Page 78 of Like A Daydream
“I missed you, D,” he says softly, pressing his forehead against hers. “So much, I couldn’t think straight.”
“I needed you,” she whispers, brushing their noses together, “and I couldn’t wait to see you any longer.”
“I’m right here,” he says softly, “I’ve got you. I’m so sorry.”
“Never again,” she says, pulling back to meet his eyes, “promise me.”
“I promise,” he slides his fingers through hers, and glances over her shoulder at the arena. “Do you… maybe want to come to my practice tomorrow?”
“What is this, high school?” she asks, but there isn’t malice in her voice. “I’ll come to your practice, Andy, but only if you show me all the ins and outs of being an NHL Wag.”
“How did you even know that that’s a thing?”
“It’s not 1875,” she says, hooking her arms over his shoulders, “Google exists. And I read about it in one of the books you put on display.”
“A woman after my heart.”
“Thought I already had it.”
“You do,” he says, kissing her again, “you definitely do.”
Having Danielle in town and reminding him that she’s not going anywhere puts a new desire in him to play better, and for the next two days at practice and morning skate he’s onfire.
It feels so good.
He’s not saying he needed her here to play good hockey, but he’s not going to ignore the fact that he’s feeling more confident on the ice now that she is. It would take an idiot not to see the correlation, and he’s been enough of an idiot for the foreseeable future.
Now that she’s watching him from the suites at PNC, officially invited by the WAGs because she’s the Captain’s Girl, even though it normally takes longer to break into that particular crew of women, he feels like anything is possible.
She’s in the suite, wearing his name, and ready to jump in his arms when the game is over. Showing him what his life can be like having it all, even though he’s ready to give it up.
He’d decided when he’d woken up that morning, Danielle’s head pillowed on his arm, that his time in the NHL was coming to an end. He’d thought he would feel more panicked about it, but the moment the thought had crossed his mind he’d felt a wash of peace come over him.
If they win the Stanley Cup this year, he’s definitely done. If not, he might give it one more year. No one knows this, of course, except for JT, who he’d texted once he’d given the thought time to digest. He’s still in the preliminary stages of decision-making, but he’s thinking that retiring might be what’s best for him.
He’s also thinking, that if he ends the season with a ring, Danielle might too.
Danielle
Danielle pulls Harper out of school early on Wednesday, November fifteenth, making sure that she has all of Harper’s work for the next few days from Mrs. DeLisle before they head to the Albany airport. It’s a two-hour drive, so they stop at McDonald’s on the way as a treat for Harper. She doesn’t know where they’re going yet, only that it’s a surprise.
It’s Thanksgiving break, Andrew has a run of home games this week, and Danielle had had the wild idea of surprising him in the friends and family area after the first game. She’d had Jet pull some strings, and he’d managed tickets for them in one of the higher levels before getting passes mailed to her.
She’d thought about texting the WAG group chat, but she didn’t want the news to leak. And while they’re nice enough, she still isn’t sure of her place in the hierarchy. She’s the Captain’s girl, but she’s also the newest addition. She doesn’t want to ruffle feathers.
Harper also hasn’t seen Andy since he left in August, so she thinks that an extended Thanksgiving break is warranted in this situation. She’s been asking constantly since the day after he’d gone.
Harper is already above grade-level in every subject but math. When Danielle had told Mrs. DeLisle what their plans were, she had all but offered to drive them to the airport herself.
Danielle has only seen him the once, and they’ve barely had more than an hour or two a week to check in with each other. She can’t wait to be back in his presence, to see him and talk to him. Sure, he’ll be busy because they have a stretch of home games, but at least they’ll be in once place, together.
Like a family.
They get to their gate before Harper realizes where they’re going, and when she figures it out, she starts to cry. Danielle isn’t sure if it’s because she’s tired from school, or if it’s because she’s missed Andy just asmuch as Danielle has, and has been wanting to see him but has kept it inside her little brain instead of telling her.
“We’re going to see Andy?” she asks, tearful eyes wide. Danielle nods, and Harper launches herself into her arms, throwing her arms around her neck. “Thank you, momma. I missed him!”
“I missed him too, Sparrow,” Danielle says, rubbing her hand in circles on Harper’s back. “And you don’t have school for the rest of the week, so I thought we could go see him and watch him play hockey. Are you happy?”
