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halle

On Hunter's first birthday, I posted the pictures and caption I had planned. Just that morning, Tyler and I had reactivated our Instagram accounts. We were both making posts for this day.

The first picture was from last weekend, when we'd celebrated his birthday with my family in Toronto. It was Tyler and I, holding Hunter and posing for the camera. After that, I posted a picture of Tyler holding Hunter on the day he was born. Tayler had taken the picture when I was incoherent and Tyler was looking down in complete awe and raw emotion. The third and fourth slides were explanations of the past year.

One year ago, Tyler and I welcomed this amazing and sweet baby boy into the world. Hunter Oswald Dewalt was born at 3:23 p.m. on September thirteenth, 2022. He weighed a whopping 8.7 pounds, and cried like we'd just taken his favorite toy away.

We don't regret keeping him a secret from the world. We're both overjoyed that we get to share our little bundle with the fans finally.

Thank you everyone who has supported our little family in the past year, particularly the staff and team of the Blackhawks organization. No other franchise would've handled our secret so professionally.

To Tyler, thank you for being the best dad to this little bean. You were there for long FaceTimes and all the warmies excitement. Although we didn't have a cup to show for his first year on earth, he still knows his daddy is a champion. We're rooting for you this season!

A lot has happened behind the scenes in the past year. I got married to the man of my dreams and father of my child. We adopted Diggly (not my proudest moment as a cat person). We moved into my absolute dream house, and I finally got that minivan. No more BMW. Hunter learned to creep, crawl, and cruise around our apartment all by himself. He even attended his first swimming lesson with Uncle Connor and Aunt Lauren over the summer.

So much has happened. But as always, there's more craziness to come. Now that the secret is out, another one may be in the works...Stay tuned, Hawks fans.

Much love,

Halle Dewalt

Tyler's message was similar. But he had no idea about the other two secrets. Yes...two.

Two little hearts that would outnumber us. Two little smiles that be the best little brothers to Hunter. Two mischievous little boys that would drive Diggly crazy. This time, I was ready for it. I was ready to devote the rest of my life to my three sons.

&&&

four years later

"Hunter, please put your hat back on. Aunt Hannah is going to be here any minute and you want to look nice for her. Right?" Hunter defiantly glared up at me for a moment. He was obviously thinking about doing the exact opposite. My look stopped his actions. I nodded in relief when he pushed the small beanie around his ears.

I crouched to adjust Blake's hat, then turned to Griffin. He was already standing at my elbow, flashing me heavy puppy dog eyes.

"What's up Griff?" He put his arms up, asking to be scooped into my arms. I gladly obliged. He automatically grabbed at my hair, pulling it gently. I returned my attention to the playroom, surveying the two children that were starting to wack each other with mini sticks. I quickly separated their attempts at murder, all while holding Griffin.

Keeping them from killing each other wasn't always an easy task, and I knew it wouldn't get better as they grew up. Especially between Blake and Hunter. Hunter was a fresh five year old, but his competitive streak was strong. Blake was right behind him, almost four and striving to be like his older brother. Griffin was different. He liked to play rough with his brothers sometimes, but he wasn't at it all the time like they were. As Tyler always said, Hunter and Blake were spitting images of him. Right down to the streak of competition and bright green eyes. Griffin was more like me. Maybe that was why he gravitated to me so often. His hair was a soft golden blonde and pin straight, not the darker brown waves of his brothers. His eyes were a darker shade of blue, resembling my father's eyes. And he wasn't rough or crazy. He was shy and thoughtful. He was perfectly content to sit with me while we watched Tyler's games instead of running around with the rest of the kids.

That was our destination now. The three boys were outfitted in their bright red Blackhawks jerseys. The backs bore the large number one, under the word 'Daddy.' My own sweater was normal, with our last name on it.

