Once my feet hit the ice, I look around. All fans are on their feet, ready for the last period of the game.
“Let’s finish this fucking game,” I say when I get on the bench. “Show time, boys. Let’s show ‘em what we got.”
It’s the third period, and everyone is out for blood or at least that’s what it seems to me. The checks are harder than I’ve ever felt, the rush faster than before.
But we’re late in the third period, and we are still tied at zero. With seven minutes to go I get to shoot. It’s a play that we’ve come to know from this team. Passing like a diamond, I’m waiting for it. I’m between both defensemen, waiting for one of them to get the puck and pass it to the other. The puck is behind me. I hear it touch tape to tape when I see the right defenseman get it, and just like that I stretch out my stick, knocking the puck out of the zone, skating with it all by myself. I feel the defenseman right behind me, but I also see the goalie in front of me. Their goalie is getting ready for my shot. He has studied me for many years. None of my moves are different. Except today, today I’m fucking winning this motherfucker. When I skate over the blue line, I don’t stay right but almost brake, slowing it down but not too much that the defenseman can catch up to me. What seems like an eternity is five seconds tops, and just like that it’s me and the goalie one-on-one. Someone is going to be the hero. The question is who will it be.
I see him go right, and as soon as I see him move I tip it up so I know it’s going to go right over his left shoulder. He has no chance to stop it, and just like that the red light goes off behind. The ref is calling the goal, and I’m jumping into the glass window where I’m crushed by the four teammates on the ice.
It’s insane. The noise in this building is vibrating off the walls. We can’t even hear each other talk. While I skate along with my teammates to the bench to celebrate the goal, I turn to look up at Parker. She’s standing there high fiving everyone that she can possible touch. Allison is jumping up and down, her blond curls going everywhere. Matthew salutes me with a nod while cheering.
“Okay, boys. Four minutes to go. We can do this,” I say to the bench. We can’t get sloppy. We must be confident so we don’t fuck up, but thank God, Anderson is on fire. He’s already saved four shots in one minute.
With two minutes to go we call a penalty for tripping. It’s the worst thing that can happen. Two minutes it’ll be five on four. They will most likely pull the goalie, making it six on four. Too many men on the ice. It’s a matter of time.
They do exactly what I thought they would do, pulling the goalie. There are two men more than us. We set it up as a box, each of us trying to knock it out of the zone.
The seconds count down. Thirty seconds left. When they finally get called for offside, sending their bench on the attack for the ref. The coach is almost on the ice, yelling at the linesman, wanting a review, but the refs stand by the guy’s decision. I’m not going to stand here and argue. Their bench calls a time-out. Worse mistake to do is to have us relax and catch out breaths.
I skate to the ice and Coach looks over at us. “Stone, do your thing.” Our coach knows that even if he dragged out that white board making plays for us, we aren’t looking at shit. The plays are all going on in our head.
“Boys, we have thirty fucking seconds out there. Lots of time left. Enough for them to tie it up and win this fucker. So let’s go out there and fucking stop them. They are in our building. In front of our families. Let’s make ‘em proud, boys.” I pull the helmet back down, snapping the strap closed. “I’m too old for this shit.” And with that, I skate away, ready to take the face-off and raise that cup over my head.
The face-off is just outside our zone, their net still empty. The game not won yet. I lean in, waiting for that puck to drop, and when it does I’m ready. I send it to my defenseman behind me, all eyes on me. No one sees the rookie waiting for the pass all alone. One pass is all it takes, and with that shot, he nails it into the net from center ice, claiming the victory. It’s going to be a feeling he will never ever forget. The gloves fly off his hands, stick thrown aside. Everyone skates to him. I look up. Still twenty seconds left. Not enough time to do anything, so I look over and smile at my girl.
Fuck, it’s good to win.
When the twenty seconds are done, the ice is littered with sticks, gloves, hats, helmets, confetti paper falling from the ceiling. My play-off beard is dripping with sweat and water.
Once we congratulate everyone, new baseball hats are passed around. I look over to see the Stanley Cup being brought onto the ice.
I’m ushered over to take an interview. Always captain first.
“Cooper, we have to say a huge congratulations out there tonight. They are saying the better team won. What is going through your mind?”
I lean down to hear him because it’s still so loud.
“It was an even game, we played hard, they played hard, we got lucky, but we’ll take it,” I say, pushing my sleeves up over my elbow pads.
“This is your fourth time winning. Does it get better each time or are you used to it?” He laughs.
“I have to say it’s better each and every time. I don’t think anyone can get used to this.” I laugh at him.
“So what’s next?” he asks, and I know what I’m going to say next will shock everyone.
“Well, besides the obvious answer that I’m taking my kids to Disney World. But as most of you know, my contract is up this year. And after being in this organization since they drafted me when I was eighteen, I have to say that I’m hanging up these skates.” With that, the crowd gasps and cheers. “I’m going to marry my girl and just be home.” I laugh because I’m fucking happy. The only one who knew about my decision was Scott.
