Epilogue One
Cassidy
Six weeks Later
“Which one do you like?” I ask Channing as I show him my phone.
He looks at the two photos I have queued and then smiles down at the little miracle snuggled against my chest. It’s where she’s been living since the NICU cleared me to hold her for more than a few minutes at a time. Either of the photos will do. One just showcases the three of us, while the other is just of her looking as perfect as she was the moment she came out screaming.
“I say we post both,” he says, walking over to the sink so he can wash his hands to hold her.
I pull up Instagram and post two photos. The first is of the three of us. Hayley snapped it the moment she was born before the NICU swept her away. Channing is kissing the top of my head while I’m holding her close to my chest, eyes closed, and smiling. It’s not the most glamorous or well put together of photos, but it’s us. Raw. You can see the love in the way Channing’s mouth curves slightly while kissing my head. How he holds us protectively. The second photo is of our little girl. She’s dressed in a cream, long-sleeved onesie with a blush-pink bow that’s way too big for her head.
Scottie Mae Halloway. Five pounds, twelve ounces, and nineteen inches long of pure perfection came into the world on the third of April, earlier than expected. Mom and baby are both recovering well, while Dad goes out and wins us another Stanley Cup. Go Skipjacks!
I click post on my Instagram and watch as it uploads. Immediately, likes and comments come through. It’s out there now. Our whole relationship is now on display for the world to see, and I could care less. Channing has always been my person no matter how many people try to keep it from happening.
“Now, everyone gets to meet my two girls,” Channing says, taking Scottie and cradling her against his chest. “All I need now is your mommy to say yes to me.”
“What are you going on about?” I say, walking over to the change of clothes Channing has brought me from home since I pretty much moved into her NICU room when they told me she wasn’t leaving with me.
I unzip his Skipjacks duffel and stop, eyes wide at the blue velvet box sitting on top of my clothing. My hand moves slowly to grab the box and open the lid, mouth opening slightly as the breath whooshes from my lungs.
“Cassidy, I fell in love with you the moment I laid sight on you. I just didn’t know it yet. Our journey hasn’t been the easiest, but it’s by far my favorite.” He gets down on one knee slowly, holding Scottie tightly to his chest. “Cassie, will you do me the honor of being my wife? Marry me.”
My free hand covers my mouth, while the other holds the opened ring box. My eyes brim with tears as I look down at the man I’ve loved for so long.
“You know people are going to think you’re proposing because of Scottie, right?” I say, a wide smile spreading across my face.
“Let them talk.” The corner of his mouth tilts up.
Tears slide down my cheeks as I launch myself at him, careful not to startle the sleeping bundle in his arms. “Yes!” I shout as I pepper kisses all over his cheeks. “A hundred times yes. I will marry you.”
I press my forehead to his as he looks down at Scottie squirming in his arms. “Did you hear that, Scottie? She said yes. She’s finally mine.”
I can’t help the small chuckle that comes out of my mouth. If only he knew how long I was truly his.
“I love you, Channing Halloway.”
“I love you, Cassidy Reynolds.”
3 weeks later
“So, Channing has absolutely no idea that Scottie is being discharged today?” Sydney asks as she helps me pack up Scottie’s hospital room.
Scottie has exceeded all expectations. She has been weaned off her oxygen earlier than expected. She has met all her weight milestones and passed her car seat test. All we were waiting on was her echo results to come back. With all that in place, we’ve been cleared to go home. Just in time too.
The Skipjacks have made it to the Stanley Cup finals, again. Tonight is game four of the series with the Skipjacks leading the Tampa Thunder 3-0, and they’re playing at home. Which makes our surprise appearance at the game tonight that much better.
“Nope,” I say, popping the p. “I plan on surprising him.”
The second they told me we were being sprung from the joint, I went ahead and ordered jerseys for Scottie and me, with our guy’s name on the back. Well, Scottie’s is a onesie.
I sign her discharge paperwork and place her in the car seat. As soon as we reach the car, and I snap her into the base, my phone alerts to a call from Channing, and his photo displays on the screen.
