Two Weeks Later. Sunday. 4:30 P.M.

Tyler heaved his suitcase up the stairs. He was drained from their week long road trip. They had lost three out of their four games, but they kept first place in the division, allowing for a bye week and some time off. Tomorrow he and Nicki were leaving for Brampton. As much as he was looking forward to being with his family, all he wanted to do was spend some time alone with her.

He grabbed his key and unlocked the door. He was greeted by a mix of strange aromas. Before he could get inside to find out what it was, Nicki sprinted around the corner and jumped on him. He grabbed the bottoms of her legs to hold her up as she wrapped her arms around him. God, he had missed her.

She brought her lips down to his. She kissed him slowly. He could feel her emotions through her kiss. She had missed him as much as he had missed her.

“I’m so glad you’re home,” she said, lips still only inches away from his.

He closed the space between them. He wasn’t done kissing her yet. Freddy walked in to ruin the moment.

“Get a room.”

Nicki’s eyes opened wide.

“Oh my God, Ty! Are you ready to see it?!”

Tyler smiled and nodded his head. The night before he left they had stayed up all night talking. At one point, he asked her how school was going. She told him that she was stressing out about one of her business classes. They had to start a project that would last all four years of college. Nicki had to pick what kind of business she wanted to run, and had to work on it until she graduated.

She explained to him that she had picked interior design for her business, because that was what she wanted to do when she finished school. By the end of the semester, she had to come up with a name and begin a portfolio. The portfolio needed to contain actual works that she had done, to show to potential customers. She had to have a minimum of five different works, and so far she only had two: her room and the finished basement in her house.

Tyler had suggested that she picked a few of the rooms around the apartment to use for her portfolio. He even offered to pay for whatever she needed to make it good. After crying a lot she told him that it would be ‘the coolest, most awesome thing in the entire world’. So, he left her with his credit card and let her go to town. She told him that she had done their bedroom, but wouldn’t give him any hints as to what it looked like.

Nicki grabbed his hand and pulled him towards their room.

“Close your eyes. Don’t open them until I say so.”

He heard her moving things around. He kept his eyes closed until she said to open them. When he looked around, he was awestruck. She had painted the walls a cool grey. There was a small fountain in the corner of the room along with some very real looking fake plants. The TV was mounted on the wall, and on either side of it were candle sconces. A white rug was placed in the middle of the floor. She had gotten a new bedspread, complete with matching pillow cases and throw pillows. There were some nature pictures on the wall, mostly of streams and rocks that matched the wall color. Out of all of the things she did, the most astounding was the canopy above the bed. It was white and silky, and on each of the four corners a matching curtain hung down, gathering at the floor.

“Holy shit Nicki, you did all of this?” He was astonished.

She nodded proudly. “And it didn’t even cost me three hundred bucks.”

He almost didn’t believe her, but he knew that she wouldn’t lie to him.

“That canopy looks pretty expensive. Where’d you get it?”

Nicki grinned. “I made it.”

“You made it.”

“Uh huh! I went to Home Depot and bought plywood. My dad has a bunch of saws and tools at our house so I borrowed them and put it together. The hard part was getting it to stay on the ceiling. I hope you don’t mind there are some holes in it now. If you move out, we can just cover them up with putty and it will be as good as new. And the hangy thingies are just satin sheets that I ripped up and sewed back together. I stained the wood to match the headboard and used a staple gun for the sheets and voila! A fancy canopy.”

“That’s unbelievable,” he said. “How did you decide what to do? I don’t get it.”

She giggled. “Well, my inspiration usually has something to do with nature. I like to use different elements. This time I picked water. Normally, you would think water and blue, right? But I think grey reflects it better. That’s why I used the grey-blue for the pillows and stuff. Oh, and the fountain. Isn’t it so serene?”

It was serene. It didn’t even look like the same room. And it had a certain feel to it; it made him feel completely at ease. He looked at Nicki.

“You are really, really talented,” he said.

“So you like it?!”

“I love it. I can’t believe I get to live in a room like this.”

Her face lit up. “I have one more thing to show you.”

She opened the bathroom door. As soon as she did, Tyler knew that she had taken it upon herself to do the bathroom, too. He walked in and looked around.

“How the hell did you pick this color?” he asked her.

The walls were a deep purple. If he had seen it in the store, he would have made fun of it. It may have been one of the last colors he ever picked to paint a room, especially a bathroom. But it looked incredible. The white tiles and ceiling popped against the dark color, and she had bought a grey shower rug and matching towels.

“Um, I’m not sure actually. I wanted to pick something that was close to the same color family as the bedroom. Purple, blue, and grey are all cool colors. I like light purple, but it would have been too girly. So I went with a saturated one. It looks good with the white, doesn’t it?”

He nodded his head. “Seriously, if you want to do the entire apartment, go ahead. I can’t believe you did all of this in a week. And went to school.”

“Well, it turns out I have a lot of free time when you aren’t here.”

Tyler pressed his lips to her forehead. She was incredible.

“Oh, by the way, what the hell was I smelling when I walked in?”

“SHIT! I forgot!”

She ran out of the room without answering his question. He followed her. When he got into the kitchen he heard her breathe a sigh of relief.

“Phew! We’re good,” she said as she put on oven mitts.

Nicki pulled a long sheet pan out of the oven. Tyler looked at its contents.

“You didn’t.”

She put the pan on top of the stove and took off the gloves, setting them on the counter.

“Oh, but I did,” she said as she leaned in to kiss him. “I wanted to make you something special.”

“I have been craving ribs so badly,” he said when she pulled away.

Usually on road trips, the team would go out to eat at least a few nights, depending on how long they were there for. It didn’t matter where they went, if ribs were on the menu, Tyler ordered them. He loved ribs. This past trip, however, they had played so badly that no one felt like going out. He didn’t even remember telling Nicki that he wanted them.