“Well, I’m sorry to see you go, but this is the best way to go.” With that, I skate away and begin to skate to center ice where the commissioner has taken his spot with his microphone.
While he goes on and on about hockey and the game, my eyes land on the seat where my family is supposed to be sitting. I see no one but Meghan and Tom. I look around till I see all the family members ready to come onto the ice.
I see my girl rubbing the tears away from her face with my boy holding his mother’s shoulder, and Allison on the other side of him.
I don’t hear anything he says till he says, “Captain, it’s time to claim your cup.” And with that, I skate over and lift it over my head and skate around the arena one more time before I hand it off. The next person I hand it off to is Anderson, because if it wasn’t for him between the pipes, we wouldn’t have made it this far.
Once I hand it off to him, I skate over to where the family is and open the doors so everyone is allowed to find their loved ones.
They are the last ones out on the ice.
“Cooper, Cooper, you won the silver cup,” Allison says, so happy.
“Stanley Cup, Allison,” Matthew corrects her.
“Hey, babe, get your ass over here and kiss me.”
I look over at her as she walks slowly to me, trying hard not to fall on her ass.
“I’m so very proud of you.” She kisses me on my lips. “And what I’m most proud of is this beard leaving,” she says quietly.
I lean into her ear and whisper, “That’s not what you said last night when said beard was eating your sweet pussy.” I wonder how she’ll like that look. Maybe I’ll shave the head but make it grow back. She does like pulling the shit out of it.
She slaps me right in the chest, trying to push me away.
“Are you really going to retire?” Matthew asks when they both make it to us.
I lean over to pick up Allison in my arms, kissing her neck. She is like her mother and hates this beard. So she tilts her head to cover her neck.
“Yup, I really am. I have won the Stanley Cup four times. I’ve done more than I thought would ever happen. I just want to stay home and be there all the time. Besides, now I can possibly work for my wife, if she hires me.”
She squeezes me. “You wish! I can’t hire you. Then how am I supposed to meet all the hot new men who come in?”
Before she can continue, I smash my lips onto hers.
I’ve got everything a person can possible ask for. If someone had told me this time last year that I would be standing on the ice raising the cup with a fiancée and two step-kids, I would have told them to fuck off.
It’s so much better than what they write about in these fairy tales.
Epilogue
Four years later...
“Daddy, Daddy, watch me, watch me.” My three-year-old beautiful blue-eyed little girl Zara says while she swings to try to hit the golf ball off the tee. Nothing happens. She takes a second to right her tiara before trying again. Still nothing.
“I can do better,” says my green-eyed little girl Zoe. She tries to hit the ball, but instead she falls off her fake plastic high heels that they found in Allison’s princess closet.
My two twin girls came screaming into the world exactly nine months after I stood on that beach and made promises to their mother.
We had both decided that we wanted a small wedding. Just us and no hell or high water would stop Meghan from joining us. We went back to the house we rented for her birthday. Tom rented the house next door, but next door was still a five-minute ride away.
So, I stood on the beach wearing my beige linen pants and white linen shirt, watching Matthew walk her down to me.
She looked like an angel in her dress, which was white and flowing. It was like she was walking on clouds. But when she made it to me and Matthew placed her hand into mine, he slapped me on the back and made his way beside me as my best man.
I stood there underneath the setting sun and made vows to all three of them. I vowed to be there in good times and in bad. I vowed to never make them lack anything. I vowed to protect them and always put them and their needs before me. I promised to never make their mother cry, unless it was tears of joy. And most of all I promised them that I would love all three of them to the end of the earth.
She shocked the shit out of me when she stood there, vowing to always be there for me even when I wouldn’t bring coffee to her in the morning. She vowed to never let me lose my eight pack, because that’s what she loved most about me. Then the three of them got together and all vowed to love me forever.
And with that ring, I was legally wedded. To all three of them.
We stayed and celebrated for a whole week. Heck, I was retired, but I had nothing else to do.
When Parker found out she was pregnant, she was so happy till the doctor confirmed that she was a little big for her date. Well, the ultrasound showed that she was indeed carrying twins. I was over the moon excited, till they told me the twins were girls.
The day we came home and told the kids we were having a baby was the excitement of the year, till we said we were having girls. Matthew groaned, rolling his eyes. But Allison, she got really quiet and said she wanted to go to her room.
Parker just looked at me while I watched her walk out of the room. I waited a full three minutes before I made my way to her room.
Watching her in the middle of her bed curled into a ball, holding her doll made my heart break.
“What’s wrong, princess?”
“Nothing is wrong.” She continued staring out the window. I made my way to her, and in one movement I had her in my lap where she started crying.
“Beautiful girl, why are you crying? Are you not happy to be getting sisters?”
“You bon’t bant me here anymore,” she cried out.
“What are you talking about?” I moved her so she was looking into my eyes. “Don’t you know that I want you here all the time? Every day.” Her little sobs started to get quiet, so I continued. “I love you so much, so much it makes my heart hurt when you’re not here.”
“Your heart hurts?”
“Yup, it hurts because it misses you so much.”