“Hey—” he says, as I hear movement in the background. He must be in the locker room, preparing for warm ups. “Just calling for a little pre-game inspiration.”
Pre-game inspiration, my ass. The last few games he has called me for some ‘pre-game inspiration,’ it has been to tell me all the dirty things he wants to do to me once he gets home.
“How are my girls?” he asks.
I smile, looking at the baby camera I had installed in the car. “We’re good. Missing our guy obviously,” I say, trying to hide the excitement in my voice. “Sad that we won’t be at the game tonight. But I know you guys are going to win. My parents will be there in our place.”
“Gosh, I wish you both were going to be here tonight. I promise, though, I’ll be right at the hospital win or lose as soon as the game’s over.”
I look at Sydney, who is silently chuckling in the passenger seat next to me. He’s going to shit a brick when he sees us, but I need him to keep his focus and bring home another cup.
“Go out there and give them hell,” I say, knowing the Thunder didn’t stand a chance the moment the series went 2-0. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” he says, with a smile in his voice before the line goes silent.
The arena is electric tonight. It’s as if all of Seattle has shown up for the Skipjacks. My parents are the first to notice us as we walk into the owner’s box. Mom’s squeals of excitement fill the room as she gently takes Scottie from her car seat.
“Hello, little love. Welcome to your first NHL game,” she whispers to the little sleeping beauty before walking over to a couch and taking a seat.
“So glad you could make it,” Dad says, pulling me into a hug, followed by Mr. Richards and his wife. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell the boy that you guys were coming.”
I smile as I take a seat next to Mom. The lights in the arena dim for the player entrance. “I can’t believe he actually thought I’d miss one of the biggest games of his career.”
The lights completely go out and a remix of the team’s anthem begins. One by one, players are announced onto the ice, and I couldn’t be more proud as I watch the man I love skate out on the ice.
Right out of the gate, fans can tell Tampa is out for blood, doing anything they can to stay in it. They want a shot at the Cup and despite losing the first three, they won’t make it easy for us.
The crowd is chanting so loud, I’m thankful that Scottie is peacefully sleeping inside the glassed suite. Channing gets possession of the puck and charges toward the opposing end of the ice, only to be boarded and blocked by Tampa’s defense. Looking for a pass, he frees the puck and sends it to Brooks, who’s waiting just left of the crease. Brooks winds up his shot and slaps it into the goal, watching as the puck hits the back of the net and lights up the lamp.
The crowd goes wild as Brooks, Channing, Polston, Denizen, and Tremblay join alongside them. The rest of the first period is goalless. Both teams are frustrated, and everyone can tell by the countless penalties both teams are taking.
I take a moment to check on my mom and Scottie, but she’s dream feeding away, her eyes closed as Mom feeds her a bottle. “You and Channing made a beautiful little girl,” she says, looking at me with pride. It’s special that you named her after his parents.”
While I never pushed why Channing never talked about his parents, when we were picking names for Scottie, he told me about them. His parents had passed away in a car accident a year after he was drafted into the NHL. He’s truly been on his own ever since. So, it was only right that she beared her grandfather and grandmother’s names.
The lights dim, and the refs skate back onto the ice before the blowhorn sounds, and the guys skate back out. Right off the back, Tampa gains control of the puck and puts one into the back of the net, tying it up. Channing is pissed as he watches from the bench, realizing the second and third line is becoming flustered as they lose control of the puck, giving Tampa the upper hand.
There’s a scramble in front of the goal, resulting in a goal for Tampa. Six minutes left of the period, and fans can see the defeat on the Skipjacks’ faces. Channing hops the boards, taking the ice for his shift, and gains possession of the puck instantly. He skates back into the neutral zone, resetting for the next play. He passes the puck to Brooks as they advance into Tampa territory.
