“Tyler,” I groaned as I pulled his sheets over my head, “turn off the damn alarm.”
The phone vibrated for another 10 seconds before I sighed, removing the blankets from my head, about to yell at the boy next to me before I realized he wasn’t there. After the win yesterday and a break until Saturday it was decided that the boys could have a day off, but Tyler getting hurt yesterday was going in to be reevaluated. So he was already at the rink, while I traded in my off day for a day to sleep in, or at least that is what I was hoping to do.
My phone stopped vibrating at this point, and there was no ping singling a voicemail, so whoever it was, and whatever they wanted couldn’t be too important. So I rolled back onto my side, arms wrapped around the big white pillow, intending to get a couple more hours of slept. That was until a felt the bed sink in on Tyler’s side, and then a huge, wet tongue lick the side of my face.
I sighed as I opened my eyes, only to be greeted by a big black dog. “Good morning Cash,” I told him before I closed my eye once again, but someone didn’t like that. Cash let out a bark as he nudged my arm with is head.
“What boy?” I whined as I rolled onto my stomach, eyes on him.
He whimpered at me as he sat back on his hunches.
“Do you need to go out?” I asked, and he stood back up with a bark and a wag of his tail.
I huffed as I rolled to the edge of the bed, untangled myself from the sheets and stepped onto the warm carpet. Cash jumped out of the bed excitedly as I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and made my way to the door, Cash trotting eagerly next to me.
The bedroom door was cracked, just enough for Cash to get through. I opened it, and Marshall’s head popped up from where he rested on the couch. “Do you need to go out too boy?” I asked, to which he jumped off the couch to and joined Cash at my heels as I passed by the living room to sliding glass doors that lead to the back yard.
As I opened the door both dogs made a break for it, Marshall to the back to relax under the trees in the back like he likes to do as Cash followed, barking as he want.
I smiled to myself as I shut the door and watched the dogs for a little while before I turned around and made my way to the kitchen. I placed my phone on the kitchen island before I grabbed my gallon of milk from the fridge, and a bowl and box of cereal from the cabinet.
I dumped the contents of the cereal box into the bowl followed by the milk. Once satisfied with my breakfast I grabbed my phone. With a shovel of cereal to my lips I woke my phone, surprised, not to see a missed call, by a missed call from Gabe.
What did he possible want? I thought to myself. The Stars didn’t play the Avalanche until March, if I remembered correctly.
Curious as to why Gabe was calling me, I pushed the redial button. While the phone rang I shoveled some more of my cereal into my mouth.
“So when were you planning on telling me?” Gabe answered the phone, no greeting or nothing.
I shallowed, not sure what he was talking about, “telling you what?”
“Telling me that you and pretty boy are going out?”
“What,” I took a deep breath as I ran my hand thought my hair. “Where did you hear that?”
“Online, and you’re… not… denying… it?”
“No,” I sighed as I pushed the bowl away from me and transferred the phone to my hand. “No, I’m not.”
“So it’s true,” the words fell from Gabe’s lips as if he wasn’t sure if he believed the words he just said. “I thought for sure I was going to call and you were going to tell me to shut up, I didn’t think it would actually be true.”
“Yea,” I bite back a smile, “well it is.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because no one outside of the organization is supposed to know,” I exhaled thought my nose.
“Oh.”
“Otherwise I would have told you. I mean Tyler did tell a couple of his old teammates and our families found out over Christmas and you probably would have figured out next time we played, but I just didn’t want to mess any of this up.”
“It’s okay Brittany,” Gabe chuckled as I rambled. “I understand.”
“You do?”
“Yea, you’re in love.” Gabe dragged out the ‘ve’ part with a low chuckle.
“Shut up Gabe.” I shook my head.
“And there it is.” I could hear the smile behind his words, but mine quickly faded as it formed as I thought about why Gabe called in the first place.
I could feel the water sting my eyes as I spoke. “What’s going to happen now?”
“I don’t know Brittany.”

---

I don’t know how long I sat at the counter after Gabe hung up, but I was knocked out of my thoughts as Marshall starting barking at the door. So with a sigh I stood up from the counter and made my way to the back door where Cash and Marshall stood, wagging their tails as I approached.
I couldn’t help but smile as I opened the door and both dogs trotted in. I shut the door behind me as I took this all in, not sure how much longer I would have this. I tried not to think about it but soon found myself wiping the tears on my cheeks. At this point I just wanted to go back to my place, but at the same time didn’t want to move, so I opted for Tyler’s bed instead.

Notes