Page 113 of Player Misconduct
And in a few months, Kendall will be on maternity leave and she and Niko will be in my seats watching me.
Nothing else matters.
Chapter Twenty-One
Kendall
I'm elbow-deep in a delivery box that the carrier just dropped off with Vivi’s name on it, something she ordered for the kitchen that arrived after Aleksi showed me the house yesterday, when I hear it: a thud from upstairs.
Then another. Followed by a muffled shout that sounds suspiciously like"Don't decapitate him!"
I freeze, spatula in hand, and tilt my head toward the ceiling.
Another bang. Then laughter—loud, male, and entirely too cheerful for someone who might be destroying my brand-new home.
"Aleksi?" I call, setting the spatula down and wiping my hands on my leggings.
These boys have a game tomorrow night and I can’t bring them in with an injury from house decorating when I’m the team doctor. It would look bad.
No answer.
Just more thumping.
I sigh and head for the stairs, one hand on the railing as I climb the stares. Niko shifts inside me—a lazy roll that feels like he's settling in for a nap.At least one of us is calm,I think.
The noise gets louder as I climb—grunting, scraping, someone muttering in what I'm pretty sure is Finnish profanity.
When I reach the top of the stairs, I stop dead.
The nursery door is open, and inside, I see Aleksi's back—broad shoulders straining against his T-shirt, arms braced against… something.
Somethingmassive…and fluffy that’s taller than him.
"What are you doing?" I ask, stepping closer.
Aleksi glances over his shoulder, grinning like a kid caught stealing cookies. "Surprise!"
And then I see it.
A bear.
Not a cute little teddy bear.
Abearbear.
The kind that's taller than me when it's sitting down. Brown fur, soft and fluffy, with a red bow around its neck the size of a throw pillow. Two of Aleksi's teammates—Hunter and Trey—are pushing from behind while Aleksi pulls from the front, trying to maneuver it through the nursery doorway.
"Where did you even—" I start, then stop, laughing despite myself. "How did you get that thing up here?"
"Determination," Hunter grunts, shoving the bear's shoulder.
"And poor life choices," Trey adds, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Aleksi grins wider. "It's for Niko. He’s going to love it."
"Niko’s not even born yet," I say, still laughing. "He's the size of a cantaloupe. That bear could eat him."
"He'll grow into it," Aleksi says confidently, giving one last tug.
