Page 32

tyler

I was tense from the multi-game road trip. The first two games had gone well against St. Louis and Minnesota. Until the end, when we were more tired. We'd lost the last two in less than stellar performances. Goals had gone up on the board, but we'd choked defensively in the power plays in both games. I'd been dealt one of the penalties that resulted in the game winning goal, so I felt partially responsible. Despite wanting to be encouraging to my teammates, I was still annoyed and upset with myself and how I'd performed.

So much so that I completely forgot about what was waiting for me at home. I hadn't checked my phone in hours, not wanting to see the disappointment pouring in from fans. I unlocked the apartment door, my feet dragging. I didn't know where Kirby was, I hadn't seen his car in the lot on my way in. Confusion crossed my mind when the sound of the TV greeted me. The memory came crashing back.

"Oh thank god." I groaned out loud. Almost immediately, I heard the thump of feet on the wood flooring. My bag slipped on my shoulder, falling to the floor by a pile of shoes. Her shoes. I met her halfway.

All my worries slipped away when I wrapped my arms around Halle. I buried my head into her hair, letting out a breath. I could relax for a few days now. Halle was here, and now we could go on a quick vacation away from this Windy City. Even after that, she'd still be here.

Halle pulled away from me, grinning.

"Come on, you need to pack. We don't have much time."

"What time are we leaving?"

"Elvis and Alex are coming to pick us up at six. Which is in two hours. So you should pack your bag for the trip. Mines already done."

"Someone's excited." I smiled down at her, kissing the top of her head lightly.

"Of course I am. The place is stunning. And I get to enjoy it with you. And Lex and Elvis."

She pushed me down the hall to the bedroom, where I was immediately engrossed in shoving clothes into a bag. Halle sat on the bed while I packed, scrolling through her phone.

Three hours later, in a whirlwind of activity, I found myself sitting on a plane next to Halle. She was chattering happily with Alex and Elvis, who were seated in front of us. Despite knowing we had four days off, I was still thinking about the games after and All Star week. My thoughts prevented me from holding a conversation like Halle was.

After an hour on the plane, she relaxed into quiet. Her head lolled over to rest on my shoulder. Another two hours of not moving ensued. I didn't dare to shift out of fear of waking her. I was content to look out the window and watch the clouds sail by. It was like watching the plane split the time zones in half. We'd left Chicago at six, and after the five hour plane ride, it would be eight when we arrived. I wondered how jet-lagged we would be. I had to hope that traveling all over the country did something to combat my tiredness, but Halle didn't experience the time zone warp the same way I did.

For the last hour of our flight, Halle woke up and I found the enthusiasm to talk to my teammate and his girlfriend. Elvis and Alex had been here the previous Christmas and had thoroughly enjoyed the resort. I was excited to see what it was like. I was more excited to meet up with my friends. At this point, I wasn't sure who was actually showing up, but based on who'd I'd talked to I was looking forward to the mid-season reunion.

When we landed, my phone lit up with a smattering of notifications. I grinned. They were here. Halle would finally get to meet the guys I'd grown up with. The guys I called brothers. The ones that had supported me when no one else did.

As if accentuating my happiness, a familiar face popped up next to Halle. My grin widened.

"Mitchell." His goofy smile was relaxing and familiar.

"Sup Walter. So this is the one, eh?" He slung one arm around Halle's shoulder. She blushed.

"Yep. Halls, this is Mitch. Marns, this is Halle."

Elvis rejoined us, so I introduced him and Alex to Mitch. The five of us retrieved our bags, then started for the outside. I didn't try to suppress my laughter when Mitch stripped his sweatshirt off to reveal a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt. The piece of clothing was a sore sight. He caught the distaste on my face.

"Don't give me that look buddy. I brought one for you. And I'm getting picture proof when I get you in it. Halle can help me with that one." He nudged me with a shoulder. I shook my head.

"No way. Over my dead body. Do you know if the Clowns are here? Or the Huggs."

"Clowns, yes. Not sure about the Wonder Boys yet." As if on cue, my phone began to ring.

"Yes, Chuckles?"

"Where the fuck are you? Hurry up it's getting good!" Matthew's voice was loud and shouted over music. His brother's voice added to the mix.

