Crossing the Line

Tuukka walked into Children’s Hospital glancing around for Logan. He was trying to surprise her by taking her to lunch and knew she got off around this time after the night shift. “Oh no, I don’t think so,” a familiar voice said from behind Tuukka. He frowned and turned only to see Jackie looking dead on her feet with a large bag on her shoulder. “Hey Jackie,” Tuukka said with a smile that was wiped off his face by her glare. “Don’t think that you get to waltz in here at the end of the summer like ‘Logan I’m back from Finland love me!’ She’s mine. We get coffee together, nap and then study after our night shifts. Do you know how hard it was to get night shifts on the same night?” Jackie asked getting closer to him until her was looking up at him and poking her finger into his chest. Taken aback Tuukka didn’t know what to say but when he saw the tears gathering in Jackie’s eyes he knew that his at the moment intruding presence was only the tip of the iceberg. “I’m sorry Jackie I really am,” he apologized. It didn’t seem to ease any of her emotions and she burst out crying. Acting on instinct Tuukka wrapped his arms around the hysterical girl and just let her cry. The receptionist gave him a strange look and he just shrugged since he was in the dark. “We… lost… a baby… today…” she sobbed into his chest and Tuukka rubbed her back. “Oh honey,” Logan said rushing past Tuukka and Jackie launched herself into her best friend’s arms. Jackie cried until she didn’t have any tears left. She looked at Tuukka keeping her head on Logan’s shoulder, “I’m sorry I attacked you.” He nodded his head in acceptance of her apology and offered the girls a ride home.
“You can go to lunch if you want. I’m just going to take a bath and get myself under control,” Jackie said wiping her tears away. Logan looked between Jackie and Tuukka before nodding her head. “Tuuk do you mind dropping Jackie off and then I can change before lunch?” Logan asked her arm still around Jackie’s waist. Tuukka nodded his head. “Of course, Jackie do you want us to bring you something?” Tuukka asked leading the girls out to his car. Jackie shook her head and whispered something to Logan as they followed him. The two girls crawled into the back seat and the tears started again as Jackie told them about Katie. She was the preemie that Jackie had been taking care of for a two weeks who seemed to be making great strides until her left lung collapsed. “No one could get it functioning again and without that oxygen we were losing her. Her sister Lexi and her brother Jonathan are still doing well but Katie was my little one. I sat up with her all last night because there were no new charges for me and I told her every story I could think of just in case my voice helped her will to live,” Jackie said sniffling. Tuukka’s heart went out to Jackie as well as the family of the baby he couldn’t imagine something so awful. Without a conscious effort he had an image in his mind of a little red haired baby that he would love without question. Shaking the thought from his head he pulled up the girls’ apartment. “You’re welcome to come up, I won’t be more than five minutes. I’m only putting shorts and a tee shirt on,” Logan warned looking at his button down. Tuukka laughed, they both knew he didn’t care what she wore. “You’re on the clock Logs,” he called after her as she ran into the apartment. “Fuck yourself!” she shouted back laughing. Jackie sat down at the island with Tuukka and considered him for a moment before speaking. “I really am sorry for verbally attacking you. You’re good for her and I’ve always known that. Plus it’s not like you haven’t been in contact over the summer. You two call, text, and face time more than anyone I know,” she said. Before Tuukka could answer Logan slid into the room with a devilish grin, “How’s that for fast?”
