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Me: Just wanted to say I love you. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.
I take a photo of my one-year chip in my palm and text her that, too. She writes back immediately.
Graysen: Congrats, babe. I love you too. So much. I’ll miss you tonight.
We spend every night together unless I’m on a road trip. We always joke that hockey is my mistress. I know I’m damn lucky to still be playing at this level after my accident. I want to play for as many years as my body will allow, hopefully ending my career as one of the Chicago Blaze and with my teammates there, who are fast becoming my second family..27Graysen“Dante’s girlfriend is kind of a bitch,” Mia confides as we walk toward the Blaze’s VIP area. “Everyone else is really nice, you’ll love them.”
She shifts Irina to her other hip.
“Are you sure I can’t carry something?” I ask.
“Nah, I’ve got it.”
She’s wearing her diaper bag over her shoulder, carrying Irina and keeping her pacifier close by in her hand. And of course, she looks as gorgeous and put together as always.
“It’s seriously like a daycare center in there,” she jokes. “The front office people who put together our dinner buffet added Goldfish, chicken fingers and pudding cups for all the little ones.”
“More babies?” I ask, grinning. “I volunteer my snuggling services.”
“Perfect. Ella’s in there with Lindy right now, Knox’s wife and their baby boy will be in there, and Abby will have hers and Luca’s toddler and their three older kids with her.”
“Sounds like so much fun. I love being around kids.”
“Do you want your own someday?”
I laugh. “You sound like Alexei.”
“He’s crazy about you, you know.”
“I’m crazy about him, too.”
“I knew you were the one when he stayed celibate for nine months waiting for you. Alexei used to be—” She stops herself suddenly. “Well, nevermind.”
“Oh, he told me all about it during our therapy sessions.”
“Does that bother you?” she asks.
I shake my head. “I can’t get jealous over what he did before he knew me. And, you know, practice makes perfect.”
“Ha! You got that right, girl.”
We walk into the Blaze friends and family suite, and I see what Mia meant. There’s a baby fussing and two young kids playing a game to see who can jump the highest. It has a warm, welcoming feel, though, and someone comes up to greet us right away.
“Hey, I think she’s poopy, can I get the diaper bag?” a brown-haired woman says to Mia.
Okay, maybe she wasn’t coming to greet us.
“I’ll change her,” Mia says. “Trade me.”
Mia passes Irina to her and she passes Ella to Mia.
“Hey Lindy, this is Alexei’s girlfriend Graysen. Graysen, this is Vic’s wife Lindy.”
“Oh hi!” Lindy lights up with a smile. “Make a plate and come sit with me if you want to.”
She gently bounces Irina and makes funny faces at her, and Irina gives her a huge toothless smile that just melts my heart.
The buffet is filled with delicious looking comfort food, and I fill a plate and sit down at a table near Lindy.
“How did you and Victor meet?” I ask her.
She smiles and says, “I worked in the Concessions department here at the Carson Center.”
“Oh wow, that sounds romantic.”
“As romantic as things can be when you’re covered in relish and nacho cheese sauce.” She reaches over to my plate and takes a fry. “Hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” I push the plate closer to her. “Help yourself to anything.”
“How’d you and Alexei meet?” she asks as she takes another fry.
I furrow my brow as I think about how to explain our situation. “This is going to sound weird, but I’m actually not supposed to say. Or rather, allowed to I guess.”
“Oh.” She looks confused for a second but then says, “I get what you’re saying. You guys met at either AA or rehab.”
“Good guess.”
“What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a therapist and group leader at the Beckett Recovery Center.”
“Oh…oh! So you guys…”
I nod.
“Okay, that’s amazing.”
I open my arms. “Why don’t I take the baby so you can get some food?”
“You mean so I’ll stop eating yours?”
“No.” I laugh. “Just pass her here and go fill up a plate.”
While Lindy is busy making herself a plate of food, Mia returns with Irina and we all pass the babies around so everyone can eat and go to the bathroom before the game starts.
And when the lights go down at game time, I’m blown away. I’ve never been to a professional sporting event, and the lights and music and crowd are impressive. Even the babies are mesmerized.
“Jesus, take the wheel,” Mia mutters just as the puck drops. “Now Irina pooped.”
She leaves her seat with her daughter as Alexei hooks his stick around the puck and slides it to Victor. The players all take off down the ice, snow flying up from their skate blades.