Freddy strolled into the kitchen.

“Oh, Ty, I kind of forgot to mention something.”

Tyler stared at him. What the hell was he talking about? Freddy draped an arm around Nicki’s shoulder.

“We’re getting married.”

He didn’t know whether to laugh or be concerned.

“What?”

Nicki and Freddy giggled.

“Remember back when we first moved in? And we were talking about what it would take for us to marry a girl? And I said, and I quote, ‘I’m dropping down on one knee and proposing to the first girl who makes ribs for me’. Well, here she is!”

Tyler finally let out a laugh. He had completely forgotten that Freddy said that. It was so long ago now.

“He really got down on one knee, too. I had no idea what he was doing,” Nicki said. She lost it. She laughed so hard that tears started to fall from her eyes.

“Her reaction was priceless,” said Freddy.

“Ugh, the things I miss when I’m away,” he said.

He loved playing hockey, there was no doubt about it. But sometimes being on the road for so long was tiring. He missed being home. Nicki came over to him and hugged him.

“I’m sorry, love. If it makes you feel any better, I have one more surprise for you.”

She walked over to the counter. Tyler hadn’t noticed the addition of a stainless steel container. She must have bought it while he was gone. He had no idea what it was for. Nicki lifted the top off. Underneath, there was a cake. As he got closer, he realized that she had written on it ‘Welcome Home Ty’.

Tyler couldn’t help but smile. It was the little things like that he loved about her the most. She was always trying her hardest to make him happy.

“You’re the best,” he said, pulling her close.

“Christ on a stick Nicki these ribs are incredible!” Freddy exclaimed.

“Freddy! You couldn’t wait until I cut them?”

“I didn’t know how long it would take for the two of you to dry hump over there. I got impatient.”

“Bull,” she said, laughing.

** * * * *

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” Freddy said, putting a hand on his stomach.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have eaten half of the ribs and two pieces of cake, then, hm?” Nicki teased him.

She had to admit, she had done a fine job. Ribs were one thing that she had never cooked before. But she remembered a long time ago Tyler told her it was his favorite thing to eat on the road. And when he mentioned they hadn’t gone out, she knew that he would want them.

Nicki positioned herself on the couch between Tyler’s legs. She was wearing his grey Under Armour sweatshirt again. Ever since he told her that it looked adorable on her, it had become her favorite piece of clothing. He wrapped his arms around her stomach. She had missed him like crazy; it felt so good to be back in his arms.

It also helped that she knew she would be with him constantly for the next week. She was so excited to see his childhood home. And to see his family again. She missed them. Freddy snapped her back to reality.

“Psssttt, Nicki!” he whisper-yelled. “Look behind you!”

She turned her head. Tyler was fast asleep behind her, head back and mouth wide open. She tried to hold in a giggle. He must have been so tired.

“You should stick your finger in his mouth,” he suggested.

“You’re a douche,” she whispered back.

He gave her the middle finger. Nicki unwrapped Tyler’s arms from her stomach and got on her knees facing him. For a moment, she considered sticking her finger in his mouth. It was tempting. But she didn’t want to be mean. She brought her hand up and ran it through his hair.

“Ty, sweetie, come on, let’s go to bed,” she said softly, trying not to scare him. He got jumpy when people woke him up.

He opened his eyes just enough to squint at her. He closed his mouth and groaned.

“I know, love, I know. I’d carry you if I could. We have an early flight tomorrow,” she reminded him. He could probably use a good night’s sleep.

Nicki got off of the couch and grabbed his hands to pull him up. It was like trying to pull a dead body. She finally got him up and he leaned his weight into her, almost making her fall.

“So… tired…”

“Come on,” she said, dragging him into their room. She called over her shoulder, “Night Freddy.”

Tyler let himself fall onto the bed. Nicki laughed as she helped him get undressed. She felt bad when he was so tired after hockey. He worked so hard. She managed to get him underneath the covers and he flopped onto his stomach.

“You are so cute,” she whispered, doubting he was even still awake to hear her.

Nicki climbed on top of him and rubbed his back. She wasn’t tired enough to go to sleep, and figured he would enjoy it even if he was unconscious. When her hands started to hurt, she laid down next to him. He had his face buried in his pillow. Nicki wanted to cuddle. She knew he wasn’t moving any time soon, so she rested her head on his shoulder blade and threw an arm and a leg across him. It would have to do.

“Night, Ty.”

** * * * *

“Tyleerr… Tyyyleerrr.”

Tyler slowly opened his eyes. Nicki was leaning over him.

“Hey, you’re finally awake,” she said. “I’ve been trying to get you up for like ten minutes. We gotta leave soon.”

It took him a moment to collect himself. He didn’t even remember falling asleep. The last thing he remembered was lying on the couch with Nicki.

“What happened last night?”

She looked at him, worried.

“You really don’t remember? You fell asleep and I woke you up and made you go to bed. You were really out of it. Are you alright?” she asked as she touched his face.

He put his hand over hers. “Yeah, I’m okay. I guess I didn’t realize how tired I was. That was a really long road trip.”

“I know,” she said. She kissed his forehead. “But now you’ve got the whole week off.”

She was right. But he wasn’t looking forward to getting on another plane. It felt like all he did the past week was fly.

“Come on, lazy.”

Tyler sat up. He glanced around the room. He still couldn’t get over how nice it was. It would take some getting used to. Nicki tossed clothes at him.

“Go on, get dressed. You can sleep when we get on the plane.”

** * * * *

“Tyler. Tyler, we’re here. Tyylleerr…”

He groaned. Had he really slept through the entire flight?

“We’re here, love. Come on, your family is waiting for us.”

