Seeing Stars
50: Dirt
"Her blue eyed summertime smile looks so good that it hurts, makes you wanna build a ten percent down, white picket fence house on this dirt..."
There was no denying that the dogs helped ease the loneliness Cassidy felt when Jamie was away. With the rest of the season pretty much splitting his time between Dallas and the road, the puppies were a good distraction, and they kept her busy.
The first road trip began on Valentine’s Day. It was the second game of a back to back, and Jamie had spent the day getting prepared and rested for the game. Meanwhile Cassidy began the daunting task of trying to teach two hyperactive dogs that they should only relieve themselves outside. That was easier said than done though. Truman liked to leave puddles around the house, daring an unlucky human to step in it at any moment. And Shiloh preferred to hide the puddles in strategic places, sending the aforementioned human on a wild goose chase, trying to find it.
Either way, Cassidy couldn’t bear to reprimand them too harshly. Just as she picked them up, to lead them back to the scene of the crime, they stared at her with their topaz eyes. And after that, she was putty. They tugged at her heartstrings in ways that nothing had ever been able to before. Instead of torturing herself by being too rough on them, she opted to be stern, but loving at the same time. And in that moment, she hoped Jamie would be a better disciplinarian than she was.
Valentine’s Day came and went. Kennedy was on the road with the team, and since having the dogs, both girls agreed that the trip to New Orleans should probably wait. Cassidy didn’t want to pawn them off on a kennel just yet, considering they had no real training, and were not yet housebroken. At the end of the day, she couldn’t really be mad at the change of plans. She had of course asked for the dogs, and Jamie was just making that wish a reality.
With that, Dallas moved onto St. Louis before heading home for just two games. The constant presence and absence was going to be hard for everyone. Just as Cassidy was wearing thin, so was Jamie. Although up until that point, the team hadn’t been playing exceptionally bad, they just weren’t playing the level they needed to if they were going to have a shot at making playoffs.
And now their captain was growing progressively more irritable with each passing day. If he held it in at the rink, he was surely letting it loose at home. Jordie had made a habit out of staying out of the house as much as possible, seeing as though any tiny comment led to an argument between him and his brother. But Cassidy could not share in that same escape plan. And she could tell just how frustrated Jamie was getting. Unfortunately, things would only get worse.
The team dropped both games, giving up a total of twelve goals. His anger had boiled over when he fought a Red Wings D-man. After the first night, Jamie had been pissed. But after the second night, he was livid. And he went on the road that way, for another two games. Cassidy’s conversations with him on the phone were short and curt. She was afraid to say anything that could make things worse, mostly because she didn’t know what to say. It’s not like she had been in that position and knew how it felt.
That next road trip had ended in more misery, and after each loss, Cassidy clutched onto Shiloh and Truman and hugged them tightly. Things would be tense when Jamie got back. After all, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that a four game losing streak was not desirable. Jamie’s postgame interview showed a side of Jamie she had never seen before. He was beaten down, exhausted, and most of all, tired of losing. He was doing all he could for the team, and it was of no use.
Back in Dallas, the last game of February continued the streak. When he got in for the night, the slamming of the front door had Truman and Shiloh cowering into Cassidy’s side for protection. While she knew he wouldn’t lay a hand on her, or on them, they remained frightened. Despite being incensed, Jamie did his best to conceal it, kissing Cassidy goodnight and trying to be pleasant. But all it took was one loud bang, and Cassidy went running into the kitchen, where he was leaning against the counter, rubbing his knuckles after having just punched a hole through the kitchen wall.
It took everything in her to stay composed, to not lash out at his stupid actions, but she rushed over to him, taking an ice pack from the freezer and held it against his hand. He shut his eyes and bowed his head, and without saying anything, Jamie reached around and hugged Cassidy tightly, burying his face into her hair. The man she loved was breaking in front of her eyes.
The team, and all of Dallas, hoped that March would bring some good. It was a new month, and the team was more motivated than ever to fight for a win. They played desperately, trying to make the fans in the stands proud to wear that ‘Victory Green’, but they’d all be disappointed. Because from the living room couch, Cassidy watched as the team fell to the Ducks, elongating the streak to six. The kitchen wall couldn’t take much more abuse, and judging by the way every single player spoke in their interviews, neither could they. They all had one more shot at home before heading off on a five game road trip. That in and of itself would be grueling, and starting it off on a seven game losing streak would be the worst care scenario.