Brooks passes back to Denizen, who sends it along the boards to Channing, who’s holding it behind the net. A Tampa player advances on Channing, caging him in as he passes the puck to Tremblay at the top of the left faceoff circle, wide open. The puck touches Tremblay’s stick as he slaps the puck into the goal, lighting up the lamp and tying the game 2-2.
The second period ends in a tie, and as soon as the guys skate back on the ice for the third, everyone can see the fire behind their eyes. They want this. This is it. The final showdown. If they score a goal and hold Tampa off, they succeeded in bringing home back-to-back Stanley Cups.
The guys are at the face-off, and we can see words being exchanged between Channing and his opposing player. The ref drops the puck, and Channing wins possession, sending it to Brooks, who advances toward the net, looking for a pass, but is checked into the boards before given the opportunity. Tampa’s winger skates down the ice toward our zone, but I’m stopped by Denizen who sends the puck down the ice to Tremblay. Tremblay gets held up by Tampa’s defense but passes it to Channing who winds up and slaps the puck toward the net. Tampa’s goalie blocks it but doesn’t cover the puck in time, giving Brooks the opportunity to rebound and sink the puck into the back of the net. The lamp lighting up sends the fans into a frenzy.
Now to hold them off for fifteen minutes.
Channing
I watch as the clock counts down. This could be it, the final game of the season if we play our cards right. I watch as our third line battles it out with Tampa’s offense. Tampa’s lines are strong, but ours are stronger.
Coach signals for a line change, and I hop over the boards, ready to finish this. Four minutes left of regulation play. Anything can happen, but I won’t let it. Tampa pulls their goalie in hopes they can manage to score a goal, however it’s the wrong move on their part. Almost their entire line is in our zone. One of Tampa’s players attempts to pass to someone deeper in the zone, but before they even have a chance to get the puck, I’m there, intercepting the pass. I rush down the ice on a breakaway and aim for the net as I hit the puck. We watch as the puck glides down the ice and into the lamp, lighting it up.
One minute and thirty seconds is left on the clock as the guys on the ice with me celebrate. We’re now up by two, and the odds of us taking the Cup shine in our favor. As I skate back to reset for the next faceoff, I can’t help but wish Cassidy and Scottie were here.
Cassidy wanted to come, but I didn’t want her to feel like she had to leave Scottie alone in the hospital. She’s probably screaming at the top of her lungs right now.
The fans start the countdown, the blow horn sounding as it finally hits zero. Confetti falls from the ceiling as the entire team rushes our goalie on the ice.
Stanley Cup champions. Back to back at that. It was always a dream of mine, but now, I realize that dream is meant to include Cassidy and Scottie. God, I wish they were here right now.
The staff hands out hats and shirts as they prepare to bring the Stanley Cup on the ice. Brooks meets Mr. Richards, management, and the Richards family on the red carpet as the commissioner congratulates us once again. Raising the Cup high above his head, Brooks takes a lap around the rink, fans cheering us on before he passes it to me and so forth and so on.
Family filters onto the ice, and I’m shocked to see Cassidy’s parents making their way toward me. We embrace in a long hug before both move out of my way to reveal Cassidy and Scottie waiting for me.
Wait?
Cassidy and Scottie are here?
Holy shit. Is all I can think before I’m skating over to her and pulling her into a hug. “You’re here. You both are here,” I say, kissing Scottie gently on the head.
“We wouldn’t miss this for the world,” she says, as she wraps me in a side hug. “Scottie was discharged this evening, and we couldn’t miss her daddy win his second Stanley Cup.”
“I love you,” I say, pulling her into a hot, frantic kiss.
Before long, we’re ushered to take a team photo before getting the opportunity to take individual photos. Brooks brings the cup over to me and sits it on the ice. Cassidy takes Scottie’s blanket and gently places it inside the cup, before placing Scottie inside. Her eyes tightly close as we crouch down beside her and take a family photo.
Family photo.
Gosh, I can’t remember the last time I was able to say that.
I take my phone and instantly upload the pic to Instagram. “The Halloways,” the caption reads.
Now to make that a true statement.