Tyler stretched his arms and legs. He was stiff from sleeping upright in his seat. He grabbed his carry on from underneath the seat and stood up, stretching again. Nicki put a hand on his back while they waited to get into the aisle. They made it off of the plane and headed towards the terminal.

Once the crowd from their flight dispersed, they caught sight of Tyler’s family. Cassidy came running up to them and hugged them both at the same time.

“I missed you guys!” she exclaimed.

“We missed you too,” Tyler said. “Hey Candace.”

Candace hugged them one at a time. When she was done, his mom came over.

“Oh, sweetheart I’m so glad you’re here,” she said as she squeezed Tyler around the waist.

“Yeah, me too.”

She turned to Nicki and gave her a hug. “And I’m so glad you brought Nicki.”

Nicki smiled. Tyler was thrilled that his family adored her. It made things so much easier. He spotted Jim, his mother’s boyfriend. He hadn’t seen him in ages. Tyler didn’t know whether or not he should hug him. Jim stuck out a hand.

“Hey, Tyler. Been a while. It’s good to see ya. This must be Nicki,” he said, shaking her hand. “I’m Jackie’s boyfriend, Jim.”

He had forgotten to tell Nicki about Jim.

“Oh, it’s so nice to meet you,” she said.

“You ready to come home, Ty?” his mother asked him.

“Yeah. And I’m ready to go back to sleep,” he said as he yawned.

“Ty had a long week,” Nicki explained. “He’s been sleeping since six last night. The only time he was awake was when we came to the airport.” She giggled and grabbed his hand.

Tyler noticed his sisters smiling at them. “What?” he mouthed.

They didn’t say anything.

“Let’s go then,” his mother said. “I have lunch made at home.”

They followed Tyler’s family out of the airport and to their SUV. It was a white Lincoln Navigator. Tyler had bought it for his mother when he got drafted. It was the least he could do for her. It was a seven passenger, and there were six of them. Cassidy took the seat all the way in the back, while Nicki and Tyler sat in the middle with Candace. She turned to look at them.

“So I saw the pictures of you guys doing body shots.”

“Candace! What did we talk about?” his mother yelled from the passenger seat. Jim was driving.

Nicki laughed. “It’s okay. It was so much fun. I’m not embarrassed.”

“You don’t seem like the type of person that would do that,” she said to Nicki.

“Well, I had a really tough day, and I wanted to let loose. I wouldn’t have done it with anyone but Tyler.”

He smiled, remembering that night. Maybe he would take her to a club in Brampton. There was one that he always went to every time he came home. This year, Candace was old enough to go with them. She always begged him to try to sneak her in.

“Wait. Candace… how did you see the pictures? They aren’t on the internet.”

Tyler became suspicious. He had almost overlooked that.

“Um. Someone sent them to me.”

“Who?”

“Brad…” she said quietly.

“You talk to Marchy?! How did you even get his number?” He was furious. There was a reason why he would never give her his number.

“I-,” Nicki cut her off.

“I gave it to her. I’m sorry. I didn’t think you would care,” she said innocently. “Be mad at me, not Candace.”

Nicki looked at him, eyes round. He couldn’t tell if she was doing it on purpose. With that face, there was no way he could be mad at her.

“I’m not mad at you,” he said as he kissed the side of her head. He lingered for a moment by her ear and whispered, “I’ll explain later.”

He took her hand and laced his fingers between hers. He didn’t think that he could ever get mad at her. Even when she did something wrong, it was never on purpose. Or she did it to help someone else. She probably just thought she was being a good friend to Candace. He couldn’t believe that Brad had never mentioned it. That pissed him off. He would worry about it when he got back; he wanted to enjoy the coming week.

** * * * *

Nicki looked out the window as they pulled into the Seguin’s driveway. They had the most adorable house. It was a good sized house, with off white paint and light blue shutters. The entire neighborhood seemed adorable. It reminded her of her neighborhood back home. A quiet street in a quiet little town.

“I already love it here,” she said. “Feels like home.”

Tyler squeezed her hand before letting go and getting out of the car. She followed. He opened the lift gate in the back of the car and got out their suitcases and bags. Nicki grabbed hers and followed his family inside.

The front door led to a hallway with a staircase. Directly ahead was the kitchen, to the left was the dining room, and to the right was the living room. It wasn’t completely open, but the entrance to each room was an archway rather than a door, so you could see into each room. Tyler started to walk up the stairs.

“I’ll give you the grand tour once we put our stuff away,” he said.

She lifted her suitcase and followed him. The staircase ended in a landing. On either side were two bedrooms. Directly ahead was a hallway. Tyler walked towards it and took a left. He opened the only door on the right side. Nicki stepped inside.

She took everything in. The walls were a plain white, but they were covered in pictures, posters, and medals that were hung up by nails. All hockey. The room was perfectly rectangular. In front of them, between two windows, was his bed. It had a denim colored comforter. To the left was a TV with an XBOX hooked up to it and an oversized beanbag chair. There was another window on the far side of the wall. To the right was a closet and a desk with a computer chair.

Nicki could feel the memories in his room. She felt Tyler watching her as she walked around to look at everything. There were so many trophies and awards. She stopped when she came across a plaque. It was from his first year playing hockey, and they had won the championship. Tyler came up behind her and put his arms around her, stretching his neck over her shoulder to look at the plaque.

“Tyler, you were precious!”

She could barely tell that it was him, but she instantly fell in love with the baby faced boy in the picture.

“I wish I could have known you then,” she admitted. “I feel like there’s still so much that I don’t know about you.”

He pulled her closer. “Well, that’s part of why I wanted to bring you here. It’s like I’ve led two completely separate lives. You know all about the one in Boston. I want to show you everything from the one I lived here.”

