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Stay, Stay, Stay

Chapter Seventeen

Eight days until Christmas and I was losing my mind. Never having been the best at human interaction, the live-in experiment with Sidney was pushing me over the edge. Between convincing him that working out was a really bad idea and the insane lack of chocolate in the house I was ready to lock him in the basement. I probably would have if I knew he wouldn’t find a way to get a work out in.

Even though Sidney was prohibited from strenuous activity, we still found ourselves at the rink everyday. As captain, his presence was important for the team and he took his job as an on and off ice mentor seriously. Determined to stay in the game, he sat on the bench watching practices and underwent regular testing to make sure his concussion was improving and there were no complications. The team had been relaxed with my schedule, knowing that I was working all hours to help Sidney but I still did my best to be there as much as I could. With the team preparing for a pre-christmas road trip, I found myself wishing we were going with them just for a change of pace. Larry decided it was better if Sid and I stayed behind and focused on his recovery.

“Have you eaten?” Sid asked as he walked into the kitchen. I sat at the counter browsing through the local paper.
“No,” I said, not taking my eyes off of the page in front of me
“Is there a reason?” He stood across from me with his hands on the counter.
“What do you mean?” I eyed him confused.
“I know you’re stressed out, but I want you to make sure you’re taking care of yourself as much as you’re taking care of me.” He looked at me sweetly.
“You don’t need to worry about me,” I laughed. “I haven’t eaten because there’s nothing in this house,” I looked up at him trying to keep a straight face.
“What do you mean?” He looked confused.
“I mean there is more to life than protein powder and produce.”
“You’d be amazed at what I can do with powder and produce,” he winked and turned to the fridge.
“I take it you’re about to prove it to me?” I walked behind him and wrapped my arms around his back, resting my head between his shoulders.
He nodded and continued to gather ingredients. I let go of him and sat on the counter behind him. I watched him make his way around the kitchen, chopping fruit and putting different things into the blender.
“Is that kale?” I asked, noticing a leafy vegetable in his hand.
“Yeah, it’s great for you,” he replied ripping it into smaller pieces.
“Please don’t,” I shook my head, disgusted.
“You’re not going to taste it,” he chuckled and threw it in the blender anyway.
“So gross,” I gagging exaggeratedly as he turned to look at me.
“Trust me?” he gave me that look, the one that made me melt, the one that made me forget the world and want to jump on top of him in the middle of the kitchen. That one look had so much power.
I smiled and bit the inside of my lip, reminding myself that he couldn’t engage in any high energy activities. My thoughts were interrupted by the vibrations of my phone. My brother John’s name appeared on the screen with one new message.
John
Andy is coming home for Christmas. Can I convince you to do the same? Mum would really like it.