"Get yer asses up here buddy. Might just be over if you take any longer." I ended the call, shaking my head.

"Leave it to them to find a party already. I'm here to relax not party." Mitch gave me a look.

"Don't be an old man." I glared right back.

"Not happening. You know if Steph was here you wouldn't be interested either." Mitch shrugged.

"But she's not. So...I go to find my brothers in crime. You two can go do what you want." His eyes flashed suggestively. I shook my head, ignoring him. I wasn't going to bend now. I didn't drink in public, and that wouldn't change now. Even though I was of legal age here, it was still too risky.

When Mitch left us to find both the Tkachuk and the Hughes brothers, Halle and I retreated to our room. We said our temporary goodbyes to Elvis and Alex, promising to meet them the next morning for breakfast. In the room, I watched Halle with interest as she deposited her clothes and immediately threw her bathing suit on.

"You do know it's nine at night?"

"Yep. Too warm to not swim right now." She flashed me a smile. I followed her example, putting my own swim trunks on. She danced down the hallway and out to the hot tub.

We settled under the clear sky. We were the only two in the water, which I was grateful for. The hot water bubbled around Halle and drew my eyes to her bare skin. I finally had the time to relax and focus on my girlfriend. It felt like things had been rushed from the moment I got home. To finally sit back and appreciate things was wonderful. Despite the two disappointing games recently, life had been kind to me. I felt on top of my playing, the love of my life had moved in with me, and now I had the chance to relax for a few days before the season turned into a mad dash for playoffs.

Halle looked away from me, her eyes dancing over the expanse of stars above our heads. She let out a happy sigh.

"If this is how Christmas is, then I want it to be like this every year."

"What was Christmas like for you when you were a kid?" I was genuinely interested. I'd been to Christmas mornings of other people, but always felt out of place. I wanted the experience when it was my own family and my own house.

"It was crazy, to be honest. I don't know how my mom did it. We always decorated on December tenth. Precisely. John, Mason, and Dad would go get a tree. Then Mom, Hannah, and I would decorate it. The boys did the outside lights too. Us girls did everything inside. My job was setting up the snow village. The best part, obviously. I made it different every year." She smiled down at the water, letting her hand float through the heated bubbles. "Christmas Eve was all cookie baking. So many batches that we ran out of counter space. We ate them for weeks afterwards. And then on Christmas morning we got up crazy early. Like four. It was usually Johnny first. He'd sit at the top of the steps and wait until six or so. The only day of the year we all got up before ten." Halle grinned. "And then we'd all stampede like a herd of elephants down to the living room. My mom tried to organize how we opened gifts, but it never worked."

"That sounds nice." She looked at me quickly.

"Oh, damn. I'm sorry Ty I forgot. Did you...what was it like for you?" I shrugged.

"Nothing like yours. It was just another day for me. Some years I went to a friends or something, but I missed out on the whole presents and family experience."

Halle was quiet for a moment. She moved until she was treading water in front of me.

"You'll get that soon." I was confused.

"How?" She smiled slowly.

"Because in a few years we'll have a bunch of kids bouncing around and Christmas will be just as crazy as you want it." My body flushed with warmth at the thought. I blinked at Halle. It was the first time she'd talked our future in family terms. Before it had just been generalized dreams, nothing involving us as a unit. My heart fluttered.

"Oh will we?" I reached out to pull her closer to me. Halle's smirk was sheepish.

"I mean, if you want to. I'd be fine if you just wanted a dog or something."

"Two dogs and four kids. All boys. They'll play hockey and you'll be the best hockey mom." Halle let out a half-hearted groan.

"We're going to need a mansion. And a minivan."

"Done and done."

"In that case I guess I'm sold. Four boys it is. Don't know how I'll be with no other girls in the house though. And nothing too hairy for pets. I hate slobber and hair."

"I'll make it up to you. Pinky promise." I leaned forward to kiss her lightly. Halle wrapped her arms around my neck, leaning into my touch. When she pulled back, she was smirking mischievously.

"If you want those kids you're going to have to get going."

"Gladly." I responded by gripping her thighs tighter. Halle gasped and smacked at my shoulder.