In the end, it would be the underdogs that came up big for the Stars. The breaking of the streak didn’t end with big goals from Tyler or Jamie, but from rookies and players who didn’t get nearly as much attention as they deserved. For the first time in a long while, there was something to celebrate. But beneath every celebration, the team knew they still needed to make up for the points they had forfeited by the streak. Getting back to a playoff position would be the next uphill battle. For now, that could wait, because as the team bustled onto the plane to head off on the road trip, Jamie came home to spend the night at home, in his own bed, with two puppies and his fiancée.
Cassidy’s appointment was the next morning, and although she was pleased that Jamie was going to be able to be there with her, he’d have to leave as soon as it was done. So the news, whether it was good or bad, would have to be dealt with individually. Jamie would be able to mull it over in several hotels across the country, and Cassidy would have the time to think about it while she finalized wedding plans, and made sure the new house was being painted to their specifications.
Cassidy was back in the office but for Jamie, it was the first time he was experiencing an OBGYN’s office. When they were led into the small examination room, he cringed at the posters on the wall. For being twenty-five, he seemed rather childish about the information about pregnancy on the walls. As Cassidy jumped up onto the table, Jamie sat in the chair beside it, eyeing the crazy looking machines in the corner of the room.
“This might be worse than the proctologist,” he murmured, reaching up for Cassidy’s hand gently.
She looked down at him and smiled, ruffling his hair with her free hand. “Might? You’re eventually going to witness me expelling a human out of ten centimeters.”
Jamie groaned and hid his face, motioning his head as though he were gagging. At the same moment the technician, a young woman, entered the room, offering a small and semi-comforting smile.
“Miss Knox…” she stepped further into the room, making eye contact with both, Cassidy and Jamie, “I’m Grace. I’m going to start the ultrasound, and then Doctor Turner will come in and finish up the appointment. If you’d just lay back for me,”
Cassidy smiled and nodded, lying back along the table. Jamie sat up straighter, his hand still clutching onto hers. It was a much more pleasant experience with him there as moral support. Grace raised Cassidy’s shirt, and squeezed gel onto her stomach, causing Cassidy to grip Jamie’s hand tighter as the coolness made contact with her skin. Jamie reached forward with his other hand and set it on top of her head, stroking her hair softly. It was now that he almost felt guilty for making her do this on her own the first time.
Grace was exceptionally quiet during the first part of the ultrasound. While previously, the doctor had been very vocal about what she was seeing on the screen, Grace remained stoic. It was unnerving for Cassidy to look at the static screen and not be able to tell what she was looking at. And five minutes passed, and then ten, and Grace continued to focus on just a certain part, moving the probe away and then back to that point.
And then the next thing out of her mouth, “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get Doctor Turner for you.” She glanced and Jamie, stood up from her stool, and strode out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
Cassidy turned her head, and squeezed Jamie’s hand, “uh oh. Something must be wrong.”
“Don’t say that. Everything’s fine,” he tried to be reassuring.
“She was awfully quiet. Why else would she be that way?”
Jamie bent down and pressed his lips to Cassidy’s forehead, lingering there as he took a deep breath in. “Everything is fine. And even if it’s not, I’m here,”
There was a quick knock at the door before it swung open. Behind it, Doctor Turner walked in with a big grin on her face. If something was wrong, she was doing a damn good job of hiding it.
“Cassidy it’s good to see you again! And I take it you’re the father and fiancé,” Doctor Turner chirped, reaching out for Jamie’s hand.
He nodded and shook her hand, “Jamie.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. We’re sorry to have missed you at the last appointment, but happy you could make it to this one.” She paused and sat on the stool Grace had been on. “Alright, let’s take a look…”
Jamie looked back down at Cassidy and took a deep breath in. She looked up at him and caught his glance before returning her eyes to the small screen as Doctor Turner placed the probe back on her stomach.
“So the good news is the baby looks to be developing nicely. It has two little hands, and two little feet…”
“And the bad news,” Cassidy murmured. Her hand felt limp around Jamie’s as she looked at Doctor Turner.
