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going now?” She asked as they pulled onto the highway.
“Nope. I told you, it’s a surprise!” He responded with a smirk. “But I will tell you, you’re going to love it.”
She pouted and looked away from him. She felt his hand slide into hers and he brought it up to his lips for a kiss. Charlie couldn’t help but smile. She couldn’t even pretend to be mad at him when he was just so damn perfect.
“So you ready for the weekend series against Pittsburgh?” She asked, rubbing her thumb along the back of his hand.
“We’ll take care of them.” He said with a wink and a sly smirk.
“I’m glad you’re so confident about that, babe. Don’t fuck it up.” She joked.
She had gotten so engrossed in their exchange that she didn’t even realize they had reached their destination and he was parking the car. She laughed when she saw where they were.
“I’ve actually never been here before.” He admitted.
“You’ve been in Philly three years!” She exclaimed. “How have you never been to the zoo?”
“Hey, I lead a very busy life! And I’ve never had someone to come with.” The couple make their way into the zoo and Sean grabs a map. “What do you want to see first?” He asks, unfolding it.
“The giraffes, of course!” She says excitedly. “Did you know that the national zoo in Washington DC doesn’t have any giraffes?” She asks him. He nods his head.
“You’ve told me that before.” He responds.
“What kind of zoo calls itself the national zoo and doesn’t have giraffes? At least our zoo does.” With that, she grabs his hand and pulls him in the direction she knows her favorite animals are.

The pair spend the day walking from exhibit to exhibit, taking pictures of the animals and generally enjoying each other’s company. Despite his attempt to be incognito, Sean’s hat didn’t fool a couple of people, and they were stopped for pictures and autographs. Charlie didn’t mind, though. It was nice to see her boyfriend interact with his fans. Eventually, they found themselves in front of the penguin exhibit.
“That one is Crosby.” Sean said randomly, pointing to one all by itself. Charlie threw her head back and laughed.
“Okay, that one is Malkin!” She giggled, pointing to the biggest one. He chuckled and grabbed her hand.
“As much as I would love to sit here and name them all, we have a dinner reservation soon.” She pouted. “I’m sorry, I want to stay! But I really want to go to this place. G said he’s taken Amanda there before and it’s great. I actually had to drop my name to get a reservation last minute, which made me feel like such a douche. I would feel like an ass if we didn’t show up.” He rambled.
“Fine, but we’re coming back soon. And you’re buying me a stuffed giraffe.” She bargained with a smile.

Notes