This game was special. It was why Hannah and my brothers were in town. It was Tyler's 400th NHL game. And he was sitting on eighty eight points in the season and six hundred and ninety nine in his career total. One more tonight, and he would have seven hundred points. I had no doubts he would land that milestone.

Hannah had promised to help me wrangle her nephews into the car and out to the arena. I definitely needed the distraction. Our house was forty five minutes away from the arena. On a good day. Since it was such a highly anticipated weekend game, I had no doubts that the freeway would be jammed. A part of me almost missed the apartment only a few blocks from the United Center. Wishing to live there again was unrealistic with three young kids and a dog.

The doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of my sister. I let out a breath of relief, turning to head to the front of the house. Hunter and Blake were way ahead of me.

"Wait for me you two! Don't open the door until I get there!" I set Griffin down in order to hustle. He padded quietly after me, his thumb stuck in his mouth. I finally was able to hold back an excited Diggly and my kids so Hannah could come through the threshold. She was immediately bombarded.

"Auntie Han! Did you bring any?" I had to laugh.

"Boys, Aunt Hannah can't always bring you Skittles. She's still in school and not worrying about little boys who don't need more sugar." Hannah made a face at me.

"I did bring some. They're in my bag. That means you guys have to be perfect in the car ride to see Daddy play, ok? I'll give you all some when we get there." She patted Diggly's head as he bumped excitedly against her.

I quickly handed her my phone before things got chaotic.

"Hunter, Blake, come stand next to me." I hoisted Griffin up again. "Diggly, sit!" They were used to pictures by now. I did this before every game. I wanted to see the growth from the twins' infant stages during the season to whenever Tyler retired. I hoped they would let me do this when they got older.

I always held Griffin, Diggly sat on my left, and my eldest two sons stood to my right. I brought my hand down to rest on Hunter's shoulder lightly. Hannah snapped a picture quickly. I grinned into the flash. The second she brought the phone down, Blake catapulted forward at her knees. She let out an 'oomph' as he collided with her legs.

"Whoa there, Crazy. Relax." I shook my head at his antics. After I'd locked the front door behind Hannah, we traversed to the garage. I used my keys to unlock the minivan that sat in the center of the open space. I warned Hunter as he reached a hand out.

"Don't touch Daddy's car. You know he'll make you clean the fingerprints off." The car in question was a sleek black Ferrari that rarely saw the light of day. Tyler's fifth child, besides his actual offspring and Diggly. Hunter quickly yanked his hand away. I was glad to see the threat of chores had that impact.

After I'd loaded the kids into their car seats, I backed out of the garage. Hannah turned to talk to them.

"Do you guys know who Daddy is playing tonight?" Blake started to shake his head, but Hunter sat up.

"The Nuckies!" He crowed triumphantly. I laughed.

"Yes, the Canucks. Good job. Do you know who plays for the Canucks?"

"Uncle Alex!"

"Exactly. You guys get to see him after the game. Are you excited?"

"Yeah!" Even Griffin chimed in. I was happy when he spoke up.

"Will Auntie Lyndsey be there? And Jamie?"

"No, unfortunately not. They live too far away."

"Aww."

"We can call them later, if you want." I was bummed too. The boys had grown up with almost daily play dates at the DeBrincat household. When Alex had been traded in the past off season, we'd all been bummed.

The team that I'd become so familiar with from the victorious seasons was dwindling. There were young new faces and new women to get used to. I still had Tayler, but our original core four had been torn apart. Elvis had been sent off to the Bruins and Alex was in Vancouver.

Tayler and I had become closer with a few of the original wives and girlfriends that remained, like Chaunette and Brittany De Haan, but it wasn't the same. I couldn't stay upset for too long. I still had my sons with me, no matter who was at the game or who we played. I got to witness the renewed magic of knowing the players and living through them.