I sighed and locked my phone, placing it on the counter next to me. There wasn’t anything I could say to him. I needed to stay with Sidney and was expected to be behind the bench the day after Christmas. Sidney blended his concoction and I tried to think of a way I could go home for a few days, but the truth was that I couldn’t afford to hop on a plane at this late of notice. He poured the green gunk into a glass and held it out for me. I looked at him suspiciously.
“Just try it,” he urged me.
I rolled my eyes and brought the glass to my lips. Taking a small slip I was surprised, but still not impressed.
“It tastes like leaves... and banana,” I frowned.
“It’s great,” he took a swig from his glass and I placed mine next to me.
“Is it really that bad?” he looked at me concerned. I hadn’t realized that my face had fallen.
“Oh,” I looked up from my hands, “It’s not that.” I picked up my phone and reread the message. “My family really want me to go home for Christmas.”
“Ah,” he smiled sympathetically and placed his hand on my knee, facing me. “I get that. How long has it been since you’ve been home?”
“Almost two years,” I blushed, embarrassed to admit I’d gone so long without even considering a trip back to the Island.
“Really?” he looked surprised, but not judgmental. “Why so long?”
“I don’t have the money,” I blushed even deeper, knowing I was touching on an issue he didn’t experience.
“Right,” he finished off the green gunk and put the glass in the dish washer. I took another tentative sip and tried to pretend I was enjoying it.
“How about you?” I took a break from the drink and set it beside me.
“I was home in August. I like to spend as much of the off season as I can back in Canada.” He placed his hands on either side of me, his face only a few inches away from mine.
“That’s good,” I smoothed his hair back from his forehead. “How’s your head?” I traced my thumb over his temple.
“It’s okay,” he closed his eyes and leaned closer to me.
“I’m not asking as your girlfriend. How is your head, Sidney?” I dropped my hand look directly in his now open eyes.
He sighed and moved one of his hands to my thigh. “My eyes are straining when I try to focus, there is some tension pain but it’s nothing too unbearable.”
“Your pupils are still okay,” I studied his face. “The only thing that will help is keeping your eyes closed for a bit.” I squeezed the hand that had warmed a spot on my leg. “How about you go lay down and I’ll come up in a minute?”
He kissed me lightly, making my stomach flutter and the hair on my arms stand on end. It had been so long I could hardly keep myself together. I watched him walk towards the stairs, my eyes focusing on his bum and legs. I tried to keep my mind from wandering but all I could think about was his body on top of me. I shook the thought from my head and slipped off of the counter. I filled the kettle with fresh water and set it to boil on the stove. The only thing I’d contributed to the kitchen was a collection of fancy teas that had become a staple in my diet. I filled two teabags with an herbal blend that was meant to soothe and relax. I walked the two steaming cups carefully up the stairs and I pushed open the bedroom door, expecting to find Sidney already in bed. Instead, he’d taken his shirt off and was cleaning the room we shared.
“Crosby!” I cried from the door. Startled, he made a noise that can’t be described as anything but a squawk. “What the hell?” I stared at him, standing shirtless with a pile of dirty clothes in his arms.
“I was going to lay down, but I can’t relax with so much mess.” He tossed the clothes in the hamper and went on to hang up a number of dresses I had draped over the chair.
“Would you leave it?” I walked into the room and placed the steaming mugs on the night table.
“You’re like a hurricane, everywhere you go you leave a mess,” he said lightheartedly.
I glared at him and snatched the dresses from his hands. “You are so anal.” I continued where he left off hanging them in the closet.
“Anal, eh?” he cocked his eyebrow. “I’d be game for that,” he laughed and started to make the bed.
“Would you just lay down?” I said, ready to throw one of the coat hanger at his head.
He unbuttoned his jeans and let them fall to the floor, wiggling his eyebrows at me. I averted my eyes -I didn’t need any more temptation- and hung up the last dress. He lay on the bed wearing only his tight, black boxer briefs. I groaned and pulled off my pants before crawling in bed beside him. I hated wearing pants, and wearing them in the comfort of bed seemed sacrilegious.
We lay together in the dark room, my head resting on his chest. The silence in the room was easy and relaxed, the only noise coming from our steady breathing. I was relieved to know he’d fallen asleep, giving himself a much needed break.

Six days until Christmas, I woke up to an empty space in the bed beside me. I’d been trying to match Sidney’s early mornings but would never be a morning person. After taking a few minutes to wake up I headed down stairs to find him, not bothering to get dressed, wearing only a sports bra and underwear. I found him sitting at the counter eating breakfast and drinking another blended concoction. He looked up as I walked in the room and I noticed his eyes get visibly wider.
“Good morning, Miss Keller!” he grinned as I walked towards him.
“Good morning yourself,” I cooed in his ear, standing behind him and wrapping my arms around his chest and shoulders.
“You’re making this whole inactive thing really hard on me,” he laughed and took a drink of his blended gunk.
“Oh I know how you feel,” I slipped my hand under the collar of his shirt and down his chest. He moaned and tilted his head back. I kissed his neck softly, making my way to his jaw. Eagerly, he spin around on the chair so he was facing me and pulled me on to his lap.
“You’re killing me,” he kissed me roughly, his hands firmly grasping my hips.
“I’m going crazy,” I groaned, resting my head on his shoulder after our lips had parted.
“Soon,” he ran his hand along my side, tickling me. “You have your passport here, right?” he asked, his voice soft against my ear.
“Of course,” I replied, nuzzling closer to him.
“Good, our flight to Halifax leaves at 3pm,” I could hear the smile in his voice. “We’ll spend a few days in Scotia and fly into Charlottetown Christmas Eve. I talked to the team and we don’t have to come back until New Years day.”
I stared at him in disbelief, my mouth hanging open. It took a few minutes for what he said to sink in. “Are...you serious?” I stammered. “Are you kidding right now?” I started to tear up.
He shook his head and grinned widely. I jumped from his lap and kissed him excitedly. “I love you so much,” I whispered, our noses still touching.
“I love you too,” he chuckled and kissed me again.

