Halifax Stanfield International Airport. It's not the biggest airport I've ever been in but it's surely one that I feel welcomed in. When I walk through the gates, a sudden ease falls over me.

I'm finally home.

About 5 feet behind me, a man I thought would never visit the Maritimes, James Neal. It's not often this community gets to witness two professional hockey stars in the same town at the same time. Sid pretty much owns this place. Worst thing is he doesn't even know about James coming.

"So where do we meet the car?" James says loudly, the airport bustling with crowds of people.

"Well, we're not meeting a car, babe. Actually...." My words trail off as I see the backside of Sidney Crosby. He's posing for photographs with a few fans. Even though he's a hometown hero, Halifax still gets their share of new visitors and the prime reason, the Sidney Crosby Hockey Hall of Fame.

I turn to James who's struggling with the heavy bags. I grab the handle of one and press a button, two wheels pop out from underneath.

"Thanks for just now telling me this, Tess." He says sarcastically. I teasingly blow him a kiss.

"Okay, before we get to my parent's place there's something I need to tell you." I spent the entire flight processing something that I could tell James about our travel arrangements. This was as best as I could muster.

"Sid is actually the one picking me, I mean us, up. I should have told you but I didn't think it would be a big deal."

"Does he know I'm coming?" I shake my head no.

"Both our phones were dying, didn't have time to give him a heads up." James adjusts his Pittsburgh Pirates baseball cap.

"Well, this should be interesting." He laughs. I grab him free hand and we approach the back fo Sid. I cough loud enough to distract him.

"No problem, guys, have a good day." He says to a few fans before turning to me. "Hey Tess." He says pulling me into a hug. As He releases me, I notice his eyes shift to the right a bit.

Crap.

"Ah Nealer, hey man, I didn't know you were coming." He smiles at James but his eyes quickly shoot a look of confusion my way.

"Yeah, I kind of surprised Tess with it this morning."

Out of nowhere, these two were getting along. Sid wasn't acting weird like he was this morning and James seemed really relaxed, given the events that happened last week. This was not normal.

It wasn't okay.

As James was loading our bags in Sid's Range Rover, Sid cut me off at the passenger side door.

"So he's here, now, what about our talk, Tess?" His hand was pressing the car door shut, preventing me from opening it.

"We can still talk, our dinner is still on. I'll just explain it to James. Calm yourself, Crosby." I pat him on the shoulder, he opened the door for me before returning to the driver's side.

The drive to Grand Lake, where both Sid & I live in the Summer months, was pretty quiet on my end. James and Sid talked about how their off-seasons were going, about Geno's new contract extension and other hockey, man stuff.

I took the opportunity to send a text to Max.


T: Code Red. Crosby and Nealer in Halifax. At the same time. Help.


I knew that contacting Max would be a long shot, she rarely keeps her phone ringtone on so if she did see it, it wouldn't be for another couple hours.

Surprising enough, it was only minutes until I got a response.


M: Why Tess why? How could you let this happen! You know those two are toxic around each other.

T: Actually they're getting along. Like before James and I started dating. It's freaking me out.

M: You home yet? Did you talk to Crosby about the other week? Girl, this is huge. And so fucking wrong.


She was right, I owed it to myself and to Sid to have the talk we've been so desperately trying to have for the past couple months. But then James happened and then it was like Sid and I barely saw each other.


T: Tell me about it. There was no way to even warn Sid, James just sprung this visit up on me this morning. On the way to the airport. Max, I could really use you here right now.

M: I'll be there in the morning. I just booked a flight!


Damn she's good.


T: This is why I love you, Max. Seriously.

M: Save the girly stuff for tomorrow, until then, try your best to keep these two guys from beating each other, well I should say, keep James from beating Sid. HAHAHA

T: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just get your ass here.

M: See you then, doll. xxoo


I gauge my attention back to the boys. Still talking relatively normal. Jesus, why can't it be like this all the damn time.

"So Tess, your place or mine?" Sid asks, disrupting my thoughtful trance.

"What?"

"Do you want me to pick you up at your place or did you want to mee me at mine tonight?"

Tonight was when Sid and I planned to talk things out.

"Um, well....James?" I wait for him to budge in but instead he acts cool.

"Up to you, babe." He says nonchalantly.

"You don't mind?"

"Nah, I can find something to do. Sid says your bros are here so maybe I'll chill with them."

Great, the whole fucking family is in town all at once. Bad enough I have to deal with Sid but now I have to worry about James meeting my dad AND my four brothers? I swear we could host some NHL reunion hockey tournament - Pros vs the local street hockey team AKA Sid's old childhood friends.

"Well, you should probably meet them first." I suggest.

"Don't worry, Tess. Your mom wants me to bring you guys to their house, they're kind of throwing a welcome home party." Sid interjects.

It's been over a year since I was last home. Between college and playing soccer with the national team, my schedule doesn't leave many gaps for family time. We played a game in England last year, the day after Christmas so I spent the holidays in the hotel with the girls.

"Fantastic." I mumble.

"Way to be sarcastic, babe."

Once to my parent's house, which was 2 miles down the road from Sid and I's, I started to feel a bit overwhelmed. No one expected to see James walk through that door.