“Well I wouldn’t necessarily call it bad news… In other news, there’s two.” She paused and flashed her teeth at Cassidy, “and to answer some inevitable questions: no they’re not connected, there are two placentas so they’re fraternal twins, and no you should not be concerned that one will eat the other.”
Cassidy gasped out, and pressed her hand over her mouth while Jamie brought her other hand up to his mouth and kissed it gently while he looked down at her, obviously relieved that nothing had been wrong.
“You’ll have another appointment in eight weeks. By then, we’ll be able to determine the sex if you’d like. However, there are some things I want you to be aware of. Twins do not go the full gestation period. Instead of forty to forty-two weeks, we shoot for at least thirty-six. Having twins is not uncommon, so I don’t want you to worry too much, just be warned that you may spend some late nights in the NICU. Other than that, keep taking the vitamins. By next week, you should have a little bump there, and should there be no problems, the next time I see you, we’ll be able to figure out the sex of the babies.”
Back at the house, Cassidy stood by the front door, hands clasped over her belly, as Jamie rushed around, grabbing suits from upstairs, preparing to leave for the five game road trip. It was hard to believe, but by the next doctor’s appointment, Jamie would be enjoying a long summer, unless the Stars were able to make up for some points. As exhilarating as it was to know that by September, they’d have two children, it was just as terrifying. Not only would they be responsible for one life, but now two.
Jamie ran down the stairs, suitcase in tow with a garment bag flung over his shoulder. He stared at Cassidy, and jutted his bottom lip out, looking like Truman and Shiloh after they’d done something wrong. She pouted as well, only shutting her eyes when Jamie leaned in to kiss her softly. He pulled away and she looked up at him longingly, wishing that time could freeze, and he could just stay here.
But that was not the case, and Jamie kneeled, setting his hands on either side of her stomach, and kissed it gently before rising back to his feet. “You take care of yourself, and our dogs, and our offspring,”
“I’m gonna miss you Jame. Come back to me in one piece, okay?” Cassidy reached up to clutch onto his arms, pushing herself into him tightly.
He nodded and kissed her forehead quickly, “I’ll call when I land. I love you,”
“I love you too,”
There was no denying that the dogs helped ease the loneliness Cassidy felt when Jamie was away. With the rest of the season pretty much splitting his time between Dallas and the road, the puppies were a good distraction, and they kept her busy.
The first road trip began on Valentine’s Day. It was the second game of a back to back, and Jamie had spent the day getting prepared and rested for the game. Meanwhile Cassidy began the daunting task of trying to teach two hyperactive dogs that they should only relieve themselves outside. That was easier said than done though. Truman liked to leave puddles around the house, daring an unlucky human to step in it at any moment. And Shiloh preferred to hide the puddles in strategic places, sending the aforementioned human on a wild goose chase, trying to find it.
Either way, Cassidy couldn’t bear to reprimand them too harshly. Just as she picked them up, to lead them back to the scene of the crime, they stared at her with their topaz eyes. And after that, she was putty. They tugged at her heartstrings in ways that nothing had ever been able to before. Instead of torturing herself by being too rough on them, she opted to be stern, but loving at the same time. And in that moment, she hoped Jamie would be a better disciplinarian than she was.
Valentine’s Day came and went. Kennedy was on the road with the team, and since having the dogs, both girls agreed that the trip to New Orleans should probably wait. Cassidy didn’t want to pawn them off on a kennel just yet, considering they had no real training, and were not yet housebroken. At the end of the day, she couldn’t really be mad at the change of plans. She had of course asked for the dogs, and Jamie was just making that wish a reality.
With that, Dallas moved onto St. Louis before heading home for just two games. The constant presence and absence was going to be hard for everyone. Just as Cassidy was wearing thin, so was Jamie. Although up until that point, the team hadn’t been playing exceptionally bad, they just weren’t playing the level they needed to if they were going to have a shot at making playoffs.
And now their captain was growing progressively more irritable with each passing day. If he held it in at the rink, he was surely letting it loose at home. Jordie had made a habit out of staying out of the house as much as possible, seeing as though any tiny comment led to an argument between him and his brother. But Cassidy could not share in that same escape plan. And she could tell just how frustrated Jamie was getting. Unfortunately, things would only get worse.
