Chapter 32

Haha, loved the feedback on one line in my last chapter. You'll just have to wait and see :D


Eliza's POV:


The next day was busy with pre-game preparations for Max and a lot of cooking with Lucy. She had actually gotten teary-eyed when I asked her to share recipes with me and hugged me for a good minute and a half before Max had walked in and asked what had happened to her.

Together we sat in the kitchen writing out a shopping list for Sunday when I would be having my Mom over to eat dinner with us. Lucy was going to teach me how to make Tourtiere, a traditonal meal in Quebec and one of Max's favorites. Essentially, it was a spiced meat pie. While I thought it was a little gross sounding, I kept my mouth shut and decided to make a lot of side-dishes to go along with it.

At one point Max came into the kitchen to check on us, give me a kiss and disappear upstairs to nap before he had to leave for the Mellon. Lucy watched us with interest and waited until Max was out of the kitchen to say something.

"He's so much different than how I imagined he'd be when he finally found someone."

Her comment threw me off a little bit and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. "What do you mean?"

"Well it's a good thing" she stressed smiling at my worried look. "I just always thought he'd be my one boy to find someone as equally wild as he so that he actually stayed interested. Instead now, he's found someone who's settled him. I just never realized that that was exactly what he needed all along."

Now I was going to be the one who started to cry. I walked over to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek appreciating so much that the man I was head over heels for had an angel of a mother.

"Thanks" I said laughing and wiping my cheeks. "I like you guys too."

She gave me another squeeze before letting me go.

"Oh let's stop being so emotional and run to the grocery store quick while both Serge and Max are napping." A quick peek into the living room proved that Serge was indeed napping in front of the TV. I guess 35 years of marriage had put her in-tune with her husband's actions, even when they weren't in the same room.


By the time 4:30 rolled around, the house was busy with activity as Max scrambled to get out of the house on time.

"So you have the ticket I gave you for your Mom, right?" he asked pulling me upstairs with him in the bedroom while he put his suit on. I noticed that he had groomed his facial hair into the fu-man-chu. I wanted to laugh when I realized that this was his version of looking nice for my Mom. Somehow that was incredibly endearing.

"Yes, I have all of the tickets and passes to meet you downstairs after the game" I said straightening his tie for him.

"Good, I love you" he said giving me another kiss and smiling down at me. Even though he had smiled at me a million times over the past 8 months that I had known him, my stomach still did backflips at the sight of his dopey smile.

"I love you too" I mumbled closing the distance between our lips. Eventually I had to shoo him out of the bedroom so that he could leave and called my Mom quick to remind her of where to meet us at the Mellon.

I dressed casually that night in a long black cardigan and jeans with a yellow scarf so that I at least looked like I was cheering for the Pens tonight. We'd be sitting in the section where a lot of other player's families sat when they were visiting so I knew that we would be visible instead of my usual spot where no one could see me in the owner's box.


When we arrived at the Mellon, I used my pass to park in the family and player's section of the parking lot and Max's parents and I walked towards the main gates to meet up with my Mom who was meeting us there.


"Mom! Over here!" I said spotting her over the crowds of people already gathering in front of the gates.

"Lucy and Serge, this is my Mom, Addy" I said gesturing between everyone and making introductions. My Mom smiled warmly at both of them and shook hands. Lucy looked like she wanted to jump my Mom and pull her into a hug but was restraining herself and Serge looked the same way he always did, relaxed and at ease. So far, so good.


"So are we ready to go inside?" I asked excited to get some drinks so that we could all relax a little bit more.


"These seats are great" My Mom leaned over to comment once we were seated. Max had scored us some really good seats down towards the front but just high enough to see all of the action on the ice.

"Are you having fun?" Lucy and Serge had gotten up to get some snacks leaving her and I alone to chat.

She smiled at my question and patted my leg soothingly. "Sweetie, don't worry. I like them a lot so far. Lucy's very sweet and it's obvious that they both already think of you as a daughter. I'm very happy for you."

"Thanks, Mom" I said leaning over to give her a hug. It was nice to have her back to her normal, supportive self. She was one of my best friends and my mother and I didn't like us at odds with each other over Max. All of this showed that she was finally coming around to the idea of Max and me choosing to share my life with him.

"How has his shoulder really been feeling lately?" Lucy asked after we all watched Max get checked into the boards pretty hard.

"Um, he doesn't talk about it, but truthfully I think it's bothering him a bit."

Serge nodded and added, "It's pretty well-known in the NHL that he had surgery on it so he's been a big target this season."

That much was true. It seemed like particularly nasty teams like the Flyers and the Rangers targeted him and his shoulder a lot which I knew frustrated him.


"He's tough, he'll get through it" I said having faith in the fact that he could look out for himself on the ice. Off the ice was where he needed me around for a little help sometimes.



Max's POV:


My shoulder hurt like a bitch but Addy and my parents were here watching with Lizzy so I played through it instead of cutting my ice team like coach and the trainers kept suggesting.


After last year they would never tell me to get off the ice unless I was severely injured. They knew better but I could practically read their minds screaming get off the ice!


After two more painful periods, the game was over with us adding another win to the season's roster with a 4-1 win over Tennessee.

It took her longer than usual but eventually I saw Lizzy's blonde head amongst all of the sweaty guys in the locker room.

"Hey, good game" she said surrounding me in her clean scent as she pressed close enough to kiss me and still avoid my sweat.

"Where's everyone?" I asked noticing for the first time that she had come in alone.

"They stayed outside because it's so crowded in here."

"How's everything going?" She would know what that question meant. Truthfully, I was worried about them meeting each other just because I knew how important it was to both of us that they did like each other. Maybe my Mom can put in a good word for me with Addy or something.

"They're getting along really well actually" she said watching me start to take off my gear. "You shouldn't have anything to worry about tomorrow" she grinned slyly knowing that I would be relieved. Her mom could be terrifying if she wanted to.

I rolled my eyes at her for knowing what I was thinking and she told me that she was going to take my parents home. "I know you go out with the guys for drinks sometimes but would you mind just coming home? We got some sleet this evening, even though it's supposed to be spring, and the roads are slippery."

I nodded and watched her leave stopping a few of the guys on the way out to congratulate them on different plays or goals. I didn't mention to her that I hadn't planned on going out whether there was good weather or bad.

I skipped heading to the trainer to have my shoulder wrapped. With us on the brink of the playoffs, everyone was starting to feel the brunt of the hard season and there was practically a line forming already to see the trainers.


After talking quick to Dan Potash and teasing the guy a bit, I was finally free and headed out to my car to go home. Hopefully everyone would be in bed by the time I got back because I just wanted to lay in bed with Lizzy and unwind. It was always great to see my parents but I missed having my alone time with her when it was just the two of us in the house.


As I thought about Lizzy probably already in bed waiting for me to come home, I couldn't help but speed up just to get home faster.

Eliza's POV:

I sighed and settled back against the pillows catching up on the day's news while I waited for Max. Everything was set up for dinner the next night and I had made sure to give my Mom directions to the house before kissing her goodbye in the parking lot at Mellon Arena. We had been home for an hour and I wondered what was taking him so long. The roads had been a little icy thanks to an end of winter sleet storm that evening but he would be careful, right?

I settled deeper down into the bed and turned on Conan O'Brien to entertain me while I waited. Within minutes I was asleep.