Page 114 of Player Misconduct
The bear lurches forward, finally clearing the doorway, and all three men stumble back, breathing hard.
Hunter claps Aleksi on the shoulder. "That thing's going to haunt your kid's dreams."
"He'll learn bravery early," Aleksi replies, completely unbothered.
I shake my head, biting back a smile. "Sometimes you do things that defy normal understanding… but this… this might top them all."
"You love me," he says, and my heart does that stupid flutter it always does when he says things like that—casual, easy, like it's a fact instead of a confession.
I don’t deny it.
Neither of us have said the words but it’s in the way that he takes care of me that matters more than any words could.
Behind me, I hear footsteps on the stairs. Vivi appears first, followed by Isla, Peyton, and Cammy, all of them carrying bags and boxes and wearing expressions that range from amused to exasperated.
"Of course he bought the giant bear," Vivi says, shaking her head. "I told him it was too big."
"And I told him it was perfect," Isla counters, grinning. "Look at it. It's majestic."
"It's terrifying," Cammy mutters, but she's smiling too.
The guys start filing out, clapping Aleksi on the back and making jokes about sleep training and diaper duty. The girlslinger a little longer, teasing me about the bear, about Aleksi, about how I've "got myself a keeper."
And when the last person finally leaves and the front door clicks shut behind them, the house goes quiet.
Just me. Aleksi. And the bear.
"So?" Aleksi asks, turning to me with that expectant, hopeful look. "Do you like it?"
I glance at the bear, insanely oversized, but surprisingly it looks like a good spot for a nap, or maybe that’s the end of my second trimester fatigue. I could probably sleep on a packed subway like a damn baby right now.
"It's… definitely a surprise," I say, laughing again.
He grins and walks over to the bear, trying to fluff its ears like it's a real animal. "I thought Niko should have someone to keep him company. You know, when he's a little older."
"A little older?" I echo. "Aleksi, that bear is bigger than me. He's not going to be 'a little older' for years."
"Then it'll be there when he needs it," Aleksi says simply, like it's the most logical thing in the world.
I shake my head, but I can't stop smiling. "You're like a kid sometimes."
"A very handsome kid," he corrects, winking.
I roll my eyes, but my chest aches in the best way.He'll be the best dad,I think, and the thought doesn't scare me the way it used to.
Aleksi believes so easily—in joy, in family… in us. Maybe that's why it's so terrifying. Because I want to believe it too.
He shifts the bear into the corner, adjusting it so it's sitting upright.
“I have to get to the stadium for game day warmups. I put all the bedroom boxes on the dresser for you, and my mom’s growing boxes of care packages are in the nursery walk-in closet. Are you good for now?”
“Yep, I’ve got it from here. I have to head to the stadium in an hour anyway to meet with Theo before the game starts.”
He leans down and kisses me. The kind of kiss that now feels so familiar and yet new and exciting every time.
“Is it because of Theo… or is it because watching me practice before a game turns you on?”
As if I would let his ego get away with him if I told him the truth. Instead, I go for the banter he loves so much.