Nicki wanted to know every last thing about him. She wouldn’t be satisfied until she did. She spun around to look at him, putting her hands on either side of his face. She looked up into his eyes.

“I love you so much.”

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her. She met him halfway, still holding his face. She felt his lips touch hers. It drove her wild. Nicki didn’t bother to hold back. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. Tyler held her up as she came down hard with her lips. She was consumed with passion.

He laid her down on the bed and ran his fingers through her hair. She could kiss him every minute of every day until the end of her life. A throat clearing in the hallway pulled them away from each other. Nicki always hated when it had to end. Why did it have to end?

“It’s just like the good old days,” Candace said, giggling as she walked into the room.

“Shut up,” said Tyler.

“Oh, hey Candace,” Nicki said, adjusting herself. “You used to make out with a lot of girls in here, Ty?”

Candace answered for him. “I think half of the girls from his high school have been in here.”

“God, Candace, seriously shut up.”

“Hey, be nice. I think it’s kind of funny,” Nicki said. “I’m here to learn about your life, Ty. Apparently that was a big part of it.” She laughed and kissed him again, not caring that Candace was watching. “As long as I’m the last.”

Tyler smiled and gave her one last kiss before getting off of the bed.

“So why are you in here?”

“Mom told me to get you. Lunch is ready.”

Nicki got off of the bed and pulled at her top. Tyler led her out of the room, showing her his bathroom, his sisters’ rooms, the bathroom they shared, and his mother’s room and her bathroom. He took her the long way to the kitchen, through the living room. Off to the side, there was a den. After the living room, there was a sun room that led outside. It looked like they had a huge backyard. Tyler explained that they constantly threw parties out there. The next room was the kitchen.

The walls were a light yellow. It was a quaint little room with a lot of natural light. Nicki loved natural light. It helped that it was an absolutely gorgeous day. Jackie was standing over a counter.

“So Tyler tells me that you love peanut butter and jelly,” she said as she turned around.

In her hands she held a huge serving plate filled with triangles of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She had even cut off the crust. Nicki ran over and hugged her when she put the plate down.

“That is so sweet! Thank you so much,” she said.

Tyler had the most amazing family. He came up to her and kissed her on the cheek. She was beaming.

“It’s my pleasure,” Jackie said, “Dig in!”

Nicki sat down and grabbed a triangle. She had even used strawberry jelly – her favorite. Tyler put a glass of milk in front of her and grabbed a sandwich for himself. The six of them managed to eat every crumb.

“So, what are you two doing today?” asked Jackie.

“I have a couple things planned,” Tyler said.

Nicki looked at him. More surprises.

“Let me know when you’re ready and we can go,” he said.

“Okay, give me five minutes to change.”

She ran up the stairs and into his room. It was beautiful day, and extremely warm and sunny for April. Nicki picked out a coral colored dress and put on the wedges that she had packed in case of nice weather. Cassidy walked into the room as soon as she changed.

“You look cute,” she said.

Nicki turned to look at her. “Oh, thanks Cass! I miss wearing dresses all the time.”

“Yeah, so do I. But you probably shouldn’t wear one today.”

“Why?”

She smiled. “Where Tyler’s taking you, you’re gonna want to wear pants. Or capris. And bring a sweater in case it gets cold out.”

Nicki heeded her advice and put on a pair of capris, a floral sleeveless blouse, and her Sperrys. She grabbed a black sweater and bounced back into the kitchen.

“That’s much better,” Cassidy said.

“Thanks for warning me.”

Tyler put an arm around her waist. “Let’s go.” He sounded so excited.

They walked out the front door.

“Are we taking your mom’s car?” Nicki asked.

“Nope.”

“So wha-,” she stopped speaking. The garage door opened, revealing a black Jeep Grand Cherokee. Nicki's parents had owned Jeeps nearly their entire lives. They were her favorite cars.

“The original Segs mobile,” he said, laughing. “I have so many memories with that car. And I think I’m ready to make a few more.”

Nicki climbed into the passenger seat. It smelled like him inside.

“So tell me about the memories,” she said.

“Well, I lost my virginity in the back seat.” He grinned. “This bad boy’s been through quite a lot.”

“How old were you?”

“It was the night I got my license. So sixteen and a half.”

“Wow, that must have been a great day for you,” Nicki joked.

She tried to picture him at sixteen. Just starting to drive. She smiled at the thought.

“Oh, it was.”

“Who’d you lose it to?” she asked. When she said she wanted to know everything, she meant everything.

“Missy Tate. She was in the grade above me. It was a proud moment in my life.”

Nicki giggled. “Older women, huh Ty?”

“Yeah, well back when I was sixteen it was cool. Now, not so much.”

“So what else besides that?”

Tyler smiled, reminiscing. It seemed like he had a really great life.

“My friends and I went on a road trip across the country one summer. That was awesome. We went everywhere. I think we were gone for nearly three weeks. When we came back, we had no gas, no money, and no pride.”

Nicki laughed as he told her more about it. She envied him a little. He had so much fun as a teenager. Tyler slowed down in front of a McDonald’s. She waited to see what it was about. He knew that she hated fast food. Then she realized that behind the McDonald’s was a hockey rink. Tyler pulled into a parking space.

“This is our first stop,” he said. “It’s where I learned to skate.”

Nicki was thrilled. Out of all the things he could show her, this was the most important to her. His entire life had been molded around hockey. And this was where it started. She watched as he grabbed a pair of skates out of the back.

“Tyler, you know I don’t know how to skate…”

He smiled at her. “But you know how to rollerblade, right? Same thing. I’ll teach you.”

That sounded fine to her. He led her into the building and rented her a pair of skates. Tyler handed her a pair of socks.

“I knew you wouldn’t wear any so I took a pair out of your suitcase.”

