One Timers

It’s a lot harder to find player-specific clothing than you’d think. Especially when you don’t want your all-star forward fiancee to know about it. I couldn’t tell Geno what I was looking for, and I definitely couldn’t tell any of his teammates or their wives. He would be devastated if anyone else knew before him.

But after almost two weeks of knowing our new secret and searching for the perfect gift, I’ve finally found it. Exactly what I was looking for. It’s perfect.

And that means that tonight is the night.

Geno and the guys are all out late tonight, celebrating their huge win against the Bruins. He invited me to go with them, but I turned it down. Not only would I not be able to have fun with everyone, but it would also be dangerous. Plus I wanted to get the house ready for the big reveal. With Geno’s goal and two assists, I decided it’s the perfect time to reward him with what I know he’s always wanted.

He comes home around one in the morning. Most women would probably be frustrated with that. But I guess I just understand. He doesn’t really know what’s been waiting for him at home tonight. And I told him it was okay to go out with the guys. They deserved to celebrate.

“Deirdre! дравствуйте любовь моя.”
I chuckle.
“Hello to you, my love.”
“I score goal tonight. Now I want score with you.”
He wiggles his eyebrows and I can’t help but laugh. I know my fiancee well enough to know that he’s not drunk. He’s no where near it, bless his Russian self. But he’s at least at the point where the alcohol has started to slow his verbal filter.

“Zhenya, I have a present for you first.” I say.
“Is naked body? I like.”
“No, G. It’s not. It’s a serious present.”

I think the tone in my voice is enough to alert him to the fact that this isn’t a joke. I really am being serious. And this present is serious too.

“Give now?” He asks.
“Yeah. It’s in the living room.”

We cross into the living room and he spots the black and gold present sitting on the coffee table. He breaks into that typical Geno smirk. I know how much my man loves presents. But at the same time, I’m starting to get nervous. I don’t really know how Geno is going to react to this. I hope he likes it. But I don’t know.

He grins like crazy and sits down to open the box. He tortures me and himself by pulling the bow and wrapping paper off slowly. When they’re finally off, he eyes the black box suspiciously.

“Go ahead.” I encourage him.

He lifts the lid from the box and pulls back the Penguins tissue paper. That was one of the best things I found. I was thrilled to pick that up in the store when I was getting the box and wrapping paper. I thought it was appropriate. Geno is one of the most team-spirited players on the team. I’m pretty sure only Crosby is more “Pittsburgh” than my fiancee is.

His face gets distorted when he pulls out the small black piece of clothing. He’s still smiling, probably because of the Penguins logo on the front. But I can see the confusion written on his face.

“What is?” He asks.
“Look at it.” I encourage.

He pulls it all the way out of the box and unfolds it. The “Malkin 71” on the back shows off from my view, and he has to turn it around to see it. He does, and I think that’s when he realized the implications of this gift.

“Is baby clothes?”
I nod.
“With Malkin on back?”
I nod.
“Is for our baby?”
I nod. He looks down at my stomach.
“Our- my baby in there now?”
I nod, my eyes filling with tears.

“Our baby. In there. Now. We make baby?”
“Yeah, G. We’re gonna have a baby.”
“Is best day ever.”

I wipe my tears from my eyes and look at him. He isn’t even trying to hold his tears back. They’re just streaming down his face. He’s grinning like a mad man, and I can see his brain fighting to figure out what he wants to say and translate it into English.

“Я люблю тебя.” He says.
“I love you too, Zhenya.”
“I be best dad. Promise.”
“I know you will.”
“You be best mom.”
“I hope so.”
“No. I know. You be best.”

I smile at his insistence and he pulls me over into his lap. His large hands run across my shoulders and down my arms. He pulls my hands into his and kisses each one with calculated precision. It’s an amazing moment, honestly. I feel like I couldn’t be happier than this second right now.

And then he moves his hands to my stomach.

“Hello, baby.” He whispers. “I daddy. I play hockey for Penguins. Sometime I no be here because I go on trip with team. But I always love you. And mommy.”

I grab Geno’s hand and hold it close to my heart. He smiles back and forth between me and at my stomach.

“I want to tell world.” He says.
“Let’s start with your family.” I suggest. “And mine.”

He grabs for his phone and dials his mom’s number. They speak in Russian that I’m barely comprehending for a little while. I catch words like ‘goal’ and ‘win’ but nothing more. Then, he starts speaking slower and I can tell it’s because he wants me to pick up on everything.

“Мама у нас есть новый для вас.” (Mom we have news for you)
“Что там?” (What’s that?)
“Deirdre еременна.” (Deirdre is pregnant)

There’s no response from the other end, and I’m suddenly worried she isn’t happy. Natalia Malkin is a tough woman to please, and it’s been a pretty easy road for me so far. Or so I’ve heard. What if this is the time she chooses to not like me? What if she doesn’t want me to have Geno’s baby?

“Я так счастлив, Женя!” (I am so happy, Zhenya!)

Geno smiles and turns to kiss me.

“She is happy.” He says.
“Good.” I breathe a sigh of relief.

The two go back and forth for a couple more minutes, but they’re talking way too fast for me to understand. At one point it sounds like she’s lecturing him, but he continues to smile through the whole thing. She finally congratulates us again, and tells us both that she loves us before hanging up.

“She tell me I have to be good dad.” He explains. “I tell her I be best dad. For you and for baby.”
“I know you will, G.”

The call to my parents is a lot easier, since Geno knows a lot more English than I know Russian. They’re just as excited and happy as Natalia was to learn about the future addition to our family. My mom asks how this is going to change the wedding plans, but I tell her I’m too tired to think about that right now. While it’s still only eleven in San Francisco, it’s now almost two in the morning here in Pittsburgh.

“I want share with world.” Geno says as we climb up the stairs to our bedroom.
“How?” I ask.
“I want post picture.”
“Of what?”
“This.” He holds up the Malkin onesie.
I look at him for a second, and realize that even if I didn’t want him to share our news with the world, I couldn’t say no to him.
“I think you should tell the team first.” I admit. “And then tell the world.”
“I text team now? And then share?”
I chuckle. He really wants to tell everyone.
“Okay.”

He takes out his phone and puts together a group text with everyone on the team, plus the coaching staff.

Deirdre pregenent. We have baby! ))))))))))))

I laugh and he sends it, not even caring that he misspelled pregnant.

“Now I tell world?” He asks.
“Sure, G. Now you can tell the world.”

He takes a picture of the back of the onesie, with the “Malkin 71” very clear and composes a tweet.

“Я собираюсь стать отцом!” (I’m going to be a father!)

“Baby, I love.” He says, helping me into bed.

Notes

Requested. Hope you enjoy!

As always, the only languages I know are English and Spanish. So if any of the Russian is wrong, blame google translate and let me know, so I can change it.