"TESSA!" My mom opens the door, her arms wrapping around me tightly as she plants a kiss on my cheek. My dad sneaks up behind her, slightly pushing her out of the way.

"Come on Marie, stop hogging our beautiful daughter." He pulls me towards him.

"Hey dad!"

He looks behind me and notices my guests. "Ah, Sid, thanks for bringing her over. We probably wouldn't see her if you didn't!" He laughs.

"Oh come on, it's not like I'd not visit, I'm not THAT busy." I roll my eyes.

"And who's this?" My mom rejoins the conversation.

"Oh! Mom, dad, this is James Neal. James this is my mom Marie and my dad, Jacques." James shakes my mom and dad's hand, a genuine smile appears on my dad's face. Introducing my parents, I didn't realize how French my family is.

"Tess you have a thing for Penguins I see." He teases. Sid and James laugh, James looking a little bit confused.

"Where's my idiot brothers?" My mom points to the dock.

"Fishing." She says.

I grab James' hand and lead him out back. This was the true test, my brothers are very protective and they don't take to me dating hockey players very lightly. I can remember the first time they met Sid, now that was awkward.

Five feet away from the dock, my brothers turn to us, smiles all around. I drop James' hand and run over to them.

"Hey loser." I yell, poking my oldest brother in the ribs.

"Well if it isn't the famous Tess Mariot, soccer extraordinaire and famed Foosball loser." Marc lifts me in his arms, it's been months since I last saw him, when the Pens plays the Habs. That's usually the only time we see each other.

One by one, my brothers begin hassling me, asking questions about why I never see them and who I'm dating next.

"Guys, this is James." James waves to the 4 giants standing in front of him. Most of my ex boyfriends were always intimidated meeting my family, after all I come from a very tall one. All my brothers are over 6'4", hell even my mom is 5'11"!

"This is Marc the Canadien, Andy the Shark, Kris and Matt, who both play in the AHL." I also come from a hockey family which adds another level of intimidation.

"Ah James Neal, I've heard so much about you. Congrats on the extension." Andy says.

"Thanks man, you guys played great in the playoffs, both of you." James nods his head toward Andy and Marc, both of them making it to the playoffs but shortly eliminated.

"Tough break for the Pens though, thought you guys would have sealed the deal." James looks to the ground, he's still somber about the series sweep.

"Yeah well shit happens." He laughs.

The camaraderie between hockey players still amazes me. Somehow, some way, they know everything. Who signed what, who they play for, how many fights they've been in; hockey players are a lot smarter than people give them credit for.

I hear a loud whistle coming from the house, my mom outside waving the Quebec flag.

Lunch time.

My brothers head up first while James and I follow back behind.

"That wasn't so bad." He grabs my hand, kissing the top of it. "They seem pretty chill."

"They are. Sometimes." I giggle. "When they're not picking on me."

"You're their little sister, I do the same to Beck, babe." He pauses. "I didn't realize how French Canadian your family is! And how tall they were, Sid definitely didn't prepare me for that." He sounds amused.

"Well, we're a bunch of freaks, hockey-playing, poutine-eating, French-speaking freaks." I smile at him, he winks back.

The great hall; the place where family dinners are eaten, memories are reminisced, and fights begin.

Sid was laughing over something with Marc and Kris while Matt and Andy were helping dad in the living room, they were trying to find the golf tournament on the new 80" TV my parents bought.

"Lunch is ready. Bon Appetit!"

We take our seats, I sit next to Marc and James, Sid sitting directly across from me. The conversations were staggered, everyone had their own but eventually they all merged into one massive topic of me.

"So, how did you and James meet?" My mom begins, everyone staring at me, Sid barely making eye contact.

"Sid, actually. He set it up." He raises his eyes to mine, a look of regret shines through. My parents look at each other confused and my brothers nodding their heads in sync. That was always the reaction.

"Yeah, I kept bugging him to introduce me to Tess. She's a great girl." James continues.

"Friends first though, I didn't let him in easy." I say cheekily, everyone except Sid looking amused.

"Well, as long as you're happy, Tessa." My dad reaches for my hand on the table.

I help my mom clean up after lunch, she poured a glass of wine for the both of us. I was cleaning the dishes when she stood right next to me, her hand on her hip and her glass of wine almost empty.

"So you and Sid seem awkward." She starts off.

"Mom, we're fine."

"You don't look fine." She takes a sip of her wine, her eyes staying glued to me.

"We are." She was beginning to annoy me and she was acting a lot like Max does. I swear Max is my adoptive sister.

"Does James know about you two?" I turn to her, fully agitated.

"Mom, stop. Seriously. I don't need this right now." She loves to get under my skin.

"I'm just saying Tess. You and Sid still hang out together and you're dating James. They're teammates for christ's sake! James needs to know!" I throw the last of the plates in the dishwasher, slamming the door hard.

"Leave it be." I grab my glass of wine and storm out of the kitchen. When I turn the corner I run into James, his hat shielding his face.

"Tess."

"Hey babe." I grab his hand. He pulls away from me, raising his ball cap up so I could see his face. His beard was growing back fast even though his hair seemed to stay in it's awkward phase.

"So what happened between you and Sid?" He presses. I stand there shocked, he was there listening to us the whole time.

I was hoping that today would be the day I wouldn't have to break someone's heart.