Nicki smiled at him as she took the socks and put them on. Then she stepped into the skates. She had no idea how to tie them. Before she could ask for help, Tyler knelt down in front of her and did it for her. He kissed her as he stood, then stuck out his hands to help her up. She wobbled trying to keep her balance. It felt so strange.

“I don’t think I can walk in them,” she said.

“Not a problem.”

Tyler picked her up and carried her onto the ice. He must have planned ahead so that they would come during free skate. It was a school day, so they were the only ones there. He put her down on the ice and held her hand.

“Just push,” he said.

It took her a minute to gain momentum. As soon as she picked up speed, it came to her easily. She didn’t realize how easy it was.

“See? You’re a natural,” Tyler said, skating beside her. “You didn’t even need my help.”

Out of nowhere, he sped in front of her. It was one thing to watch him from the stands or the TV. It was another to be on the ice with him. He was fast. He came back towards her and put on the breaks, showering her with bits of ice. Nicki just looked at him. He burst into fits of laughter. She skated to the far side of the rink, away from him.

Tyler chased after her, pushing her lightly into the boards when he got to her.

“You’re a bully,” she said, looking away from him.

“I’m sorry, babe.”

She met his gaze and said quietly, “I like when you call me that.”

Tyler put his hands on the boards around her and kissed her. Nicki let herself get lost in the moment and completely forgot that she was on ice. She slipped and her legs buckled underneath her. She tried to grab Tyler’s jacket to keep herself up, but he hadn’t been expecting it. They fell towards the ice. Tyler got a hand behind Nicki’s head just as it hit the ground. Her eyes opened wide.

“Oh my God, Ty. I think you just saved my life,” she said. She easily could have split her head open on the impact.

He didn’t say anything. Nicki put her hand on the back of his head and pulled him down to her lips.

“It’s too bad Cass told you to take off the dress,” he said when they came up for air. “I’ve always wanted to know what it would be like get it on on the ice. It’s on my bucket list.”

Nicki laughed underneath him. Her back was numb, but Tyler was keeping the front of her warm.

“You have a bucket list?”

He nodded. “I’ll show you when we get back.”

“Well,” she said, “We do have a whole week. I’m sure we could find the time to come back…”

“You’re the fucking best,” he said as he bent his head to kiss her again.

Nicki rolled over so that she was on top of him.

“But you have to be on bottom. My back is really cold,” she said, pouting.

“That’s even better.”

He bit his lip. Nicki took it as an invitation to kiss him again. They finally stopped when Tyler’s back got cold. She tried to stand up, but failed miserably and ended up on her butt. Tyler helped her up.

“Wanna learn how to skate backwards?”

“I can try,” Nicki said. She got the feeling it wouldn’t work out in her favor.

“You just have to trust me,” he said as he got behind her.

“I do trust you.”

Tyler put his hands on her hips and spread his legs wide behind her so that she would have room to move. He explained to her what she had to do.

“Do it with me, okay?”

He used his hands to move her hips. All she had to do was get her feet to move at the same time. A lot of tries and a lot of laughs later, she finally started to get the rhythm down.

“I think you have it,” he said, releasing his grip. “Try it on your own.”

It took Nicki a moment to get going. She made it all the way one from one end of the rink to the other. Tyler came up to her, knocking her into the boards again. This time, he wrapped himself around her so she wouldn’t get hurt. He pressed his lips to hers.

“You’re a really good teacher,” she said.

“Yeah, well, it will prepare me for the day when I have to teach my kids to skate.”

Nicki looked at him. “So you want kids?”

“Of course I do. I can’t imagine going through my entire life without them. Like, what’s the purpose? I’ve learned so much since I was little. It would be pointless if I didn’t have someone to teach it to someday.”

His answer surprised her. She would never go there, but she wanted nothing more than to have children with him someday. In fact, she day dreamed about it more often than not. Nicki loved the thought of him as a father.

“I feel the same way,” she said.

The way he looked at her nearly made her believe that he wanted the same thing she did. If he did, she guessed that he would never say so. Nicki wondered if he had ever thought of it. Tyler ran a hand through her hair, letting it rest on her neck. He raised one corner of his mouth, just a little bit. Somehow, Nicki knew that he was saying he had.

A massive smile formed on her face. Sometimes, things were better left unsaid.

“You ready to go?” he asked her.

She nodded. “Where to next?”

“Dinner.”

** * * * *

Tyler looked up at the sign over his favorite diner. Jessie’s. When they got inside and sat down, Tyler told her about the countless nights he had spent there with his friends. Nearly every week during the summers, they would stay until the diner closed at midnight. They had the deepest conversations and made the funniest jokes. He watched as each of his friends got their hearts broken, and watched each of them heal. He remembered comforting Greg and his sister, Penny, when their father died. He remembered celebrating their last day of middle school with virgin strawberry daiquiris and buffalo wings.

He stayed there with Nicki for hours. He recalled every single memory he had there. There were so many. The whole time, she listened with a smile on her face. Tyler never imagined that someone would care so much about him, or what his life was like. He told her a lot of things that he had never shared with anyone else. Like when his parents used to fight when he was younger; he would run there and sit in a booth by himself, crying. He thought that no one would understand if he told them.

Of course, when he told her that, she started to cry. He knew she wished she could have been there to help him. He felt that way about her, too. He wished more than anything that he could have been there all of the nights her mother came home drunk and said horrible things to her. All of the nights she cried herself to sleep, hoping that in the morning she would wake up somewhere else. The times she had to take care of Jason because her parents couldn’t be bothered. No kid should have to live a life like that. Especially not one as remarkable as Nicki.

When they finally left the diner, something had changed between them. Tyler could feel it. Their relationship had deepened; intensified. He had never experienced that kind of bond with anyone, not even his best friends. He finally understood why everyone told him it was worth it to fall in love.