I spent the better part of the morning packing, having borrowed the biggest suitcase I could find from Sidney’s collection. I loaded the bag with jeans and heavy sweaters, as well as dresses and tights, knowing that I was going to be meeting his family. After filling it with as much as I could I got in the shower and prepared myself for the trip ahead. Sidney, having already packed and showered sat on the bed with his laptop, arranging for someone to pick us up from the airport when we got there.
I’d gotten out of the shower and was using the toilet when the bathroom door opened.
“Hey!” I cried. “I’m in here.”
“And?” he laughed and went to the sink to brush his teeth.
“And I’m doing stuff.” I whined. “Get out.”
“I’m fully aware that you pee,” he rolled his eyes, the toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.
“So, I don’t need you witnessing it.” I squeezed my legs together.
“You know I’ve seen you naked before,” he spit in the sink.
“This is so different,” I threw my hands up annoyed.
“Not really,” he shook his head.
“Yes really! Now would you give me a little peace over here?”
He laughed and finished brushing his teeth while I sat there awkwardly, trying to cover myself with the towel I was wearing. Even living with Millie I’d never let her in the bathroom with me. Serena sure, but never someone I was dating. It was too personal. Then again, we were getting closer that I’d ever imagined I’d be with anyone.

Our plane landed in Halifax at 6:30pm. It was a small plane with just the two of us on board. I was surprised when we’d arrived at the Pittsburgh airport to find a private plane waiting for us. Sidney didn’t often throw money around, but this was one instance when I was more than okay with him taking advantage of his name and his funds. As we walked through the tunnel connecting the doors of the plane to the arrival gate nerves began to form in the pit of my stomach. I squeezed his hand mercilessly and smiled up at him, my body feeling light and shaky.
“Are your parents picking us up?” I asked, my voice as unbalanced as my body.
“One of my friends, I figured you’d want to get settled in before meeting my family.” I’d never been so relieved in my life.
“Thank you,” I wrapped my arm around his waist and hugged his side.
We made our way through customs quickly and painlessly. Noticing the name on Sid’s passport, the border guard grinned and welcomed us home without any further questions. Our baggage was brought to us and I was becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of being with the Sidney Crosby. I kept my distance as a few excited groups of people came up to get autographs and pictures, not wanting to be put in another situation where he had to explain who I was. As usual, Sid was gracious and warm to his fans, and somehow managed to avoid drawing a bigger crowd.
After the last picture was taken, we stood off to the side with a clear view of the exit door. We were preparing ourselves for the cold Canadian winter when the automatic doors opened and a man with two small children came in from the cold.
“Sid!” a voice cried, I turned to find a young boy wearing an oversized winter jacket and a Penguins toque running towards us.
“Hey buddy,” Sid leaned down to catch the little body being flung towards him. The boy laughed and hugged him as his father came closer. He was holding a baby in a puffy white snowsuit and grinning. Sid stood up to greet him, holding out his hand, his smile was wider than I’d seen in a long time.
“Crosby,” the man laughed and pulled him into a half hug, careful not to squish the baby. “How was the flight?”
“Good, good. Hey, I have someone for you to meet,” he reached for my hand. “This is the Beatrice I was telling you about,” he squeezed my hand. “Beatrice this is David, we grew up together.”
David shook my hand and told me how great it was to finally meet me. I thought about the word ‘finally’ and felt a warmth spreading through me at the notion that Sidney had been telling him about me. I felt a tug on my coat and looked down to see big blue eyes under a mess of blonde hair looking up at me.
“Are you Sid’s wife?” he asked looking at us. I bit my lip trying not to laugh and looked to Sidney.
“Not yet,” Sid smiled at him. “Liam, this is Bea, she’s really special and if you ask nicely she’ll show you her arms,” winked at me.
Liam stared up at me with awe and confusion. “Your arms?” he questioned.
“I made the mistake of saying I was meeting you in the presence of little ears,” David laughed and motioned to Liam who was still eyeing me. “I figured I might as well bring the whole gang and give the wife a few hours.” He held up the puffy snowsuit that somewhere contained a smiling baby.
Sidney reached for her, grinning and holding her above his head. My heart melted watching him interact with giggling baby. “You’re so big!” he laughed holding her against his chest.
“Six months last week,” David remarked.
“Rosie,” Sidney said in a serious tone, “I’d like you to meet Beatrice. The other woman in my life.” He tilted her towards me and I smiled, taking her mittened hand in mine.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rosie.” I played along. She giggled and drooled, flapping her arms up and down.
“How about you hold her and we’ll take the suitcases,” Sidney suggested, glancing at David who was trying to collect Liam, who had lost interest in the mystery of my arms and was running around us in circles.
Sidney convinced Liam it was imperative that he help him roll out his suitcase and David led the way, pulling my much bigger suitcase behind him. I snuggled Rosie against me and inhaled her intoxicating baby scent. I hadn’t been around a baby in longer than I could remember, with the exception of Skype calls from my niece.
“Looks good,” Sid remarked, winking. I rolled my eyes and followed the group out into the cold winter weather.
The drive to Sid’s house was shorter than I’d expected. I sat in the front seat next to David, while Sidney sat in the back of the SUV answering Liam’s never ending questions. We made small talk, and I was relieved that to know that Sid wasn’t keeping me a secret from his friends. “They keep to themselves,” he’d said as we got in the car. “Nothing we say or do will get back to the media.” I wondered if he was hiding me for a reason or if keeping a low personal profile really made his life that much easier.

