One Timers

“Pappa where are you going?” Henrik’s two year old daughter Charlise asks, poking her head out of her bedroom.
“I gotta go to work.” He answers sweetly, picking her up into a big hug.
“I thought hockey was over?” She asks.

Henrik’s daughter has always been smart for her age.

“Well yeah, but I’ve got some stuff for hockey that I still have to do.” He explains.
“Like what?”
“Well, I’ve got a photo shoot today for a magazine.”
“Like a super model?”

He can’t help but chuckle at her questions.

“Similar to a super model. But they’re usually prettier than me.”
Charlise giggles.
“Pappa! Boys aren’t pretty. Only girls are pretty.”
“Well then what are boys?!” He asks, making a face at her.
“Boys are icky.” She makes a face back.
“How about you remember that for the next twenty years, okay älskling?” (sweetheart)
“Kay, pappa.” She says, absentmindedly.

He chuckles and sets her in her chair, fixing breakfast for the both of them. As she’s eating her cheerios, he can’t help but think about how much his little princess has changed his life. Henrik was always a good man. A good husband. But when his little girl was born, it was like a whole new person emerged. A better man, a better husband, and even a better hockey player.

“Pappa?” Her sweet voice brings him out of his own thoughts.
“Yes prinsessa?”
“Can I go with you?”
“To my photo shoot?” He asks.
“Yeah.”
“I don’t know about that...” He starts.
“Behaga?” (Please)

Her pleading stops Henrik in his tracks. He’s been trying to teach Charlise Swedish for months now, with no luck. Her appropriate use of his native tongue combined with her big brown eyes has him melting in her hand.

“Let me go ask mamma, okay? You eat your cheerios.”

Forty five minutes later, Henrik is strapping Charlise into her car seat in the back of his Range Rover while she babbles about super models and pretty photos.

“Prinsessa, Uncle Marc will be there too.” He says, getting her to squeal. He knows his little girl loves her Uncle Marc.

He listens to her chatter as he drives to Madison Square Garden. Fortunately, there’s currently a figure skating show going on, so the ice is still there. He pulls into the player’s parking lot and spots Marc Staal’s car already in its spot.

“You have to be on your best behavior today, okay?” He says, lifting Charlise out of her seat.
“Okay, pappa.” She smiles at him and he feels his heart swell.

Holding his little girl in his arms, Henrik heads into the Garden and into the locker room.

“Charlise my favorite little girl!” He hears Marc yell.
“Uncle Marc!” His two year old squeals.
Henrik puts her down and she goes flying towards Marc, who is already mostly-dressed for the photo shoot.

Henrik loves the idea for this shoot, because it combines his two favorite things (outside of his family, of course): hockey and nice suits. He listens to their conversation as he quickly changes into the suit chosen for him.

“Uncle Marc, you’re in a suit!”
“Yes I am.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what they want us to wear.”
“But you’re putting your skates on.”
“Yes I am.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what they want us to wear.”

She giggles.

“Uncle Marc, you don’t wear suits on the ice! You wear your jersey!”
“When we play we do. But for the photo shoot we’re wearing these.”

Henrik can practically hear the gears in her head turning, trying to understand this concept.

“So it’s just for the pictures?”

She’s so smart.

“Yeah, just for the pictures.”
She thinks for a minute.
“Okay.”

She seems satisfied with the answer, and turns her attention to Marc’s red hair, which she always asks him about. She’s met his brothers, and always wonders why he has red hair and they all have blonde hair.

Eventually, Henrik and Marc are both ready for the photo shoot and Henrik picks Charlise up, carrying her to the bench.

“Now you gotta stay here, okay?” He says.
“Kay.”

A silent agreement passes between Henrik and Marc that they’ll take turns watching her from the ice to make sure she doesn’t get into trouble.

Towards the end of the shoot, he hears Charlise calling for Marc, who is currently standing at center ice as Henrik gets photographed. Marc skates over and he can hear their voices, though he can’t understand anything they’re saying. He hears her laugh, so he knows there isn’t anything wrong and focuses on trying to get a good shot so they can be done soon.

He doesn’t notice Marc skate up to the director of the shoot with Charlise in his arms until he hears her excited squeal. With big smiles on their faces, Marc and Charlise make their way over to where he and the photographer are.

“Charlise wanted some photos with you.” Marc explains.
“I wanna be a super model like you, pappa!” She shouts.

The photographer smiles and Marc hands over the excited little girl.

Notes

Requested.

A little different than all the others. Hope you guys still enjoy it.