** * * * *

Nicki stared out the window as Tyler pulled onto his street. It was starting to get dark out. She didn’t want the day to end. The moment she walked into Tyler’s house earlier that day, something began to grow. It grew bigger when he talked about having kids. Bigger still when he opened up to her at the diner. She knew that it was just going to keep growing, until it consumed her completely.

Every time she thought that she couldn’t love him any more than she already did, she would find a way. Nicki didn’t know it was possible to feel so much. To love so much. She was afraid that her heart might explode.

Tyler got the car into the garage and cut the engine. Nicki heard the garage door close behind them. She could barely think straight. All she could think about was how badly she wanted to be with him. She felt she had become a part of him, and wouldn’t be satisfied until that was true on every level.

She climbed into the backseat. The expression on his face told her that he had been thinking the same thing. He joined her without saying a word. Nicki felt his lips on hers; his hands on her body. None of it compared to the way she felt inside. She could feel her heart pumping blood through her veins.

Nicki sat on top of him and moaned. Every nerve in her body went wild. She needed to be closer to him. He pulled her down to him, arms wrapped around her back. He was breathing heavily, mouth open. She could feel his warm breath against her skin. They didn’t have enough control to kiss. Nicki got his bottom lip between hers and pulled on it, slowly.

They didn’t hold anything back. Tyler whimpered as she moved on top of him. She had never heard him make that kind of noise. She gingerly kissed his neck. He began to push into her. Nicki slammed her hand against the steamy window, leaving a single hand print. She let out a cry.

She had never felt anything like it.

** * * * *

“What’s wrong with you two? Did you get in a fight or something?” Jackie asked as they walked into the kitchen.

They both shook their heads; they didn’t speak. Tyler walked out of the room and went up the stairs. Nicki felt herself starting to cry. Jackie came up to her and hugged her.

“For God’s sake, sweetie! What happened?”

Nicki started to bawl. She sat at the kitchen table with Jackie and tried to explain.

“We had the most amazing day,” she said between sobs, “Nothing bad happened. Everything is perfect. I’m just so emotional! I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“You’re crying because you’re happy?”

“I don’t know. I feel so many emotions right now I’m not even sure what they are.” She put her head in her hands. “I love him so much. It’s like I can’t even handle it.”

Jackie nodded, understanding. She rubbed Nicki’s back.

“Welcome to the magical world of being in love,” she said. “I know it’s confusing. I’m just glad to hear you’re okay. Believe me when I tell you, there will be moments when you feel completely insane. The only thing you’ll know for sure is that you want to be with him. It’s going to be the only thing that makes any kind sense to you.”

“That’s exactly how I feel right now.”

Jackie smiled. “You’re going to be fine. Now, go on. Go talk to him. I’ll tell the girls to stay away from his room.”

“Thanks, Jackie,” Nicki said, pulling her into a hug.

She walked slowly up the stairs and knocked on Tyler’s door.

“It’s me.”

She heard him get up. He opened the door. It looked like he had been crying, too. Nicki walked towards him and shut the door behind her. She wrapped her arms around Tyler.

“What’s happening?” he asked her.

She shook her head against his chest. “I don’t know. I feel so overwhelmed.”

He pulled away and sat down on his bed. Nicki followed and sat down next to him.

“The only thing I know is that I love you. I am so deeply in love with you. I think it’s making me crazy. I feel like I’m drowning in it,” she said.

Tyler met her gaze. “Me too.”

She pushed him back so that he was lying down. She curled up next to him.

“We’re gonna be okay, Ty. We’re fine.”

Nicki stopped talking to let him think. She felt a little more collected than she had ten minutes ago. She was confident that he would start feeling better soon. They lied there quietly until there was a knock on the door. Jackie came in and sat down on the edge of the bed. She told Tyler the same thing she had told Nicki. When she finished, Nicki felt him kiss the top of her head.

“Why don’t you guys come downstairs? I’ve invited some friends over. Your father should be coming, he wants to meet Nicki. Candace is starting the bonfire in the backyard. It’ll be fun,” she said.

Tyler nodded. “We’ll be down in a minute.”

“That was so weird,” he said when she left.

Nicki sat up to look at him. “I know. I still don’t understand it. There’s no possible way to describe it in words. But, all of the sudden, I feel kind of incredible,” she admitted.

He stared at her. “So do I.”

She kissed him gently on the lips. It felt different. She got up to fix her hair and makeup. When she came back from his bathroom, he was standing in the middle of his room staring out the window.

“Are you alright, love?”

When he turned to look at her, she noticed tears brimming in his eyes.

“I just really love you.”

Nicki smiled and hugged him. She still felt overwhelmed, but she was already learning to control it. She held his hand as they went downstairs. There were a few people in the kitchen that she had never seen before. On the counter there were three bags of marshmallows, two boxes of graham crackers, and an eight pack of Hershey’s chocolate bars.

Jackie looked up at them. “Hey guys! Nicki I want you to meet my friends. This is Sandra, this is Elise, and this is Beth. These are their husbands Joe, Stan, and George. We’ve been friends since elementary school; we played hockey together.”

“It’s so nice to meet all of you,” she said, shaking all of their hands.

“So you’re the lucky girl who finally snatched up Tyler, huh?”said Elise.

Nicki grinned and held his hand again. “Yeah, I am.”

They stayed in the kitchen so Nicki could get to know them a little better. The doorbell rang.

“Must be your father,” Jackie said. “You wanna get it Ty?”

He nodded and walked towards the door, bringing Nicki with him. She didn’t want to let go of his hand. Hers fit so perfectly in it. He pulled it away to give his father a hug.

“Hey dad.”

“Hey son, how you been? Where’s this girlfriend of yours? You’re mother is convinced she’s the second coming of Christ.”

