Chapter 22
Number
Lenzin
She fell asleep while I read The Snowy Day. Never even made it past the middle where I still did the voices for Hildy who closed her eyes and smiled softly. She then fell asleep too.
Her hand loosened in mine, her little face tipped against Axel, I still waited a full minute after the book ended to see if Hildy woke, she did not.
I adjust their blankets as I kiss each goodnight, and then lightly kiss the other two in her belly over her shirt and turn off the lamp. Stepping out, I close the door behind me and see the kitchen light is on.
Anna is at the island, legs crossed at the ankle, eating her takeout straight from the container, which is very unlike her.
She glances up when I enter. “So good.”
“Glad to see you feeling better.”
“Is that code for, when are you leaving?” She jokes.
I open the fridge and grab a water. “Have I ever talked in code to you?”
She shakes her head and watches me for a moment. “How’d the appointment go?”
“Who told you?”
“Hildy and I are getting close,” she says casually. “I ask questions, and she answers. She is no bullshit,” she points her fork at me, “Just like you.”
That surprises me more than the question.
“You’re not pressing her right? Because she shouldn’t be under any more stress than she is already under,” I reply evenly.
“Of course not,” Anna states, and then she smiles. “I can see why.”
“Why what?”
“Why you fell in love with her.”
I shake my head lightly. “I did not think that was possible to ever feel this.”
She studies me. “But you are.”
No hesitation, no defense, just fact. “Yes, without a doubt.”
I reach into the inside pocket of my jacket and pull out the folded printout, and slide it across the island toward her.
She frowns slightly before unfolding it, and once she has, her expression softens immediately. “Twins.”
“Yes.”
She inhales, then doesn’t exhale immediately. I look at her hands. They are steady, but only because she forces them to be. She blinks once, then again.
I know this has to hurt a bit.
We were sixteen, and already knew what was expected of us, but also agreed that we’d fight it as long as we could. There was not a single romantic spark between us. We never once crossed that line or tried to force a relationship.
I was there when she found out she was pregnant, and I was there when she lost it. It was early, and she hadn’t even gone to the doctor yet. But I was fucking there when she cried in pain and asked for him.
He met her through me at boarding school.
He was in my house, in my circle, in my trust. Then he fucked her in my home while on break, behind my back.
I didn’t care that he knew we weren’t happy; our lives were planned out by our families.
I was livid that he, my best friend, my roommate fucked who he knew would one day be my wife, and even more livid that I knew he didn’t value what he touched.
I went to find Matthias, and he was in bed with another girl. A different one from two nights before.
She said she would never love again. Said she would never have children. She meant it then, and honestly, I was relieved she didn’t expect to bring a child into a marriage that was one of convenience.
Anna sets the sonogram down carefully. “You’re going to be insufferable,” she says quietly.
“I already am.”
She laughs once, but her eyes are bright. “Are you scared?”
I lean back against the counter. “Not even a little.”
She picks up the photo again. “They look like peanuts.” I chuckle. “You’re going to be a good father,” she says.
“Hey,” Hildy sighs when she answers the phone.
“Hey,” I chuckle, and she laughs softly. “You ready to do this?”
This being that this morning, Anna asked Hildy if she and Lucy would go to the game tonight. Hildy said yes immediately, and then our little Lucy woke up and came out of her room, yawning hello to us and then walked up to Hildy, smiled at her belly and said, “Good morning, sister.”
After the conversation about not knowing whether it was two girls or two boys or one of each, her little head nearly exploded, now knowing there were two.
Poor Anna felt horrible that she’d spilled the proverbial tea.
Hildy was the first to assure her it was seriously okay. I have no doubt they will be close.
Before I left for practice, I pulled Hildy aside and told her we needed to let those in our circles know, especially since we’d already agreed that Hank would return today and stay as long as he wanted, and there was no way I’d want to ask Lucy to hold a secret that didn’t need to be one. She agreed.
“I am,” she says hesitantly. “Did you speak to—”
“I sent an email,” I state.
“You what?” she asks quietly.
“It’s the best way.”
“How do you figure telling them that you are —”
“This isn’t about them, it’s about us. I am protecting my bubble for now.”
“Your sparkly shoes,” she says softly, and I can hear the smile in her voice.
“My sparkly shoes,” I repeat.
After hanging up the phone, I round the corner and see Kilovac entering, heading toward the door, probably heading to the viewing room.
“Aleks.”
He looks over his shoulder, “What?”
“Need a minute.”
He studies me for half a second and walks toward me, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
He narrows his eyes. “That tone means something.”
I lean against the wall. “You remember me trying to place the redhead?”
He doesn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“Late September, the lecture I attended for the foundation. The bar after. The woman I met and spent the night with. The one I knew was possibly the only woman who—”
“Hildy.” He states.
“I knew,” I say evenly.
“Knew what?”
“That I could fall in love with her.”
He blinks, “And you have?”
“Yes.” Aleks exhales through his nose. “She’s pregnant.” His jaw tightens. “Her life is busy, she didn’t know until —”
“Hold up, she got pregnant in September?” He gasps.
“She’s due on June 18th.”
He nods. “You love her.”
“Yes.”
“She’s pregnant.”
“Yes.”
“You’re happy, yeah?”
“I am very happy.”
“You’re going to be a father.”
I can’t help but grin, “Lucy called me Papi this morning, so I already am.”
“Gonna need to spend more time with her, both of them.”
My family, him, Anna, Hildy, Lucy, the babies, the team. “Damn right you are.”
“You’re going to tell the team?”
“Yes.”
“When.”
“Now.”
He claps my shoulder once.
“Then let’s do it properly.”
We head to the viewing room and walk in, “Bears, I need your attention.”
Heads lift.
“I am in a relationship.”