“I don’t want your heart to hurt. I’ll albays come back.” She leaned in and whispered, “This is my favorite house ever.”
“Good, because with your sisters coming you need to teach them everything there is about being a princess. Can you do that?”
“I am a very, very big pwincess.”
“Yes, yes, you are.” I hugged her close, breathing her in. I looked up, watching Parker at the door, tears being wiped from her eyes.
“I love you,” she mouthed to me.
“Love you more,” I mouthed right back to her.
I’m not going to say that Parker was super excited about being pregnant with twins. My wife was very fucking mean during most of her pregnancy, except when she needed me to fuck her. I can’t count all the times she smirked at me and told me I should buy a gun.
She wasn’t wrong. These two are going to be the death of me. Both have me wrapped around their fingers. All they need to do is bat their eyes and I’ll do anything they ask me. No questions asked.
I was also excited I would get to be there every single day. I went through the teething, the crawling, their first smile, the first step. I was also there when I tried to put skates on them and heard them wail like someone was literally trying to murder them. Their high-pitched squeals got just about everyone to turn around and look.
“They can change, Cooper. Maybe we just hold off another couple more months.”
Even Matthew, who was a towering six foot four. He was drafted first over all. The day he got drafted I felt this immense pride. It was so good to be there with him while he stood up, hugged his mom, and then turned straight to me and buried his face in my shoulder while I told him how proud I was of him.
So, after that fiasco in the arena, l brought the twins back a couple of months later. Same thing. I don’t think I’ll ever win.
“Come and eat. Lunch is ready.” Parker comes outside, her smile on full display, but she is also wearing a polka dot bikini. After the twins, she busted her ass dieting to get back to her pre pregnancy weight. When she finally reached her goal and after one too many martinis, my girl is rocking that six months pregnant stomach.
She cursed me to high heavens, blaming my super sperm for striking that fast, but at least this time it’s only one. It’ll be her fucking last time, according to her. Our baby boy will be here in three months, and I can’t fucking wait.
Walking in, I find her getting the plates ready for the kids. All the kids are home today, which is a miracle. Especially since Matthew has his own place not too far from here.
I kiss her lips, leaning down to kiss her stomach. It’s something that I have always done. From the minute we saw the plus sign three years ago. Every single time, I never let the chance to touch her go.
“Mom.” Allison comes running into the room. “Zoe and Zara were in the princess closet, and there is a mess everywhere. I’m not cleaning that up. Just so you know.”
“They are just playing. I’m sure they will clean all that mess up, Allison.” I cut in and watch her roll her eyes at me. My baby girl is ten going on twenty.
“Dad, you never think you’re spoiling them.” Allison looks at me. Another thing that I was blessed with. She said she wanted to call me dad so she wasn’t the outsider. Silly girl, the first time she called me that I almost cried. I would have given away everything I had for her.
“Oh please, Allison, Cooper was just the same with you. You hung the moon for him. He never let you clean up all the million messes you made.” Matthew comes in and messes her hair.
“What’s that mark on your neck?” Allison asks him, making all of us turn to look at him.
“I’m going to get a shirt.” He leaves but not before Allison laughs.
“You better get a scarf, too.”
My girl is a witty one.
The twins come in, their princess costumes half torn, half muddy.
“I so hubry, Mommy,” Zoe says, trying to climb into her booster chair.
“I need twree pwates, Mommy,” Zara says, climbing into her own chair.<
br />
“You two will finish eating and then go clean up that huge mess you made in the princess room.” She looks at both girls, waiting.
“We will, Mama.” Zara looks at her while Zoe looks at me. “Daddy will help us because he’s the swongest, right, Daddy?”
“Ugh, see?” Allison points to them with her fork. “Spoiled.”
Nothing else is said, but Parker’s laughter roars through the house.
The rest of the afternoon consists of us lounging by the pool, the twins driving Matthew crazy by following him everywhere and Allison professing her love to every single member of 5 SOS.
I don’t even know what that means, but I am completely and utterly at peace. With my Parker sitting between my legs, my hands on her belly, feeling my son do summersaults, what more can someone who had nothing wish for?
“Thank you for giving me the world.” I kiss the top of her head.
“I haven’t finished yet.” She kisses under my chin.
I didn’t know what she meant, till three months later when I was handed my boy. Looking over at my wife while she sleeps, I think she is a fucking warrior.
I’m holding my son in my arms. I look over at this woman who came barreling into my life calling me Douche MCoop and not taking any shit from me. In fact, she gave as good as she got, but when she finally let me in, she gave me more happiness than I expected in this lifetime.
“Welcome to the world. I want to tell you about the first woman you will ever love. She’s amazing. She has the most beautiful green eyes I’ve ever seen.”
And while I tell my son all about his mother, sisters, and brother, he closes his eyes and falls back asleep right in my arms.
THE END
Acknowledgements
This may take a while so sit back down.
Crystal: My hooker. You told me this is good, I didn’t listen. You told me to publish this book. I listened. Thank you for holding my hand. Thank you for cheering me on even when I was overly dramatic. Just thank you for being you.
Something So Right Page 23
