Page 133 of Goal Line
“Yeah, Dad, I do. I just...I got in my own head about it all.”
“Next time, come talk to me first—before you make assumptions about our family, and before you make big decisions. I’m happy to be a sounding board, voice of reason, or shoulder to cry on. And always remember that I am, first and foremost, your father.”
My whole body relaxes. “Thanks, that means a lot.”
“We should probably get back before they all start to wonder why it took so long to fill a water bottle,” Dad says, motioning me back into the hallway, where we run into Christopher, accompanied by a tall brunette.
I introduce him to my dad, and he introduces us to his girlfriend, Jenn. Based on what Eva told me about Christopher, I’m initially surprised he’s already labeled their relationship. But when I think about it, Eva and I have gotten married and had a baby in the same amount of time, so I suppose that’s long enough for him to go from meeting someone to calling her his girlfriend.
We bring them back to Eva’s room, and our parents say their goodbyes as they head out for a dinner reservation.
“I feel so bad that the first time I’m meeting you is in the hospital,” Jenn says to Eva, as she and Christopher take a seat. Gigi is now asleep in my arms, swaddled in her blanket after Eva fed her while Dad and I were conversing in the hallway.
“Please,” Eva says with a smile. “We’re the ones who had to keep canceling on you guys.”
“With good reason,” Christopher says, as he gently rubs Jenn’s back. He hasn’t taken his hands off her in the few minutes they’ve been in this room.
“Do either of you want to hold her?” I ask.
Jenn’s eyebrows lift. “Really? Oh my god, yes. I love babies.”
I set Gigi in her arms, smiling as Jenn coos about “her perfect little nose . . . those eyelashes . . . her little Cupid’s bow.”
Eva’s still alert and sitting up in bed, but I know she’s also exhausted. She makes me go home every night to sleep because “at least one of us should be well rested,” but she’s up every few hours nursing Gigi, and that’s got to take a toll.
Once we’re all back home, I plan to get up whenever Gigi wakes. Although Eva will have to do the actual nursing, I can burp and rock her back to sleep, so that my wife can catch a few more moments of rest. I’ve also been looking into the possibility of hiring a newborn care specialist for the nights, once my season starts up again and I’m back to traveling.
In the meantime, I’m determined to make this a quick visit so that she can get some sleep.
“So the doctors say I can start going for walks to rebuild my stamina as soon as I’m out of the hospital,” Eva tellsChristopher while Jenn whispers to Gigi. “They also said in another week or two, I can get back on skates, but literally just skating in circles, nothing strenuous until six weeks postpartum. Given that I gave birth over a month early, it’ll mean we have even more time to train before the competition.”
Although I know Eva is excited to get back on the ice, it sounds a little like she’s trying to reassure Christopher that she’ll be able to carry her weight as soon as possible.
“Hey,” he says, tilting his chin and lifting an eyebrow, “slow down. You just had a baby. Give yourself some time to recover. We’ll work it out.”
I’ve never liked him more than I do at this moment, knowing that he’s got Eva’s best interests at heart. Maybe it’s time to change his name in my contacts to remove the expletive.
“I know,” she says with a sigh, “but my mind just keeps going tohowit’s going to work out. How soon I can start lifting weights and rebuilding my muscles, how soon we can start training.”
“Sounds like the doctor’s already told you, six weeks postpartum. We’ll work out a plan with Lynette once you’re back home. I know she’s dying to meet the baby, too.”
“Maybe we can meet up at the rink in a few weeks. Luke’s setting up some interviews with nannies once I’m home. After we’ve found someone and picked a start date, I’d love to come back to the ice.” She pauses when she notices the uncertain look in Christopher’s eyes. “Just to skate around a bit, nothing more. No spins, no jumps...nothing strenuous, I promise.”
“You want to hold her?” Jenn asks Christopher, and helooks so damn uncomfortable. The old me would have insisted he hold her and asked him if he wanted kids, just to mess with him. But I’m no longer interested in being a dick to my wife’s skating partner. So, I rescue him.
“I think Gigi needs to go back to the special care nursery, actually. They want to monitor her for a while before she comes back here to sleep tonight. You want to walk her back with me?” I ask Jenn.
“Sure,” she says, standing with Gigi and laying her in the bassinet.
As we wheel my daughter out of the room, I’m reassured to hear Christopher reminding Eva, again, not to rush back to the rink. Nothing about Gigi’s premature birth was ideal, but them having six weeks longer than expected to train before the qualifiers is at least a silver lining.
Chapter Fifty-Two
EVA
After taking my and Gigi’s bags to our rooms, Luke finds me in the kitchen, where I’m arranging some of the many vases of flowers that greeted me when I walked in the door a few moments ago. Everyone’s thrilled that Georgia and I are finally home from the hospital.
The week since her birth was one long blur. I’m sleep deprived, but elated to be home and thrilled that my daughter is doing well despite being born a month early.
