A/N: Anything in bold is in Swedish.

The very first time I met Elina Hjalmarsson, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. I thought the “Mommy and Me” swimming class would be a fun way for me to get out of the house and make new friends. Both for me and my eight month old daughter, Emelie.

My pregnancy had been rough, emotionally. My conservative parents, still back home in Sweden, weren’t too thrilled with the fact that their only daughter got pregnant from a one night stand. And Emelie’s father, a corporate executive with a thing for picking up foreign women in bars, had no interest in being a part of his daughter’s life when I told him. My only salvation came in the form of my youngest brother, Stefan, who moved all the way across the world to Chicago to live with me.

So I set out to make new friends for Emelie and myself. And make friends, we did. Specifically in the form of Elina and her son, Theo. Elina and I bonded instantly, as soon as she overheard me speaking Swedish to my daughter. She took me under her wing, convinced that Theo and Emelie would grow up to be the best of friends.

It wasn’t until our third time getting lunch together that I realized she wasn’t like the other mothers in the classes we attended together. It was then that I found out that her husband, Niklas, plays for the Chicago Blackhawks. It was a shock, but it didn’t mean much to me since I had already become such good friends with her.

Now, two months later, Nik and Elina have become a permanent fixture in my life. As Elina expected, Emelie and Theo have- so far- gotten along very well. And it’s nice to have a mini-support system that includes someone other than my baby brother.

Tonight, Stefan is babysitting both Emelie and Theo while I attend Bryan and Amanda Bickell’s charity event as the Hjalmarssons’ guest. I’m nervous, since it is the first time I will be meeting his teammates. I’ve been told that they are all nice guys, but my English isn’t great, so I always get a little worried when I’m around big groups of people.

“Camilla, don’t worry about it.” Nik assures me when they pick me up. “They will love you.”
“I just don’t want to sound like an idiot.” I admit. “I have been here for so long, but my English is still not good.”
“They will not mind.” He promises. “There are so many guys on this team from Sweden, they will know your accent. They will understand.”

I sigh, knowing he’s right to an extent. I did my research on his team the moment they asked me to be their guest for tonight. There are five members of the Chicago Blackhawks who are originally from my motherland. David Rundblad is from Lycksele, which is slightly south of Piteå, where I am from. Johnny Oduya, Joakim Nordstrom, and Marcus Kruger are all from Stockholm, my mother’s home city. And of course there’s Nik. So yes, they will understand that English is not my first language. But it still makes me nervous.

My worry stays with me up until the moment I meet Bryan and Amanda. The two welcome me to their charity event with open arms, as though I am already a friend of theirs. It surprises me when Amanda admits she already feels like she knows me, since Elina apparently talks about me all the time. I talk with her for a couple minutes while Elina and Nik walk around greeting their friends, neither of them straying too far away from me.

Nik is the one who eventually interrupts us, pulling me away to introduce me to Johnny Oduya.

“You must be the beautiful Camilla.” He says, taking my hand and kissing my cheek. “I have heard so much about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“Likewise.” I answer, blushing at the complement. “I am happy to meet you as well.”
We talk for a moment, using our shared homeland as a way to get to know one another.
“Have you met anyone else yet, or am I the first to get to know you?” He asks as Nik gets pulled away by one of his teammates. Duncan Keith, if my memory serves me correctly.
“I met Bryan and Amanda.” I admit. “But no one else.”
“We can change that.” He smiles.

He wraps his arm around mine and guides me towards a small group of people. He introduces them as Patrick and Abby Sharp, Brent and Dayna Seabrook, and Jonathan Toews. They, like Bryan and Amanda, welcome me into their small group immediately. I’m in the middle of telling Abby the story about how Elina came into my life when our group is infiltrated by two more of their teammates. I recognize Marcus Kruger from my Swedish research, and the other is introduced to me as Brandon Saad by Johnny.

“Where did you pick up a hot piece of ass like this? And does she have a hot friend that is also looking for a fun night?” Marcus asks Johnny with a cocky smile.
“I am a friend of Niklas and Elina.” I respond, cutting Johnny off. “And I’ll have you know that I am much more of a woman than just a nice ass.”
Johnny’s expression goes from shock to amusement right away, and I can visually see him trying not to laugh outright at his teammate.
“You speak Swedish?” Marcus asks, embarrassment now written on his face.
“I am from Piteå.” I answer sharply, disgusted by his immediate assumption that I am just some slut looking for attention from a professional hockey player. “Not that where I am from is any of your business.”
“What is going on?” Patrick Sharp asks, clearly noticing the hostility rolling off me.
“I am going to find Elina.” I say cordially, breaking my stare from the man in front of me. “It was nice to meet you all. Johnny, thank you for being so kind and introducing me to your teammates.”

