Forever and Always

Madeline woke up to the sound of her alarm going off all she wanted to do was sleep the whole day away but she knew it was not a option. She got up, took a quick hot shower and got dressed in her Boston College Under Armour. It wasn't fair, she was never going to put this on again before a game. She was never going to sit in her stall again just chilling in her Under Armour while Ryan Fitzgerald blasted Taylor Swift's 1989 Album in their locker room. This was the first time that it was hitting her, she as not a BC Eagle anymore. "Mads?" She walked out of her closet and grabbed her Toronto Maple Leaf colored sneakers. "Yeah?" Tyler Seguin stood in the doorway of her suite. "Ready?" She nodded. "In a second." She slipped on her sneakers, and grabbed her phone from her nightstand. Today was the first day of training for the upcoming season. Everyone always thought that when hockey players returned home for the summer they just hung out on the lake, drinking beers and relaxing. Yes they did do that on the weekends, but during the weeks they were working hard in the gym and on the ice to prepare for the upcoming season. "You ready for your first pro year?" Madeline gulped. She wasn't ready but she was not telling anyone that. "Yup." She ran down the stairs, Tyler following her, grabbing her BC Hockey bag on the way out and her sticks. "I'll be back from training later mom!" Gabrielle Gilmore came into the foyer, a cup of coffee in hand. "Alright darling, we're having dinner in Toronto tonight, with the Shanahan's don't forgot." She nodded. Gabrielle looked Tyler up and down. "More tattoos Tyler?" She was silently judging him. "Yeah I am thinking of adding Madeline's name on my back, in huge letters, would you approve?" He smirked. "Goodbye Tyler, do not let the door hit you on the way out." Gabrielle was not a Seguin fan.

Madeline opened the front door and plopped her hockey bag into the trunk of Tyler's tricked out Jeep. "She hates me." Madeline laughed. "She just doesn't approve of some of your actions." Madeline jumped into the passenger seat. "Michael is a man slut too, and she loves him. He's like her third son." It was true. "You turned MDZ that way. And MDZ can't do anything wrong in her eyes, she's known him since he was like born. Sorry Ty, your tattooed body also doesn't help." She was just waiting for the day Tyler tattooed his whole back, chest, and legs. Tattoos were his drug and he couldn't stay away. "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah." They drove to the Markham rink for the first day of on ice workouts. They were going to be killer.

"Well here starts the summer of hell." Tyler laughed. "Let's go ya beaut." They got out of the car and grabbed their hockey bags, throwing it onto her shoulder and grabbing their sticks. "Any new guys?" She asked Tyler. "Jamie Benn is joining us, he should be here soon with MDZ. But I think that's it." She turned her Toronto Maple Leafs Hat backwards and headed inside. They turned into the rink 2 and made their way to the locker room. Tyler opened the door to OBB's Bright Side blasting. She missed this. "What's up ya sieves." Cody Hodgson yelled as she plopped down next him. "I am so tired." She opened her hockey bag and started getting ready.

Soon after the locker room was jammed packed with Steven Stamkos, Alex Pietrangelo, Cody Hodgson, Michael Del Zotto, John Tavares, Aaron, Morgan, Jamie Benn, Tyler, her brothers Jack and Tyler, Jeff Skinner, James Neal, Tyler Brown, Sean Monahan, Ethan Werek and Stephen Weiss. The gang was back together. "Let's do this boys! And Mads..." Michael yelled as Madeline elbowed him in the stomach. "Why does everyone keep doing that?" Michael asked holding his stomach. She laughed. "Maybe you shouldn't annoy everyone." She opened the door to the ice and stepped on it. She loved the smell of the Markham ice. It made everything peaceful. Anything she was thinking about, or over thinking about disappeared when she got onto the ice. "I haven't seen you in a couple days." Aaron whispered into her ear, coming up behind her. "I know, I am sorry. We have dinner in TO tonight but I promise tomorrow night, you, me, candle lit dinner on my patio. How does that sound?" She turned to face him. "Sounds amazing." He brought her in for a kiss. Everyone howled and whistled. "Get it Madeline." Sean yelled. "Yeah Aaron that's my bro." Morgan hollered. "Markham, can't live with it, can't live without it." He nodded. "Home." They skated to center ice and started to stretch, waiting for their trainer Gary Roberts to get there. "18 NHL players. 18 players who hold their destiny in their hands. It starts now. Your progression starts now, when you guys leave this summer you will be prepared to host the Cup with each of your teams this season. And one of you, or a couple of you will hoist it at the end of the season." Gary always started the first day with this speech. He looked directly at her. He always scared her. "It starts now." He banged his stick on the ice. "Mads, Stephen, Jack and Jeff. Captains. We're going to mix it up and do a little tourney today. I want to see what I am dealing with this summer. Get on the blue line for the draft. Four on Fours. Help your penalty killing out." They did what they were told.

Summer '17 was going to be a killer one in Markham.

Notes