Nicki stepped out from behind the door and giggled.

“I’m Nicki,” she said, shaking his hand. “I’m so glad to finally meet you.”

“The pleasure’s all mine,” he said. “I didn’t think Tyler would ever find himself a nice girl like you. Likes the bimbos too much.” He winked at Tyler.

“Yeah, okay dad.”

Once everyone had become acquainted, they went out into the backyard. It was enormous. They had a spacious patio that stretched from the right corner of the house all the way to the left. Near the left side, there was a small curved swimming pool. The grass had to extend a quarter mile beyond the patio. It was a beautiful yard.

The fire pit was in the center of the patio. It had been built up from the patio with stones. An entire person could easily fit in it. There were chairs and stools set up all around it. Jackie placed the ingredients for s’mores on a table.

Candace and Cassidy came strolling out of the house about a half hour after everyone else. Cassidy was holding a guitar in her hands. Oh, God. Not now, Nicki thought to herself. They had planned to surprise Tyler at some point during their stay. It sounded like a great idea, until they had that strange emotional breakdown. She was afraid she might make it worse.

Jackie caught on and gave Nicki a look, inquiring whether or not it was okay. Nicki shrugged. Why not?

“Okay, everyone. Before we start toasting marshmallows, we have a very special presentation for you.”

Nicki sat on a stool a little ways away from Tyler. Cassidy brought her the guitar, which had been pre-tuned. Tyler stared at her. She hoped he liked it. She started to play. Nicki kept her eyes on the guitar.

She looked up at Tyler when she sang.

“And I’d give up forever to touch you, cuz I know that you feel me somehow

You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be and I don’t want to go home right now

All I can taste is this moment, and all I can breathe is your life

When sooner or later it’s over, I just don’t want to miss you tonight

And I don’t want the world to see me, cuz I don’t think that they’d understand

When everything’s made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am

And you can’t fight the tears that ain’t comin’, or the moment of truth in your lies

When everything feels like the movies, yeah you’d bleed just to know you’re alive

And I don’t want the world to see me, cuz I don’t think that they’d understand

When everything’s made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.”

Nicki held his gaze the entire time. It felt as though they were the only two people in the entire yard. If people were clapping, she didn’t hear them. She didn’t know what to do. Tyler stared at her. She put down the guitar against the stool and made her way over to him, sitting on his lap. For a long time they looked at each other.

She knew that they couldn’t talk in front of everyone, but she wanted to know what he was feeling. So she kissed him. He brought his hand up to her face and kissed her back. It still felt strange. Every time his lips hit hers, it got more and more familiar. Nicki embraced the emotions that had frightened her earlier. It felt like they were experiencing everything for the first time again, on a whole new level.

Nicki tilted her head and rested her forehead against Tyler’s, the same way he did the first time they kissed. He closed his eyes, hand still on her face. She knew that they were going to be okay.

Tyler’s phone buzzed in his pocket, ripping them away from their own world. He showed Nicki. His mother had posted a picture of them the way they were a moment ago on Twitter. She captioned it ‘so in love’. It looked like the cover of a romantic novel. They both looked up at Jackie and smiled.

“Let me make you a s’more,” Nicki said to Tyler.

She went into the yard to find a long stick for the marshmallow. She found one that was perfect. It was long, but sturdy enough that it wouldn’t let the marshmallow fall into the fire. Cassidy came up to her on her way back.

“Are you and Tyler okay?” she asked.

Nicki put a hand on her shoulder. She was so caring. “Yeah. I actually think we’re better than ever.”

“Well good! You’re too cute to break up. He would never have kissed his old girlfriend like that in front of us. I would think it was weird, but I like you. So it’s not weird.”

She laughed. “Thanks, Cass. I like you too.” She smiled at her. Nicki had always wanted a little sister.

When Nicki got close enough to Tyler, she held up her stick and brushed it against his face. He wiped his cheek, thinking a bug had landed on it or something. She started to giggle and did it again. He did the same thing. The giggling turned into a fit of laughter. She tried to do it again, but didn’t have control over the stick. She ended up poking him in the neck with it. He finally turned around and saw her. He started to laugh, too. She loved the face he made when he laughed.

Nicki broke a graham cracker in half and prepared the chocolate before she put the marshmallow on her stick and sat back in Tyler’s lap. She stuck the marshmallow into the fire and felt him wrap his arms around her stomach. He rested the side of his head on her back. She was too busy enjoying it to realize that her marshmallow was on fire.

“Nicki! It’s on fire!” yelled Cassidy.

She pulled it out and blew off the flame before picking off the burnt part. She stuck it between the graham crackers and chocolate and took a bite.

“Mmmm,” she said. She loved s’mores.

“I thought that was for me,” Tyler said.

Nicki put it in front of his mouth and he ate what was left in a single bite, not caring that he had gotten her fingers in his mouth too. She giggled as he licked the marshmallow off of them. She wiped her fingers on his jacket and kissed his nose. She had no idea what possessed her to do it, but when she did, a flash went off in her face. Jackie had gotten a picture.

She was beginning to get used to being constantly photographed by the Seguin family. She knew that someday she would be happy they caught all of the memories.

For the rest of the night, Nicki remained in his lap. They were completely oblivious to everything going on around them. Usually she would have worried about being impolite. But Jackie’s friends didn’t seem to be bothered by it. In fact, Elise and Sandra encouraged them.

She finally got up when everyone started to leave. They were all so nice. Jackie told her they would be back again before she and Tyler went home. His father came up to him and gave him a hug, whispering something in his ear. He faced Nicki and gave her a hug as well.

“I’ll be seeing you guys again before you leave,” he said.

Nicki nodded and smiled. She hadn’t gotten the chance to get to know him, and she wanted to.