The team dropped both games, giving up a total of twelve goals. His anger had boiled over when he fought a Red Wings D-man. After the first night, Jamie had been pissed. But after the second night, he was livid. And he went on the road that way, for another two games. Cassidy’s conversations with him on the phone were short and curt. She was afraid to say anything that could make things worse, mostly because she didn’t know what to say. It’s not like she had been in that position and knew how it felt.
That next road trip had ended in more misery, and after each loss, Cassidy clutched onto Shiloh and Truman and hugged them tightly. Things would be tense when Jamie got back. After all, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that a four game losing streak was not desirable. Jamie’s postgame interview showed a side of Jamie she had never seen before. He was beaten down, exhausted, and most of all, tired of losing. He was doing all he could for the team, and it was of no use.
Back in Dallas, the last game of February continued the streak. When he got in for the night, the slamming of the front door had Truman and Shiloh cowering into Cassidy’s side for protection. While she knew he wouldn’t lay a hand on her, or on them, they remained frightened. Despite being incensed, Jamie did his best to conceal it, kissing Cassidy goodnight and trying to be pleasant. But all it took was one loud bang, and Cassidy went running into the kitchen, where he was leaning against the counter, rubbing his knuckles after having just punched a hole through the kitchen wall.
It took everything in her to stay composed, to not lash out at his stupid actions, but she rushed over to him, taking an ice pack from the freezer and held it against his hand. He shut his eyes and bowed his head, and without saying anything, Jamie reached around and hugged Cassidy tightly, burying his face into her hair. The man she loved was breaking in front of her eyes.
The team, and all of Dallas, hoped that March would bring some good. It was a new month, and the team was more motivated than ever to fight for a win. They played desperately, trying to make the fans in the stands proud to wear that ‘Victory Green’, but they’d all be disappointed. Because from the living room couch, Cassidy watched as the team fell to the Ducks, elongating the streak to six. The kitchen wall couldn’t take much more abuse, and judging by the way every single player spoke in their interviews, neither could they. They all had one more shot at home before heading off on a five game road trip. That in and of itself would be grueling, and starting it off on a seven game losing streak would be the worst care scenario.
In the end, it would be the underdogs that came up big for the Stars. The breaking of the streak didn’t end with big goals from Tyler or Jamie, but from rookies and players who didn’t get nearly as much attention as they deserved. For the first time in a long while, there was something to celebrate. But beneath every celebration, the team knew they still needed to make up for the points they had forfeited by the streak. Getting back to a playoff position would be the next uphill battle. For now, that could wait, because as the team bustled onto the plane to head off on the road trip, Jamie came home to spend the night at home, in his own bed, with two puppies and his fiancée.
Cassidy’s appointment was the next morning, and although she was pleased that Jamie was going to be able to be there with her, he’d have to leave as soon as it was done. So the news, whether it was good or bad, would have to be dealt with individually. Jamie would be able to mull it over in several hotels across the country, and Cassidy would have the time to think about it while she finalized wedding plans, and made sure the new house was being painted to their specifications.
Cassidy was back in the office but for Jamie, it was the first time he was experiencing an OBGYN’s office. When they were led into the small examination room, he cringed at the posters on the wall. For being twenty-five, he seemed rather childish about the information about pregnancy on the walls. As Cassidy jumped up onto the table, Jamie sat in the chair beside it, eyeing the crazy looking machines in the corner of the room.
“This might be worse than the proctologist,” he murmured, reaching up for Cassidy’s hand gently.
She looked down at him and smiled, ruffling his hair with her free hand. “Might? You’re eventually going to witness me expelling a human out of ten centimeters.”
Jamie groaned and hid his face, motioning his head as though he were gagging. At the same moment the technician, a young woman, entered the room, offering a small and semi-comforting smile.
“Miss Knox…” she stepped further into the room, making eye contact with both, Cassidy and Jamie, “I’m Grace. I’m going to start the ultrasound, and then Doctor Turner will come in and finish up the appointment. If you’d just lay back for me,”
Cassidy smiled and nodded, lying back along the table. Jamie sat up straighter, his hand still clutching onto hers. It was a much more pleasant experience with him there as moral support. Grace raised Cassidy’s shirt, and squeezed gel onto her stomach, causing Cassidy to grip Jamie’s hand tighter as the coolness made contact with her skin. Jamie reached forward with his other hand and set it on top of her head, stroking her hair softly. It was now that he almost felt guilty for making her do this on her own the first time.