"Not like that! I mean a ring. I want to get married first. Very traditional. Tons of family there." I hesitated.

"You wouldn't mind if my side was all friends?"

"Of course not. You could probably invite half the league to stand in for your side." An idea crossed my mind.

"What if you helped me find my family? I don't know if my parents had any siblings or parents, but what if they did? What if they were better and wanted to meet me?" Halle's smile faded slightly at the daunting idea.

"I think that's an awesome idea. I hope there's someone out there who cares for you. Everyone needs family. But Ty... you have to be prepared. What if there isn't anyone?"

"Then it'll be disappointing, but nothing different from the past twenty years of my life. Either way, I'll be satisfied."

"I'll do it. Now that I have all this free time in a shiny new apartment." She grinned at me.

"You're amazing. And Halle, you are my family. You're the person I can't live without. I didn't need my parents, but I need you. You're addicting and intoxicating and my drug. And most of all, one day you're going to be my beautiful wife."

She smirked into my kiss, pulling herself tighter to me. We stayed in the hot tub until our fingers turned pruny and we were overheated. All under the bright expanse of stars in Los Cabos.

&&&

We passed the rest of the break peacefully. The days on the pure white sand left our skin tan and salty. A taste of relaxation and calm. When I finally returned to Chicago, we were thrown right back into the games. Coach went at us with a fevered severity.

Christmas break signaled the dividing point between the normal season. Before, points weren't everything, and the race for playoff spots hadn't begun yet. From this point onward, we had vital skills to hone and points to grab. We couldn't afford overtime anymore. Losing was unacceptable. We all felt the pressure of holding the top spot in the league. The second spot, held by Edmonton, wasn't far off in points. If we lost games, they had to the chance to pull over us. The competitive side was alive in all of us. Even when it meant crazy workouts and intense practices. It was worth it.

I didn't see Halle as much as I wanted to. Three home games after we returned from our vacation, then I was off again. I wouldn't return to Chicago for two weeks. The pace of such a long stretch of away games was stressful. I hardly had time to worry about the All Star games at the end of the road trip.

The night before I left, Halle had me enter information into an ancestry website. The website would link me to people that had filled in similar names. The problem was, I didn't have anything past my birth certificate with my parents' names. I wasn't sure if Halle would be able to find anything with the meager information to my name. Still, she turned into my own private investigator.

I wasn't able to keep up with her findings. The routine on the road was too hectic to find the time to sit and talk with her over the phone. I texted her in the morning and at night, but that was it. When All Star week arrived, I met her in Florida. We still didn't have time to talk. The activities of the week were pressing and I was guilted into attending as many interviews as possible.

While I was off at the fastest skater event, I knew Amanda and Halle were relaxing in the crowd with other women from other teams. Particularly, the interior designer who'd been in contact with Halle. I had yet to see the revamped apartment, but Connor had mentioned something about the skills that Lauren possessed.

Pat and I were comfortable together during the games. Our coach, the infamous Coach Q, had worked with Pat for all three of the Stanley Cup victories. He knew Pat's style like the back of his hand. I was a younger mystery, but he had obviously reviewed film. He put faith in our chemistry, letting us work together on the same line. With Roman Josi at our back as defense, the combination was deadly.

After I'd easily stole the fastest skater spot from the previous year's winner, playing in the three on three games came easily. I had the opportunity to meet players I'd never talked to before, interact with fans, and participate in interviews for various media outlets. If anything, I dutifully went through the events with complete happiness. Halle was always close, albeit not in my sight at all times. Her presence in the area around the games was relaxing.

It filled me with calm to return to our hotel room and find her sitting on the balcony. The Florida weather wasn't the best, but there was enough warmth for her to thrive. Maybe it was a sad excuse of a vacation for her, but I was quite enjoying myself. Especially when I had the chance to show off, even just a little.

I found out I thrived under attention when it wasn't directly media related. Attention from players was a whole different story. To be around the men and women who understood the effort I'd put into getting there was a relief. I felt at home, almost as much as I did when Halle was with me.

I was a hockey player and so were they. They didn't care if I messed up or goofed around. They understood the pressure. I wasn't alone in my worries. We were united by the love of the sport.