A harrowing drive later, and I'd arrived at the stadium. We were almost two hours early, but that had been the plan. For the Blackhawks TV segment, the media director had asked if Hunter could be mic'd up and run around with the team while they warmed up. I didn't mind, of course. I just had to hope that he could behave himself in front of a camera. He already knew so many players on the team, especially our live-in rookie Shane Wright. Knowing Hunter's personality, he would try to jump in sewer ball with the rest of the team.

I bundled the three kids out of the car with Hannah's help. The frigid December air was exactly why I'd insisted on the hats as part of the wardrobe. The cold was unforgiving to tiny extremities. As soon as we entered the arena, I knew they would lose their jackets and hats. I'd be stuck holding them until the end of the game, where it would be a struggle to get the clothing back on them. I didn't worry about the end of the game right then.

"Johnny and Lisa will meet us up in the box later. It's a shame Leyla isn't older or she could play with these goons." Leyla was my two year old niece, the fourth grandchild added to our growing extended family. Mason and his new girlfriend Kimmie were the last couple that would add to the brood of children. And Hannah, of course. But my younger sister was only eighteen. She was a senior in high school still, with a whole college career ahead of her. And I had to hope she wouldn't follow my less than stellar lead.

This was the first time Hannah had flown to Chicago without my parents. She would be staying for a few days to help out with her nephews and to look at the various colleges the city had to offer. I couldn't complain about her presence. Hannah was a welcoming change from my every day routines. I could leave the twins with her when I drove Hunter to preschool and his hockey lessons. Dressing three kids every day was always a challenge. I wouldn't have to worry about that for a week.

I watched with amusement as Blake pulled Hannah forward, eager to reach the United Center. He was chanting with each step.

"Hockey! Hockey! Hockey!" Hunter joined him, stomping happily across the blacktop. I looked down at Griffin, who was holding my hand loosely.

"Do you think Daddy is going to score today?"

"Yep." He nodded sharply.

"Just once?" He grinned up at me, a mischievous look coming into his eyes.

"No." He drew the word out before dropping a number. "Five times!"

"Wow! I hope you're right." Griffin looked pleased with his estimate. "Tomorrow is the Christmas skate. Are you ready to show everyone how good you can skate around?" Griffin looked daunted. He didn't reply. I chuckled, scooping him up. "Think about that one. Let's go buddy, we're falling behind. Aunt Han is booking it."

Hannah was being dragged unceremoniously forward by both hands. Hunter was practically bouncing, still yelling about hockey. They were forced to stop when they reached the security at the door. I caught up, supplying all the tickets and badges. As we passed the guard, Griffin waved at him happily.

I took my crew down to the locker rooms, where the media workers outfitted Hunter with a sturdy microphone. The second he was allowed to go find Tyler, he took off. Blake and Griffin followed him, racing to try and get to the team first. The camera man was next. The feed from the camera projected onto a screen near the director, which I was able to see. We followed with the cart, far enough away from the camera that we wouldn't be in the video, but close enough to intervene if the boys got too crazy.

I smiled at the screen as Hunter waited patiently outside the door. He even politely knocked on it once. I could faintly hear from my spot down the hall what he was saying.

"Daddy? Come out soon Daddy."

He didn't have to wait long. After a minute or two, the door swung inward to reveal a player. Hunter cheered loudly, grinning up.

"Dylan!"

"Hey Hunt! What's up?" Dylan fist bumped Hunter before grabbing the soccer ball from its elevated spot. He was quickly followed by Adam, who was also greeted with a loud chorus. When Tyler came out, my boys rioted.

"Daddy!" Tyler stood no chance as he was tackled simultaneously by all three of his sons. He let out a grunt before grinning down at them.

"Wow! Hey guys. Look at you three with the hair! Were you wearing hats?" He reached out to smooth Hunter's wild curls down. Hunter ignored the touch, pulling away.

"We want to play sew ball with you and Shane!"