We pulled into the driveway of a snow covered house that was introduced to me as ‘home.’ It was next to a frozen lake and was away from the rest of the town. I stared at it, enchanted by the sparkling of the show and the smoke coming from the chimney. Behind the heavy wooden door were hardwood floors and a wood burning fireplace. It radiated warmth and had obviously been set up in anticipation of our arrival. Heavy couches were draped with wool blankets and pictures of smiling faces were hung on the walls. I savored the scent of burning wood and warm air and felt the tension begin to leave my body along with the stresses of our lives in Pittsburgh. A few feet from the front door sat a small, but homey kitchen with light wooden cabinets and new looking appliances. There were no walls separating the kitchen, living room, and dining area. I kicked off my shoes as the boys dropped the suitcases off in a room down the hall. I circled around the kitchen with Rosie in my arms, both of us admiring the plate of cookies that sat on the island in the middle.
Sid,
Call us when you get in, dinner is in the fridge for you to heat up.
xo Mom
I smiled at the hand written message and tried to picture what it would be like to meet his family. I shivered nervously. Grabbing a cookie, I wandered down the hallway, stopping to admire the pictures on the walls, various snap shots of family. At the end of the hallway stood the master bedroom. It had high ceilings and adjustable lighting with a huge bed in the centre of the room. It looked a lot like our room in the states, but with a patchwork quilt on the bed and a fire place in the corner. There was an en suit bathroom and a huge closet, the two requirements for any luxury room. Rosie and I bopped around the room, admiring the Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom and the plush carpet in the bedroom. David offered to take her from me but I held her close and told him not to worry. I loved the feeling of her little body in my arms. I’d taken her snowsuit off and she was dressed in white footie pajamas with pink polka-dots. She hadn’t stopped smiling since we’d arrived and Liam sat on the floor playing with an action figure while the two men chatted candidly. I was reminded of the night Sidney told me he couldn’t help but be jealous of his friend’s who had families. I could get used to the idea of having our own family, it couldn’t be that hard. I’d hardly had time to daydream when that thought was stricken from my mind by the pungent odor that seemed to be coming from the sweet little girl I held in my arms. She started to cry and I had not problem handing her back to David as the smell made me gag. Sidney laughed at my wrinkled nose and furrowed brow.

After promising Liam we’d see him soon, we flopped onto the couch in front of the crackling fire, alone in the house for the first time. I snuggled into him, our arms wrapped around each other and my head on his shoulder. A calmness washed over me and I felt more at ease than I had in weeks. His fingers stroked my side, finding their way under my shirt. I could have fallen asleep in the comfort of his arms, I could have stayed there forever and spend my life wanting for nothing.
“Let’s stay in tonight,” he whispered softly, his breath tickling my neck, “just us.”
“That sounds nice,” I mumbled, not ready to move from him.

“If you want we could fill up the tub,” he kissed the top of my head.There was a lot we couldn’t do, Sidney couldn’t watch television, he couldn’t read, or do anything that required his eyes to focus for too long. Anything that could cause too much pressure on his brain was out of the question, but the one thing we could do, was be together, and with the fire burning and the snow falling outside the window I couldn’t think of anything I’d rather be doing.

Notes

Sorry it has taken me so long to post this. School has resumed once again and my to-do list has returned to its usual state of chaos. I spent some time reworking the last chunk and I'm hoping I was successful. As always I love your comments and suggestions! xx- T

Comments

This was so good!!! I was in tears at the end when thinking about Sid retiring haha

Court31 Court31
2/17/21

Beautiful story.

Aleja21 Aleja21
10/29/18

This story was great and very relatable because of the beliefs that Bea and I share. You really captured the struggle of being in a relationship and making a marriage work. Keep up the good work and don't stop writing. :)

RoxPensChick RoxPensChick
9/17/17

@melindaone
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!! Thanks for sticking through and reading :D :D



TheoAirplane TheoAirplane
9/11/17

Well, that was sooo good. I loved their story. I still do. Their love, strenght, humor..this all made me fall in love. So thank you for a chance to be a part of K.C. family.

melindaone melindaone
9/8/17