Whistles start. I ignore them.
“And she is pregnant.”
That shuts them all down; hell, it’s everyone’s biggest fear.
Aleks doesn’t speak. He just watches the room.
I continue. “I am not asking for opinions. I am informing you. I’m in deep, in love.”
“She hot?” Kozlov taunts.
“She’s stunning,” I answer and try my best not to stir the little green monster that’s never truly stirred.
Laughter from the back. “Congrats, old man.”
“Thank you.”
I let it breathe and add, “There’s more.” The room quiets again, and I pull the picture out of my pocket and hand it to Aleks. “We’re having twins.”
“No way.” He says, looking at it.
“You’re kidding,” Hank asks, heading over and looking over Aleks arm. “Two?”
“Yes, plus the little princess who’s already calling me papi.”
“Fuck man, a single mom?” Callahan shakes his head. “You truly are the Mother Faulker.”
They all cackle.
“I expect professionalism. You will treat her with respect. You will treat my daughter with respect. You will not drop f-bombs within ten feet of them, and when the babies arrive, the same goes.”
Laughter again.
Dash chuckles, “You’re screwed.”
“Yes,” I reply calmly. “And very happy about it.”
Koa gives me a one-armed hug, “You won’t be if Nalani and I have a boy and yours are girls.”
“Touché.” I laugh.
“Fuck,” he steps back and laughs. “I didn’t even think about that.”
“Happy for you, man,” Dean gives me a quick hug. “They both deserve the kind of good you can give them, and you deserve the same.”
We part, “Gonna go talk to HR, try to get Lucy in here Monday when Hildy heads back to her classes. Those other places,” I shake my head. “Not cool.”
“You give the police the statement for Dr. Rathburn?” Decon asks.
“Fuck, no, but I’ll get—”
He cuts me off, “I know you have shit going on, but my little girl—"
“I’ll do it tonight, after the game,” I promise.
Claudia doesn’t look surprised to see me. She smiles and says, “Congratulations, Papi.”
“She sent the text,” I give her a hug.
“She did,” she laughs. “It’s pretty incredible.”
“It is, and we’d have never reconnected if not for you and Savannah.” I walk over to a chair and sit down. “Deacon reminded me I had something to report.”
“He’s not supposed to pressure you, or—”
“He didn’t. This is something I should have done when we discussed it.”
She closes the door and sits in the chair across from me.
“Deacon’s the best, but Johnson used to be one hell of a goalie,” I shake my head. “She had a lot of sessions with him.”
“You think—”
“He wasn’t friends with Dingy at first. I think if you can gain his trust, get him to talk, he’d have a lot to say.”
“He’s very angry about being sent down. He blames Deacon, from what I understand.” She shakes her head. “But if she’s manipulated him, it would make more sense.”
“He loved Deacon just like the rest of this team.” I shrug. “Maybe talk to Deacon about it. Just a thought.”
“Can you tell me what happened to you, or would you rather not?”
“The first time I was summoned to speak with her, she implied that she was necessary for team advancement. That access to her was access to influence.”
“Did you feel like she was threatening you?”
“No. She implied.”
“That’s enough.”
I nod.
“I declined further contact. Quietly.”
“You didn’t report it.”
“No.”
“Why?”
Because I thought I could handle it. Because I didn’t want noise. Because I didn’t want to look weak. Because men are not supposed to be on the receiving end of that story.
“I calculated the disruption.”
“You understand this may involve licensing boards, internal investigation, and public scrutiny.”
“Yes.”
“You understand your name may be attached.”
“Yes.”
She studies me carefully.
“Do you want this anonymous?”
“Not if it means Savannah stays safe and that bitch gets what she has coming to her.” I pull out my phone.
“Because of who I am on the other side of the pond, I took notes after the second session,” I tell her.
“Times and dates. Drugs, she suggested I take for the anxiety she attempted to diagnose me. And the last time, I recorded it on my phone.”
I send her the note and the video.
“You anticipated needing it.”
“Yes.”
She reads over the note, jaw tightens slightly.
“Are you sure you’re okay with being named if necessary?” she asks.
“Yes. It’s the right thing to do.”
There’s music playing when I walk into the house, set my things down, and watch Lucy twirling in a circle, belly laughing.
“A little ballerina on your hands,” Anna laughs.
“How about a figure skater?” I ask.
She stops mid-twirl and runs at me. I love this. I catch her as she launches herself at me. “On the ice like you?”
I kiss her little cheek, “On the ice like me.”
She grabs my face, “Mommy Hildy said you have a surprise for me.”
Hildy walks around the corner, drying her hands on a towel, and smiles.
I cock my head to the side.
“I told her you found a new school for her.”
I smile, “We found a new school.”
“Do I get to see it?”
“Yep, tonight before the game, if you, Anna, and Hildy want to meet me there.” I head to the island, kiss Hildy’s cheek on the way, and set Lucy on her booster. “But I did get my three favorite girls something.”
After grabbing the bag from the entrance, I set it on the Island. “I brought something home.”
I pull the first jersey out and hold it out, showing her, “This is for you.” I hold it in front of her, “A little long, but you’re a growing girl.”
“I love it, thank you!”
The second one is folded differently.
Hildy’s name stitched across the back. “You didn’t.”
“I did.”
I walk to her and place it over her shoulders. It falls perfectly. She looks smaller inside it and somehow stronger at the same time.
“You look stunning in red.” I kiss her with restraint that doesn’t seem possible, yet there it is.
Then I pull the last one out, Anna’s.
Two numbers stitched cleanly across the back. Mine and Kilovac’s, replicating the one she wore to Yale when the stands were rarely full, and no one knew what we would become.
Anna’s voice is soft, “You remembered.”
“Of course I did. You stood for both of us.”