Page 55 of Power Play (Titans Hockey #2)

Lacey

B aby Savannah and Baby Catherine just turned a month old. Ben, of course, put them in matching outfits, different colored headbands with bows, and took their one month pictures this morning.

Life with two brand new newborns has it's ups and downs.

I'm no longer the size of a house and can tie my own shoes, but I feel like a dairy cow more often than not.

My milk came in well and both babies had edible chunky rolls.

They wake each other up crying at night, but having the boys and Martha around to help has been a Godsend.

I know I said I could do it on my own, and I would have, but God am I glad I don't have to.

Titans management has given me as much time off as I need, under the threat of their head coach and two of their players, but I'm itching to get back to work and feel normal again. Once the girls are sleeping through the night I might see if they'll let me go back part time.

I haven't been cleared to have sex yet, but my men and I have certainly enjoyed each other in other ways.

I feel like a cow most days. At least until Scott catches me nursing and seers me with a burning gaze that promises all sorts of wicked things once the girls go down for a nap.

He makes me feel sexy, even when I have deep bags under my eyes, and am wearing a spit-up stained, overly large T-shirt.

Garrett and I have just tag-teamed putting down our milk-drunk girls into their cribs when the doorbell rings.

We both freeze, waiting for them to stir, but both girls remain conked out on their backs.

We lock eyes and both let out a relieved sigh.

That is, until the front door slams with a little too much force.

We check that the girls don't wake before we step out into the hallway to see what's happened.

An angry red-faced Scott is standing just in the foyer, large arms crossed over his chest. Instantly alarmed, I rush to him and place my hand on his hard pec. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

His nostrils flare as he breathes out sharply. "Your parents decided it was acceptable to show up to our house unannounced."

"My parents are outside?"

Scott answers with a blank stare.

I go to walk past him but he grabs my hip in his large hand and dips his face so that we're eye-to-eye. "You don't owe them anything. Not even your time."

I nod, but before I open the door, I turn and see Garrett and Ben standing in the living room watching. Even Martha's stopped moving around in the kitchen, obviously listening to the drama.

"They don't get to see the girls. Can you keep them in their room if they wake up?"

"Of course."

I open the door to see my parents halfway back to their car.

They turn when they hear the door open, though, and I lock eyes with my parents for the first time in almost six months.

They both look like they've aged a decade.

Both have tired, red-rimmed eyes, with large bags under them. My dad has even lost weight.

Suddenly, a weight settles in my stomach. Something's happened. Something's wrong. And I've cut them out of my life. I don't regret going no-contact, but I'd still feel terrible if something bad happened to them. They are human, after all.

"Can I help you?" I say finally, at a loss for words.

They look at each other in question before turning and walking back towards the house.

I don't move from the doorway, though. I'll decide if I want to let them in or not after hearing what they have to say.

"We....we came to apologize." My mother's voice is low, a grit to it I'm not used to.

I look to my dad, who nods. "We had to bribe an intern with the Titans for your address because you've blocked our numbers." He holds up his hands. "We're not here to cause any drama. Just to apologize. If you still don't want to see us or hear from us ever again, we understand."

He looks to my mom who looks like she's holding back tears.

I check in with my gut. Gone is the arrogant apathy they generally had towards me. They both look genuinely destroyed.

"Would you like to come in?"

My mom nods a little too eagerly, a small smile creeping up on her face.

I open the door and usher them in. Scott's still scowling as he watches me usher them to the dining room table.

They're allowed that far, but they haven't earned living room privileges yet.

Garrett waits in the living room, a physical barrier between my parents and the girls, while Ben follows us and sits next to me at the table.

Just to my left, the way he did the last time I saw them.

We sit stiffly, glancing back and forth at each other. Martha pops her head in and asks if we would like some tea.

"Yes. Thank you, Martha." They also don't get Martha privileges or an introduction until I know exactly why they're here.

Mom looks down at her hands resting on the table, before she begins. "So, like we said. We're here to apologize. Something's...happened...and it forced us to take a good, hard, long look at the way we treated you and...we're still coming to terms with some of it..."

My dad pipes up, laying a hand over one of my mom's. "But we thought at the very least we owed you an apology. The world's biggest apology."

Martha comes in then and sets hot mugs of tea in front of each of us, giving me a little squeeze of reassurance on her way back out of the dining room.

Dread swirls in my stomach. Something has happened.

"What's happened?" Ben asks for me.

Mom and dad glance at each other before mom begins. "Tracey...Tracey's been admitted."

"Admitted?"

"To a psych ward."

"What?"

My dad sighs, and it makes him sound ancient. "Apparently she was caught in a local hospital, dressed up like a nurse, wandering around the nursery."

"Thankfully she was caught before she could do anything, but she had a breakdown when she couldn't finish her plan."

"Her plan?"

"She kept claiming that the babies were hers. "

A shiver runs down my spine and Ben rests a hand on the back of my neck, reassuringly.

