Page 109 of Pipe Dreams
“If you marry Lauren, Hans will move out, won’t he?”
“Probably,” Mike admitted. “I don’t have a road map, Els. Lauren and I have a lot of things to figure out.”
“When are you getting married?” Elsa demanded. “You have to. For the baby.”
He laughed. “What other advice do you have for me? Shall I take notes?”
She elbowed him, and he laughed again. “Are we still going to France at the end of June?”
“Absolutely,” he said. Whatever changes were coming, there was no need to call off the vacation he and Elsa had been planning for a year.
“Is Lauren coming with us?”
He had to think about that. “She has to go on a business trip to China with Nate. By the way—please don’t tell a soul that Lauren is pregnant, okay? It’s too early to tell people. And her boss doesn’t know. She’ll choose the right time to tell him.”
“China? Wow. Is Lauren going to keep working for Nate after the baby is born?”
“Elsa,” he laughed. “I don’t...”
“...Know,” she finished. “Got it. There’s a lot you don’t know, though. Just saying.”
He grinned up at her ceiling. “That’s always been true. Thank you for pointing it out, honey. I love that.”
“Just doing my job.”
Mike smiled. “Can we just take it a day at a time, kid? Planning has never really worked for me. But don’t slack off on the French homework because I’m counting on you to ask directions if we get lost in Paris.”
“I can’t wait to see Cirque du Soleil, and visit all the cafes. And the shops. And the Tour Eiffel.”
“We’re going to do that right after I win the Stanley Cup, okay?”
“I thought you didn’t like to make plans,” his daughter teased.
“Only for that.” He put his fingertips at the side of her ribcage and tickled her.
She resisted mightily for a moment, until a giggle busted out. “Daddy stop it!”
“Nope.”
She shrieked, and he knew she’d be okay.
•••
Two nights later, Lauren, Elsa, and Hans watched from seats just behind the penalty box as Brooklyn lost to Dallas in game three of the finals. Brooklyn took the game all the way into overtime with a 1–1 score, but Dallas got lucky with an unlikely bounce, disappointing all the local fans.
Lauren missed the next game, because it was on the same evening as her graduation.
I can’t believe I’m missing your graduation, Mike had texted earlier in the day.
Honestly, I’d rather watch the game, she replied.But my parents are coming, as is my ninety-year-old grandmother, and I haven’t seen her for months.
I’ll be thinking about you.
Don’t!she quickly replied.Think about the puck instead. If you win, I’ll sneak into your house later to help you celebrate.
And if I lose? :(
Then you have to sneak into mine. And—hey—I need Castro’s autograph. It’s for the night doorman’s daughter.
