Something About Blending

Emerson walked into the sandwich shop and saw Derick already had a table for them by some windows. Noting that he looked stressed she made her way over and plopped into the seat across from him. “Hello there,” Emerson greeted brightly receiving a smile in return. “May I ask what you wanted to talk about or are we eating first?” she asked. Derick smiled, his nerves were on edge. “Why don’t we get food first?” Derick suggested standing up and motioning for Emerson to go first. To fill the newly awkward silence between them Emerson chattered about a new photography exhibit at the New York Public Library called Public Eye. Once they had ordered and returned to their seats Emerson looked at Derick expectantly.

Derick swallowed and looked back at her. “So I know we aren’t actually together or anything but we’ve been seeing each other for a little over a month. Preseason will start soon in full swing and after that comes a hectic hockey schedule. I guess this is me asking if you still want to be around, you know when that happens. It would mean spending more time with Amelia so that would Amelia and Theodore would meet and then we would end up spending time together,” Derick rambled his nerves spilling out. Emerson tried to stifle her laughter but was unsuccessful. When Derick looked at her still worried she gave him a reassuring smile. “Are you seriously worried that I won’t want to spend time with you anymore? You’re right it’s only been a little over a month but it’s been a great month and I’d be happy to meet Amelia and officially introduce you to Teddy,” she told him her smile becoming contagious. “Are you making fun of me?” Derick asked listening to her tone. Emerson thought for a moment. “I suppose I am. After all, it’s not like I’ve given you a reason to think I wouldn’t want to be with you,” she continued still smiling. They finished their sandwiches and talked about their plans. “Alright, I have to get going. Piper may have destroyed the studio with Teddy by her side,” Emerson said, her tone suggesting it was more possible than just a joke. Derick laughed with her and stood to leave. “I have to head out too, I have a workout with some of the boys today,” he told her offering her his hand. Taking his hand Emerson followed Derick outside to the sidewalk. “Good luck with Piper,” Derick told her with a slight laugh. “Good luck with your team,” Emerson replied standing on her tip toes to kiss his cheek.

Piper heard the studio door close and looked up brushing her hair out of her face, smearing more paint across her face in the process. “I take it things went well with Lover Boy,” she said turning the music down a smirk plastered on her face. Emerson was startled and looked at her. “It’s written all over your face and your air,” Piper explained putting her paintbrush down. Walking over to where Emerson was working on her photos on her laptop she stopped when Emerson held up her hand. “I swear to all that is good on this Earth I will kill you if you touch anything. You are covered in paint and you will ruin everything,” Emerson said with a look that could kill making her friend laugh. “Now are you just going to tell me how it went with him or am I going to have to start touching all your equipment to make you talk?” Piper asked holding one painted hand over Emerson’s favorite camera. Her face wrought with mock horror Emerson’s hands flew to her mouth. “I’ll talk, I’ll talk! Just please, show mercy,” she managed to say before breaking into a fit of giggles. “Things went really well, he wasn’t ending things with me but rather saying things about wanting to blend and spend time together during the season. He just wanted to make sure I was okay with that,” Emerson said, her smiling growing as she spoke.
Piper squealed and brushed her curls out of her face, again getting paint in her hair and on her face. Her smile turned to a frown not long after though. “But if you’re blending what does that mean for Teddy?” Piper asked her brow furrowed. Emerson sighed. “I’ve been thinking about that,” she started. “I think that it means he meets my friend Derick. And I suppose we go from there. Things either go well and we figure it out or they don’t go well and Teddy just knows that I have a friend Derick. It’s not like I’ve never had friends who are guys. I’ve just never dated,” Emerson told her with her head in her hands. Ignoring the prior warning, Piper threw her arms around her friend hugging her awkwardly from the side. “It will work out the way it’s supposed to Em,” she tried to reassure Emerson. Not caring that she now had paint on her top and in her hair Emerson leaned into the embrace and nodded her head. “You’re right, but it’s still so nerve wracking. I’ve never tried to let someone into Teddy’s life like this before. Piper he doesn’t even know my parents!” Emerson exclaimed starting to cry thinking about her son and everything he was missing in his life. Kneeling down and taking Emerson’s hands in her own Piper looked up at her best friend through her own misty eyes. “He has the best mum in the world, he has his godmother, he has my parents who love him if he was their grandson, he has my brother who loves him like a nephew. Teddy has so much. You sacrificed so much for him and he’s so very loved. I know that, you know that and he knows that. So what your parents suck? So what Andy sucked? Just because he doesn’t have them doesn’t mean he’s missing out on everything in life. He still has so much in his life and what he doesn’t have, well he’s not missing much,” Piper said her tears sliding down her cheeks. Moving down to the floor Emerson sat crying with her best friend until they heard Teddy climbing the stairs from his own little studio on the first floor.

“Someone saw his girlfriend today!” Marc teased when he ran by Derick on the track. “Tell us all about her,” Mats called from behind him making kissy faces. From different points around him Derick could hear catcalls and wolf whistles. Rolling his eyes Derick told them about their meeting. “So this girl wants to stay with you during the season? God bless her,” Henrik joked turning to run backwards so he would see Derick. “Fucking asshole can run backwards and talk,” Mats muttered coming to run next to Derick on the left. Laughing at his friend, Derick nodded to Henrik. “We’re going to meet the kids,” he said with a smile and heard some over dramatic gasps around him. “You never let people meet Amelia!” Mats cried in shock. “I know but I trust her. Maybe because I’ve heard her best friend talk about how she is with her son but I trust that she won’t get herself overly involved in Amelia’s life if she’s only going to back out. I think that she worries enough about her own son that she wouldn’t put herself in a position to hurt Amelia,” he explained. His friend and teammates were silent. “That was beautiful,” Ryan McDonagh said surprising everyone, as they didn’t know he was there. “He’s not wrong though,” Henrik agreed. Smiling Derick was pleased that his friends trusted his reasoning and judgment. “Before any of you ask, no you cannot meet her yet. I want to make sure she’s going to be around after preseason and all that before I get her involved in the crazy that is being a part of this whole thing,” Derick said waving his hands around at them. The guys laughed before captain Mac told them to pick up the pace or they would never finish their 5K.

Notes