My mom continues the story, staring at the back of her hands. She speaks as if it's painful. "She was charged with identity fraud and attempted kidnapping."

Shock slams into me. I had wondered all those months ago if she could be driven to do something so insane.

But a part of me wanted to believe that she couldn't. That she just hated me that much but wouldn't actually take it that far now that she didn't get to bully me or steal anyone's attention away.

"She would have been sent to jail for who knows how many years, but when we found out, we pleaded with the judge to sentence her to two years in an involuntary psychiatric facility with the ability to prolong it if she doesn't improve." My dad finishes.

I sit back in my chair, dumbfounded. I feel like I would have heard about this on the news, but between hockey and the babies we really haven't watched any news lately.

I look at Ben, who is simply waiting for me to process everything, but my parents continue. "Her sentencing forced us to have a good hard look in the mirror, Lace. We're not proud of how we've behaved. After..." My mom can't even say her name.

"Savannah." I offer.

She nods. "After..." her voice cracks. "You became withdrawn, secluded. You were so quiet and unassuming, while your sister expanded into the vacuum losing your sister and you withdrawing caused."

Ben goes to defend me but my father butts in. "We're not saying it's an excuse. There's no excusing what we did, and we understand if there's no forgiving us either. We simply want to explain it from our side...and then apologize again."

My mom nods. "It was so much easier to focus on Tracey's celebrations and accomplishments than it was to grieve your sister's death. Maybe it was too easy. Maybe we should have tried harder. No. We should have tried harder."

I nod.

My mom's tired eyes lock with mine, her voice wobbly. "So, we're sorry. That's all we've come here to say."

I nod again. I'm not ready to forgive them, but maybe my heart has softened to them a little bit.

We're silent for a moment, all lost in thought. "I won't let you see them yet. Not until I'm certain you can treat their mother with kindness and respect, but would you like to see a picture of your grandbabies?"

It's an olive branch. It's the only thing I'm willing to extend for now. They've hurt me deeply, and repeatedly, but they're trying to make amends, so I can give them this.

My mom's eyes light up and she nods enthusiastically. Ben opens his phone and finds the photo album we all share. On his screen is their one month picture. He points to each in turn. "Savannah and Catherine."

My mom gasps, her eyes watering. "Oh, Lace. They're beautiful. Perfect little angels." She hugs my dad to hide her tears. I didn't know how she'd react to naming one of the girls after Savannah. She seems moved but not upset.

"And you don't know who the father is?" My dad asks. It's not judgemental, though, and I know he's trying to rewrite the harsh words he said to me that night .

I shake my head. "Biologically, no. And unless they have some health issue crop up, we won't be doing DNA testing. They belong to all of my men." And then a thought occurs to me. "You guys already knew Ben. You've met Scott. Would you like to meet Garrett?"

"We would."

My dad stands and extends a hand as Garrett joins us in the dining room. Garrett shakes both of their hands with a 'sir' and a 'ma'am'.

"I can't say I'm not disappointed you didn't ask me first before asking her to marry you. But in hindsight, I get why."

"She actually asked me, sir. But maybe we can have that chat over a coffee someday."

My dad beams, and it's nice to see him genuinely happy.

My mom stands as well. "Well, we don't want to overstay our welcome. Thank you for seeing us. We know you didn't have to."

Ben and I stand as well and lead them to the front door.

"I want you two to go to therapy," I say as we watch them leave. They look at each other before nodding. "And then, maybe someday, we could go to family therapy together."

The small, hopeful smile on my mom's face makes my heart clench. Scott steps up behind me, wrapping a protective arm around my chest.

"You're a good woman," he whispers as we watch my parents drive off.

I shake my head. "I'm not sure I'm ready to forgive them, but they're human. If they put in the effort then so can I."

That night, as I'm nursing the girls, I'm leaning against Ben's chest in bed, my back to his front.

Scott gently massages my breasts with the excuse that he's helping me expel, when really he just can't resist touching them.

Garrett's massaging my feet and calves, but we're all unnaturally quiet.

I imagine the boys are processing their own thoughts about Tracey and my parents.

I know they're all grateful that Tracey is locked up somewhere safe.

We haven't heard from her since she was fired and we got a year-long restraining order against her, but her shadow still followed us around like a ghost. We never knew if one day she'd wake up and decide to ignore the restraining order.

Or if she would get bored of us altogether and move on to someone else.

But I look down at my beautiful babies, and the men around me, and my heart swells. I know that no matter what happens with my parents, my family is here in this room with me.

For the first time in maybe ever, I let the weight of my past and my family fall away, my heart full as I look at the life we've built together. My team. My home. My family.

“I love you guys,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion.

Garrett looks up from my feet, his face softening. “We know.”

Scott leans down, his lips brushing my collarbone. “We love you, too.”

Ben squeezes me gently as he brings one of his hands up to gently cup the back of Savvy's head. “Our beginning and our end."

My beginning and my end.

The End.