“Are we just driving or do you have a set place we’re going?” Logan asked looking at the Boston traffic around them as Tuukka drove away from her Hyde Square apartment. “We’re driving out of the sketchy place,” Tuukka stated. Logan started to bristle getting defensive of her community but Tuukka cut her off. “So according to your brother you and Jackie are apartment hunting?” Tuukka asked being sure to keep his eyes on the road. “Why?” Logan asked suspiciously confirming it. Tuukka just shrugged and kept driving. “When’s your lease up?” he asked moving into the left lane. “Two months, why?” Logan asked turning to look at him straight on. Tuukka brushed her off and kept driving asking about her day at work and how she and Jackie are doing with their classes. “Enough small talk. Why?” she asked as he pulled into a parking spot outside of one of their favorite cafés, Tatte Bakery and Café. “A guy can’t take a casual interest in his best friend’s life without having an ulterior motivation?” Tuukka asked opening the door for her as they walked in. Logan stopped in front of the pastries and turned to look at him. “No, that’s not true. Any guy could, but when you do it I know there’s another motive,” Logan said looking up at him with such an intensity that Tuukka couldn’t deny it. “I’m trying to learn how to be a land lord so I bought a condo and I was wondering if you and Jackie wanted to be my first renters,” he said sheepishly. Logan grinned up at him. “That’s incredibly sweet but you know we won’t accept charity right?” she said giving him a hard look under the smile. Tuukka nodded his head. “Since you’ll probably end up being my only renters you’d have free rein over decorating the place and such. You don’t have to keep the walls white or anything,” Tuukka said launching into a speech designed to convince Logan that it’s a good idea. She listened attentively and asked questions in all the right places before declaring that she would need to talk to Jackie first. “I just wanted to offer it. That way you’d be in a safer place as well,” Tuukka said his concern making her smile. “We’d have to throw a house warming party. Oh Brittany would be so excited and so would everyone else really. You lot are always looking for a good reason to party,” Logan declared laughing. Unable to deny it Tuukka laughed along with her trying not to get distracted by how beautiful her laugh was.
“Logan?” a guy asked turning around from where he was buying a pastry, recognizing her laugh. Logan frowned and turned to see who was asking after her. “Oh Alex hey!” she greeted with a smile and a wave. “How are you? I haven’t seen you in a while, not since your birthday,” Alex said walking over to her with his to go bag. “I’ve been good. Working a lot really. How about you?” she responded with a wave as if brushing her words away. Tuukka watched the exchange in silence doing everything in his power to not let his annoyance show on his face. With training camp coming up and Logan working all the time he felt like he never got to see her and here was this guy cutting in on his time with Logan. “Oh I’m being so rude!” Logan exclaimed. “Alex this is Tuukka my best friend, Tuukka this is Alex he played hockey with Cam at BU,” Logan introduced with a smile. The two shook hands and exchanged niceties while discreetly sizing each other up. “You’re the goalie for the Bruins right?” Alex asked, something in his tone hinted at a challenge. Logan laughed and answered before Tuukka could. “More like superhuman brick wall. Not to be biased but he’s my favorite goalie in the league,” Logan gushed about her best friend. Tuukka smiled and shook his head at Alex as if to tell him to ignore the red head. “Tuuks do you mind if we get going? I don’t want to leave Jackie alone too long after her rough day,” Logan explained. Tuukka nodded his head and stood up to toss their trash leaving Alex and Logan alone for a moment. When he came back over they were exchanging numbers and making aimless small talk. “It was great to see you,” Alex said as Logan and Tuukka headed for the door. “Thanks for lunch,” Logan said in the car leaning over to plant a kiss on his cheek. Tuukka hadn’t realized he was gripping the steering wheel until Logan’s touch shocked him out of his angry trance. “My pleasure Logs, remember the condo,” he said pulling up outside her building and throwing her a smile as she reached for the door. “I’ll call you tomorrow if I don’t see you,” Logan promised blowing him a kiss. Tuukka waited to make sure she got into the building okay and then began to drive towards the Garden, there shouldn’t be anyone there and needed some ice time to clear his thoughts.
Logan walked into the living room carrying a tube of cookie dough and handed it to Jackie. Once Logan was settled on the other end of the couch Jackie pressed play to start their favorite movie, Miracle. “So at lunch today Tuukka had an interesting offer for us,” Logan began taking a sip of her protein shake. Jackie tore her gaze away from Jack O’Callahan to raise her eyebrows at her best friend. “He wants us to be his first renters in his new real estate venture. He said we would basically have free rein of the entire place. Two bedroom, two bathrooms, hardwood throughout, updated kitchen, bay windows, lower rent than what we’re paying now, there’s a dining area and a living area,” Logan rattled off everything Tuukka had told her. “Wait you said less rent? And how close to work is it?” Jackie interrupted already sold on the place. “Yes and it’s about twenty minutes. It’s right near the green line so we’d be able to hop on that,” Logan explained. “We’re taking it. You call him and tell him right now or I will,” Jackie said, her mood at done a one-eighty since earlier in the day partly due to this offer from Tuukka. Logan laughed and agreed to call but said she would do it in the morning since it was Miracle time. “Fine but you better not forget,” Jackie huffed going back to her cookie dough and beautiful defenseman.

Notes