“Want some help cleaning up, mom?” Tyler asked.

She flicked her wrist. “Nope, we’ll take care of it in the morning. I’m going to bed.”

Tyler and Nicki said goodnight. She didn’t feel like going back inside yet. Tyler could sense it, and threw some more wood into the pit. Once it caught, he sat back down and pulled Nicki onto his lap again.

“So, do you mind telling me when the hell you learned how to play the guitar?” he asked her.

“Freddy’s been teaching me while you’ve been on the road. I wanted to surprise you with it.”

“Well you did a damn good job surprising me. You’re really good at it.”

“Thanks, Ty.”

She wanted to know what he thought of the song. She had sung every word from the heart. It was all for him. They both stared at the fire, lost in thought.

“So, that song… didn’t you say that it was your song with Mark?”

“Yeah, it was. It’s my favorite song of all time. So of course my first real relationship, I wanted our song to be my favorite song. I never really thought much of it, and after the accident it was just too much to listen to it.” She paused. She had been waiting to explain the choice since she picked the song to learn months ago.

When Tyler didn’t say anything, she continued. “And then I met you. And that song came on my iPhone. I could listen to it again without freaking out. Again, I never put any thought into it. Once I started to develop feelings for you, I listened to that song all of the time. For some reason, it made me think of you.”

Tyler tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She took a deep breath.

“Now, that song means more to me than it ever did. In some way, it represents every part of my life. I like to think I can listen to that song again because of you, Ty. And it’s not just the song, it’s everything. You gave me hope again. You gave me a life,” she said, choking up.

He looked at her. She got the feeling he didn’t know what to say.

“I’m sorry I kinda freaked out earlier,” he said.

“I’m sorry I freaked out, too.”

“That was just a lot to deal with all at once. I’ve never… felt so much. What do you think happened?”

She shook her head. “I dunno, Ty. I don’t think I realized just how much I cared about you. And in the backseat of your car. That just pushed me over the edge. That was sensory overload.”

“Yeah. But it was incredible,” he said, smiling a little.

“You can say that again,” she said as she rested her head on his.

“You wanna know one of the things on my bucket list?” he asked her.

“Mhm.”

“Have sex under the stars with someone I love.”

Nicki didn’t even bother to ask him if he was telling the truth. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Tyler got up with her in his arms and grabbed a blanket off of one of the chairs that someone had brought out. He carried her and the blanket to the back of the yard. He set her down on the ground and laid out the blanket. Nicki inched over and got on her back. She looked up at the sky. The stars were so bright. The wind blew, making the leaves from the trees around them shake. Tyler slowly laid down on top of her. He ran his lips along her neck and slid his hands up her shirt.

It was starting to get chilly out, but their body heat kept them warm. Nicki started to become overwhelmed with emotion again. She only dreamed of sleeping with someone under the stars. She put her hands on Tyler’s chest. He grabbed them and laced his fingers between hers. He leaned forward to kiss her, pushing her arms above her head.

Without warning, he pushed into her. She met his gaze. Her heartbeat picked up. With her arms pinned above her head, she couldn’t do anything but look at him. She traced over his face with her eyes. He was perfect. She squeezed her fingers tighter around his. He nuzzled his face into her neck. She felt his lips against her skin as she looked up at the stars. It felt like a dream.

She closed her eyes. She was the luckiest girl in the entire world.

Nicki wrapped her legs around him and managed to roll over so that Tyler was on his back. It was his bucket list; he should see the stars, too. She took over, wanting him to enjoy everything the way she had. She bent forward and kissed his neck. He put his lips to her ear.

“I love you.”

She lifted her head. “I love you too, Ty.”

He put his hands around her hips. It gave her chills. She stopped moving so that she could kiss him. Tyler moved her hips for her. His hands fit almost all the way around her. She couldn’t help but think of him teaching her to skate. And their conversation about children…

Her thoughts were cut short. He had found the spot. A moan escaped her lips as she tried to hold on. Tyler’s breathing became heavier. Nicki put her hands on his chest and arched her back. She felt him let go right as she did. Tyler grabbed the other end of the blanket and draped it across Nicki’s back so that she wouldn’t get cold.

“It gets better every time,” he said. “Thank you. That was something I always really wanted to do.”

“Me too,” she said, smiling.

He smiled back and brushed her hair out of her face. “You made my toes curl,” he said.

“You always make my toes curl. It never fails.” She put her head down on his chest and sighed. “Do you ever think that we do this too much?”

Tyler laughed. “Yeah, I’ve wondered once or twice. But then I remember how awesome it is and figure there’s no such thing as too much.”

“Ugh, you’re so right.”

Nicki closed her eyes and listened to his heart beat.

** * * * *

Tyler ran his fingers through Nicki’s hair. He could do it all day; her hair was like silk. He found himself playing with it while he thought over everything that had happened that day. He was still so confused about the way he had felt earlier. It was like a tsunami of emotions washed over him. It physically hurt him to think about how much he loved her. It was inconceivable.

He couldn’t believe she had surprised him with the guitar. In a million years he never would have guessed that a girl would do that for him. It made her seem even more beautiful. And the way her face looked in the moonlight… he shook his head. They just had one perfect moment, after another, after another.

He pictured the way her face lit up when he brought up having kids. He couldn’t find the words to say that he wanted so badly for her to be the mother of his children one day. But she took his hint. They had established a way of communicating without words; in a way, it made everything even more special. How he could look into her eyes and know exactly what she was thinking.

Before his father had left that night, he had told him to never let her go. He didn’t plan on it.

Tyler heard her start to snore softly. She must have fallen asleep. He slipped out from underneath her making sure not to wake her up. He got dressed and put her clothes on the blanket. He wrapped her up in it and carried her inside.