I walk away, leaving Johnny to explain to his teammates what just happened. I am lucky enough to come across Bryan again, who directs me towards where Elina was headed. I stick close to her for the rest of the evening, meeting the rest of Nik’s teammates and their wives or girlfriends. I am sure to tell her and Nik all about my interaction with the pig that is Marcus Kruger on the ride home. Nik assures me that the interaction doesn’t seem like his teammate’s normal behavior, though I’m not sure if I am convinced or not.

The next time I see Marcus Kruger is a week later. Stefan, Emelie and I are the Hjalmarssons’ guests in the family suite at a home Blackhawks game. The game goes into overtime, and eventually into a shoot out before they finally win. We follow Elina into the underground of the United Center and through the maze of hallways until we eventually reach a waiting room. I set Emelie down next to Theo on one of the couches. She barely stirs from her slumber, an indication of just how exhausted she is. Amanda Bickell corners us, asking how I am doing and introducing herself to Stefan. We chat for a minute, joined eventually by Abby Sharp, Dayna Seabrook, and Kelly-Rae Keith. They coo over Emelie and Theo, cuddled up on the couch together, and I can see Stefan’s boredom seeping out of his eyes. He wanders off when the guys who were scratched from the game come into the room.

One by one, the guys start coming in, fresh from their showers, and I politely greet the ones I recognize. Theo wakes up and begins crying, so Elina picks him up and begins walking him around the room in an attempt to get him settled again. I search for my brother, finding him deep in conversation with David Rundblad. It looks as though they are getting along, and I don’t want to ruin my brother’s attempt at making a new friend. So instead of interrupting them, I decide to pull out my phone and check my messages from home. Most of them are from my cousin, telling me about the family reunion this past weekend that Stefan and I were excluded from. Part of me is disappointed and hurt that we weren’t invited, but the other part of me is glad because it sounds like it was filled with drama.

“Hello.” I hear a timid voice greet me. I look up, only to be met with the brown eyes that had once ogled my body as though I was some piece of meat. Marcus is standing near the other end of the couch, closer to Emelie than I am.
“Hello.” I respond curtly.
“I would like to apologize for how I acted the first time we met.” He says, surprising me. “It is no excuse, but I was drunk and not acting like myself. I was disrespectful, and I regret it.”

I’m not sure how to respond to that, and I can tell my doubt is written on my face. I nod slightly, which is enough for him to continue speaking.

“I certainly would have never been so disrespectful had I known that you were the Camilla that Nik and Elina talk so highly of all the time. I have wanted to meet you for a while, and I fear that I have ruined my chance to get to know you. Please, give me a second chance to be your friend.”

I hesitate, questioning whether or not I want to give him a second chance. My daughter chooses this moment to make her presence known, waking up from her slumber and beginning to cry on the couch. She seeks out the closest body to her, grabbing at his pant leg. Marcus, to my surprise, leans in to her and brushes his fingertips through Emelie’s hair, shushing her sweetly. It calms her down almost immediately, a shock since usually the only people who can calm her down that easily are me and Stefan. This, combined with his honesty, makes me consider hard how I want to respond.

“I do not give third chances.” I finally declare with a stern face.

---------

“Daddy!” Emelie yells, jumping from her spot on the couch and running full speed towards the front door.
“No running in the house!” I call after my four year old, knowing my scolding is falling on deaf ears.

I hear the sound of the front door shutting, followed by greetings in English and Swedish. My little chatter-box gabs away about her day in both languages as her father carries her into the living room, depositing her back onto the couch.

“And how was your day, my love?” Marcus asks, leaning in to kiss me.
“It was okay. A little tiring.” I respond, giving him a half-smile. “But certainly better now that you are home.”
“Good.” He smiles back. “And how is my son doing?” He asks, resting his hand on my swollen belly.
“He has been kicking up a storm.” I admit with a small grimace.

Emelie takes the opportunity to jump in and tell Marcus all about how she knows that her baby brother is going to be a soccer star, since he kicks so much. Marcus nods encouragingly along with everything she says. Their interaction reminds me exactly how incredible of a father he is going to become in a couple short weeks.

In this moment, I can’t help but think about how happy I am that I gave him a second chance.

Notes

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