Grace was exceptionally quiet during the first part of the ultrasound. While previously, the doctor had been very vocal about what she was seeing on the screen, Grace remained stoic. It was unnerving for Cassidy to look at the static screen and not be able to tell what she was looking at. And five minutes passed, and then ten, and Grace continued to focus on just a certain part, moving the probe away and then back to that point.
And then the next thing out of her mouth, “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get Doctor Turner for you.” She glanced and Jamie, stood up from her stool, and strode out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
Cassidy turned her head, and squeezed Jamie’s hand, “uh oh. Something must be wrong.”
“Don’t say that. Everything’s fine,” he tried to be reassuring.
“She was awfully quiet. Why else would she be that way?”
Jamie bent down and pressed his lips to Cassidy’s forehead, lingering there as he took a deep breath in. “Everything is fine. And even if it’s not, I’m here,”
There was a quick knock at the door before it swung open. Behind it, Doctor Turner walked in with a big grin on her face. If something was wrong, she was doing a damn good job of hiding it.
“Cassidy it’s good to see you again! And I take it you’re the father and fiancé,” Doctor Turner chirped, reaching out for Jamie’s hand.
He nodded and shook her hand, “Jamie.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. We’re sorry to have missed you at the last appointment, but happy you could make it to this one.” She paused and sat on the stool Grace had been on. “Alright, let’s take a look…”
Jamie looked back down at Cassidy and took a deep breath in. She looked up at him and caught his glance before returning her eyes to the small screen as Doctor Turner placed the probe back on her stomach.
“So the good news is the baby looks to be developing nicely. It has two little hands, and two little feet…”
“And the bad news,” Cassidy murmured. Her hand felt limp around Jamie’s as she looked at Doctor Turner.
“Well I wouldn’t necessarily call it bad news… In other news, there’s two.” She paused and flashed her teeth at Cassidy, “and to answer some inevitable questions: no they’re not connected, there are two placentas so they’re fraternal twins, and no you should not be concerned that one will eat the other.”
Cassidy gasped out, and pressed her hand over her mouth while Jamie brought her other hand up to his mouth and kissed it gently while he looked down at her, obviously relieved that nothing had been wrong.
“You’ll have another appointment in eight weeks. By then, we’ll be able to determine the sex if you’d like. However, there are some things I want you to be aware of. Twins do not go the full gestation period. Instead of forty to forty-two weeks, we shoot for at least thirty-six. Having twins is not uncommon, so I don’t want you to worry too much, just be warned that you may spend some late nights in the NICU. Other than that, keep taking the vitamins. By next week, you should have a little bump there, and should there be no problems, the next time I see you, we’ll be able to figure out the sex of the babies.”
Back at the house, Cassidy stood by the front door, hands clasped over her belly, as Jamie rushed around, grabbing suits from upstairs, preparing to leave for the five game road trip. It was hard to believe, but by the next doctor’s appointment, Jamie would be enjoying a long summer, unless the Stars were able to make up for some points. As exhilarating as it was to know that by September, they’d have two children, it was just as terrifying. Not only would they be responsible for one life, but now two.
Jamie ran down the stairs, suitcase in tow with a garment bag flung over his shoulder. He stared at Cassidy, and jutted his bottom lip out, looking like Truman and Shiloh after they’d done something wrong. She pouted as well, only shutting her eyes when Jamie leaned in to kiss her softly. He pulled away and she looked up at him longingly, wishing that time could freeze, and he could just stay here.
But that was not the case, and Jamie kneeled, setting his hands on either side of her stomach, and kissed it gently before rising back to his feet. “You take care of yourself, and our dogs, and our offspring,”
“I’m gonna miss you Jame. Come back to me in one piece, okay?” Cassidy reached up to clutch onto his arms, pushing herself into him tightly.
He nodded and kissed her forehead quickly, “I’ll call when I land. I love you,”
“I love you too,”
Notes
This chapter is titled after "Dirt" by Florida Georgia Line<3
please update!!!!
5/2/16