After practice, Crosby and I decided to go have a couple beers at a hole-in-the-wall dive bar just down the street from the rink.
“You ready for Myla’s party tomorrow night?” he asked as the bartender put our beers down in front of us.
“As ready as I will ever be.” It was so crazy that my little sister was about to turn twenty-one.Where has the time gone?
“Well, I know a bunch of the guys are looking forward to it.”
“Thanks man. I know it is going to mean a lot to her to have the team there.”
Crosby shrugged. “She’s the sister to one of us and the girlfriend to another—she’s like our real MVP.”
We both laughed a little. “You’re right I guess. How’s your old lady?”
Crosby groaned. “A pain in my ass. She’s so pregnant, she can’t even put on her shoes by herself anymore. Don’t get married and don’t have kids. That’s all I can say. Learn from my mistakes.”
“I got off lucky. Karla doesn’t believe in marriage, thinks it takes away from the romance of it all, and the pill is a glorious invention.”
“I can drink to that.” We clanked our brown bottles together right as my phone started lighting up with a call from Karla.
“Yeah, babe?” I answered.
“I know you’re having drinks and relaxing, but I really need you to come to my place.”
The nervousness in her tone was freaking me out. I started to get up from my stool. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I am fine. We just need to talk about something really important.”
“I will head over right now.”
I waved over to the bartender, pulling my card out of my wallet. Crosby put his hand on my shoulder. “Go man, I got this.”
“Thanks.”
I was out the door and hailing a cab within seconds.
Karla
Isaton the edge of my bathtub staring at the digital pregnancy stick. “How can I be pregnant?” I said under my breath to no one.
“Karla?” Brayden’s husky voice boomed through the apartment.
“In here,” I called to him, hiding the white pee stick in my hands as best as I could.
He opened the door, peeking his head in. “Can I come in?”
“Please.” I was fighting back tears, and I wasn’t sure if they were happy or sad yet—a lot of that depended on how Brayden took the news.
I took a deep breath and he sat down on the bathmat in front of me. “What’s going on babe? You had me worried sick.”
“Here.” I shoved the positive test into his hands, tears now rolling down my face.
He stared at it for what felt like a lifetime. Then all of a sudden he leapt to his feet, pulling me up into his arms. “This is the best news I could have ever gotten. You’repregnant!” The elation in his voice jumped through the air, crashing into me as happy tears started to make me sob even more.
“I am so thankful you aren’t upset. I was so scared,” I admitted.
“How could I ever be upset about something as amazing as the fact that we’re going to have a baby? I am going to be a father! This is incredible!” He twirled me around, carrying me into my bedroom and throwing us both onto the bed. “I have to call Myla!”
I grabbed his cellphone right out of his hand. “No. No one can know right now.”