Hopeless Wanderer

Fifteen years later...

"Mom! I'm missing like a week's worth of school for this." Carrie cringed at the whine coming from Sierra, her teenage daughter. She was ankle deep in a pile of clothes that was either too tight or too short on the younger girl. But Carrie was determined to find something to pack for the trip they were about to go on.

"You're missing three days. And any other thirteen year old I know would be thrilled to miss a few days of school." Carrie stopped rummaging and was focusing on two different dresses. She held them both up to her short frame in order to decide whether the length was too short for Sierra.

"I just hate the thought of falling behind." Carrie wasn't falling for Sierra's attempt to stay behind in Pittsburgh.

"Which is why your teachers gave you work to do while we are gone. You can do some of it on the plane rides and in the hotel in the evenings."

"Where are we going again?" Sierra knew where they were going, Carrie had explained for weeks now.

"Toronto."

"Why?" Again, the girl who stood with a mop of curly blonde hair and dark brown eyes, a perfect mix of her parents, knew why they were going to Canada.

"Because your father is getting inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame."

"He's not even here! He wouldn't notice that I stayed behind anyway. I will just stay with Kali or Alison. Please!"

"He would notice and he is meeting us when we land tomorrow. He is flying in with your grandmother tonight. What are you missing that you don't want to go?" Carrie was convinced something was making Sierra want to stay. Only two weeks ago Sierra was excited by the news that they were going on the little vacation only weeks before her Thanksgiving break.

"There's this dance," Sierra finally caved.

"And a boy is going to be there," Carrie offered, hoping that wasn't the case.

"Yeah."

"You're too young to have a boyfriend." She could hear Sidney say the same exact thing.

"Mom!"

"You're thirteen and in middle school. You don't need a boyfriend. Now try this dress on. I want to make sure it still fits." Carrie flung a black sweater dress at her daughter and watched as she threw the dress on over her leggings and tank top.

"Can we at least go shopping at the Eaton Centre?" Sierra asked as she pulled her arms through the cap sleeves.

"We have all day tomorrow and Friday to roam. So that is a definite possibility." Carrie knew there was a dinner and some press coverage Friday evening and the induction ceremony on Saturday, but they planned on staying through Monday in order to have a little mini-vacation as a family.

"Pap isn't coming?" Sierra was referring to Troy, Sid's father.

"No sweetie, he's not well enough to fly. Grammy will be there, and we are going to be going there during your Thanksgiving break in a couple weeks. So you'll see Pap soon." Troy had been diagnosed with cancer only a few months ago. It was aggressive, and Sid had tried to get his parents to move to their home in Pittsburgh in order to have some of the best doctors to care for him, but Troy continued to be stubborn and refused to leave Cole Harbour. Sid found himself traveling more frequently to his hometown to attend doctor appointments and treatments, leaving Carrie to tend to school events and extra activities on her own.

"Okay. What about Aunt Taylor?" Sierra asked.

"She is meeting us tomorrow as well. Her flight comes in later, so she will meet us for dinner."

"Good. She's a fun time." Carrie knew, Sierra really enjoyed her 'fun aunt'.

"And I'm not? I'm slightly offended!" Carrie razzed.

"Moooom!" And the young girl giggled out of embarrassment and fell onto her unmade bed.

The phone started to ring and Sierra reached it before Carrie could come out of the walk-in.

"Hi Daddy!" Sierra said into the phone.

"Hey kiddo, what are you doing?" Sidney asked.

"Trying on clothes for Saturday. How important is this thing?" She was back to trying to get out of it.

"Why?" Sid asked hesitantly.

"I'm trying to get out of it." At least she was honest, Sid thought.

"You're going!" Carrie yelled from her place in the closet. Sierra groaned.

"Listen to your mother, and stop being a disgruntled teenager." But he bit back a smile, she acted so much like Carrie it was frightening.

"I don't know what that means."

"Stop being defiant."

"Are you speaking Canadian or something? These words make no sense. You're spending too much time up there."

"Let me talk to your mom."

"Mom! It's Dad!" Sierra stayed on the bed waving the phone around. Carrie walked out of the closet, sighed in frustration at her daughter and took the receiver from her. As soon as she had the phone, Sierra shot up off the bed and ran from the room, pulling the too short dress off in the process.

"Where are you....oh never mind," Carrie said with the phone to her ear. She turned and sat on the bed before she finally acknowledged Sidney.

"Hey," Carrie sighed into the phone.

"Hey yourself. She is being difficult." Sidney could hear the tension in just that simple greeting.

"She wants to stay behind because there is an all schools dance and a boy she likes is going to be there."

"She is thirteen. She doesn't need to be liking anyone."

"I know. I said that. Anyway, I'm fighting with her to try on some of her dresses, but they are all insanely short on her. She hit a growth spurt. Even her dressy pants are short on her." Carrie fell back against the bed and felt the stretch of her back muscles burn in a good way.

"Take her shopping. She's a teenage girl, she will love that."

"I can't now! It's nearly 8. The mall closes at 9. Besides, I have to pick up Donovan soon."

"Pack her light and get her new clothes up here tomorrow. Is Donnie packed?"

"Yes, he is. That's probably what I'll have to do. When did she get so tall? Neither of us are tall! She is as tall as me now."

"I don't know babe. I have some news though!" Sid sounded excited as he said this.

"Okay, shoot."

"Dad got the go ahead to come out here."

"Oh Sid that is wonderful! How is he doing?"

"He's responded very well to the last bout of treatments. His doctors are pleased with his progress."

"Where are your parents' room?"

"They are across the hall from us. And Sierra will stay with Tay in the room next to theirs. Don gets his own, but it's attached to ours."

"Is the hotel nice?"

"It's right on the harbor. We have an amazing view and a balcony!"

"I know how important a balcony is to your hotel experiences," her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Smart ass," Sid said as he picked up on it.

"I love you!" Carrie exclaimed.

"I know." And Carrie smiled. Sid often reminded her of moments early on in their relationship with something he says or a gesture he makes. He saying that he knew she loved him reminded her of how she had been afraid to say it all those years ago.

"I have to go. Your son's practice is over at 8:30 and I need to be prompt to pick him up."

"Tell his coach that he's an asshole."

"I would never say that to Dupers. At least your oldest isn't fighting to go to this."

Carrie and Sidney found shortly after her declaration that she was pregnant. While it was a shock for them both, they took on the challenge of being parents together and two years after their son, Donovan, was born, they had Sierra.

They waited until Donovan was nearly ten to actually marry, much to the dismay of their families. But they refrained from pushing Sid and Carrie, knowing that it would happen one day. Five years married, sixteen years together, and two kids later, and they were still happy.

And finally the moment Sidney had been waiting for had arrived. He was part of the 2029 Hockey Hall of Fame class of inductees. And Carrie had remained by his side ever since she finally stopped wandering and admitted she was hopelessly in love with him.

Notes

Update two of two!

i hope you all stuck around to see this one through! Let me know what you think! Thanks!!