"Go open the door and tell himself yourself. Tell him your Daddy said to hurry up and get out here." Tyler turned Hunter and pointed at the locker room. He took off, followed by the camera man. When the spunkiest son had disappeared for a moment, Tyler's head lifted to look up the hallway. He caught my eye for a split second. My heart fluttered at the smirk on his lips. It had been seven years with him and I still wouldn't get over that look. I let my eyebrows raise in a silent question when Hunter didn't return right away. Tyler shrugged, returning his attention to Blake and Griffin.

When Hunter returned, I almost let out a loud guffaw. He was dragging Shane by one hand and Nick Beaudin by the other. Both younger guys looked completely miffed that they were being manhandled by a five year old. I wanted to chirp them from down the hallway, but held back.

As the team increased in size and loosened up, my boys were all over the place. It was an interesting thing for them to do, something out of the ordinary. It wasn't every day that they got to see Daddy and his friends getting ready before the game. Normally, we were high above in the stands and unable to see Tyler until after the game. This was a special circumstance for the video the media team was putting together.

They were allowed to run around for another twenty minutes before the director asked me to wrangle them up. Griffin and Blake came without too much trouble, but Hunter was reluctant to leave until Hannah pulled the giant bag of skittles from her purse. I had to laugh at his reaction. When he sailed away from Tyler with with stars in his eyes, his father looked miffed. I shrugged, still chuckling.

The camera stayed on him as we traversed up the flights until we reached the rim of the bin. Hunter tugged on my sleeve, pointing wildly at the bright cotton candy.

"Later. We're going to wait until the game starts. All your friends should be here, don't you want to see them first?" Hunter clapped wildly. The friends in question were Leyla, Dax, and Andy. Somehow, Andrew Shaw was still on the team, despite being thirty five. I was beyond grateful for that. Chaunette was a role model and a close friend. It helped that Dax was close in age with Hunter at seven years old. The two were good friends. The camera was about to capture that well.

As if they'd known what they expected Hunter to do before the game, a portion of the hallway outside the box had been converted into a mini stick rink. Dax was already inside, slapping the ball around while his older sister attempted to be a goalie. Hunter let out a whoop that made me laugh. While Blake and his older brother darted off, Griffin stayed by my side. I brought him over to Chaunette, who was sitting back and watching her kids.

We observed their game for awhile, until my brother and his daughter showed up. From there, the camera turned into a permanent tripod next to Hunter's seat. Before we settled into the game, I knew the boys would want to go down and get pucks from Dad.

We were on the glass before fans started to trickle in. Hunter slapped it excitedly, waiting for his father to appear. He knew what to expect.

Before long, Tyler came sailing out for warmups. Blake spotted him before Hunter did, pointing excitedly. After Tyler had stretched out for a moment, he skated over. His eyes were across the ice, pretending not to see us. I could easily read the smirk on his face. He dropped his shoulder and slammed into the glass in front of us. Hunter shrieked in glee. Even Griffin giggled at the contact.

Tyler lifted two pucks, sending them over the glass and into Blake and Hunter's hands. Griffin leaned forward in my lap, slapping the glass. Tyler feigned shock. With a gloved finger, he pointed at Griffin. He waved the puck around. His serious expression broke when Griffin pouted and he tossed the puck over. We waited until warmups ended to go back up to our seats.

As soon as the game started, I didn't have to remind Hunter what was happening. Blake and Griffin didn't always pay attention, but there was something about Hunter's mind that was able to concentrate on hockey. I could see the gears behind his eyes working to analyze the game. Maybe his brothers would get there one day, but Hunter already had an affinity for the sport his father adored.

He could almost skate circles around me already. He knew his way around the rink with a puck on his stick. I didn't regret all the driving to youth hockey clinics, all the equipment, or anything else to help him thrive. He was still young. Five years old and the whole world ahead of him. He could do anything yet. For now, I sat back and let him be a kid. I let him ask crazy questions about what his dad was doing on the ice. I let him jump around when Tyler scored and clinched his 700th point. I let him be a kid.

Hunter's time would come.