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Part Sixty Five

Andrew's POV

I glance around the apartment making sure everything is clean. I told myself I wouldn't fall for Taylor, but I still want to look presentable for her. A shiver runs through my body as I hear a knock on the door and I have to stop myself from running over and tearing it open. Instead, I calmly walk over, take a breath, and open the door. 

"Hey," she says with a smile. "Hi," I say, stepping aside to let her in. "Can I get you a drink or anything?" She shakes her head as she sits down on the couch. "No thanks." I sit down in my own chair, trying to keep my legs from shaking with nervousness. It's only the second time I've met her, but something about her just makes me want to get to know her better. Her green eyes catch mine and they crinkle as she smiles at me. "Okay," she starts. "So just tell me how you're feeling this week." 

I pause for a minute, taking in everything that happened. "It's been ok. Just regular practice and stuff like that." She scribbles something down on her pad of paper and continues. "Last week you mentioned that you've had a lot of stuff going on in your life. Do you feel comfortable talking about it now?" I bite my lip, the feeling of anxiety bubbling up in my chest again. Then I realize that Nick and Becca are never coming back. I can try to run from my problems and my past, but they're not going away anytime soon. I take a shaky breath before spilling it all out. 

"My teammate... was recently killed in a plane crash," I tell her. "And at the same time, my girlfriend left me, got married, and was killed in a fire in India." A sigh echos through my chest as I take another deep breath. "It's just a lot to carry on my shoulders, especially since we're in the playoffs right now." "Oh, wow," she says, her mouth falling open. "I...I didn't know Andrew. I'm so sorry you had to experience all that." I shrug. "I can't change it so I just deal with it. And even as stupid as it was, I thought suicide could cure all that because at least I wouldn't be disappointing everyone with how I was acting."

She slides closer to me and takes my hand, causing my skin to prickle at her touch. "You're not alone, ok?" She puts her pad of paper and her pen down. "When I was fifteen, I went through something similar to you, where my dad died and my best friend committed suicide in the same week. I honestly thought that suicide was my best option and I tried to kill myself a couple days after my dad's funeral." She looks up at the ceiling, trying to keep tears from falling and I have to keep my hands from reaching out and gently wiping her face. I don't want her to cry. "I'm sorry I shouldn't take up your time with my stories," she says, letting my hand fall and shaking herself back into reality. 

"I'm sorry," I whisper. "That's why I became a therapist," she tells me. "Because I want people to know that their lives can get better and that suicide is not the best option." Her phone buzzes signaling the end of our session and her face falls. "Oh Andrew, I'm so sorry. I wasted all our time with my story." She shakes her head as she gathers her stuff. "You don't have to pay for this session, it's on me." I shake my head. "No, no, you needed someone to talk to. And I'm here to listen too."

She stops picking up her stuff and gives me a sad smile. "Thank you Andrew. It means a lot to hear someone say that." She puts her papers and pen into her bag and tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'll see you next week," she says before slipping out the door. I stand there for a moment watching her walk down the hallway. I can't wait to see her again. 

Jonathan's POV

I finish putting all my gear on, grabbing my stick from rack and standing up. "Hey Pat," I tell him. "I gotta go see my parents ok?" We're in game seven against the Kings tonight and it's do or die time. My parents flew here from Winnipeg to see and I don't want to disappoint them. I haven't told them the news about Laura's pregnancy though, so I want to tell them today. Pat nods. "Go see em Jonny. I'll make sure the team is all ready to go." 

I knock on Laura's door, where she's going over plays for tonight's game with Coach Q. "You ready to go?" I ask and she smiles and nods. "I'll be back Q," she tells Joel. He shuffles up his papers and heads out to the locker room to get the guys situated for tonight's game as we head outside. 

My parents are sitting in an executive suit so we  take one of the elevators up there, waving to a group of fans that see me. This one little girl gets all excited when she sees me and starts hopping up and down and I smile, thinking of how that's going to be my girl one day. The elevator bings as I reach the floor of the suites and I step out, taking a deep breath and heading to suite nineteen, Laura taking my hand and following close behind. 

My parents turn around as we open the door and my mom comes over, showering me and Laura in hugs and kisses. My dad gives me a pat on the back and a hug to Laura. "You're both going to pull out a win tonight, right?" he laughs and I nod. "Sure hope so Dad." Laura slips her hand into mine and I wrap my fingers around hers, giving them a little squeeze. 

"Mom, Dad," I say. "We have some big news to tell you." They both look at us as we smile, our faces almost bursting with the news. My mom seems to predict it from the look on Laura's face because she covers her mouth and whispers something. "Are you..." Laura nods. "I'm pregnant! Jonathan and I will be parents in a few short months." Her face glows as my mom shrieks with excitement and my dad's face falls into a wide smile. "Congrats son!" he says, giving me a hug and slapping me on the back as my mom hugs Laura, her arms squeezing her tightly. I laugh out of sheer excitement for me and Laura and at my mom's reaction. "Oh this is amazing," she says and she pulls my dad into a hug, jumping up and down. 

"Do you know the sex of the baby?" she asks, her eyes wide. I pause, looking at Laura. "You can tell them," she says, nodding. "We're having a girl," I beam and my mom shrieks with even more joy. "Ohhhh, a precious little grandchild. Her grandma is going to spoil her so much." My dad laughs. "Oh no, here come the credit card bills!"

I can hear the music starting out in the arena, signaling that the team will be coming out soon. "Laura and I have to go since the game is starting, but we wanted to tell you the news." They give both me and Laura hugs before we head out, wishing us good luck. My dad pauses me before I follow Laura out. "Good luck, son," he says, a small smile on his face. "You make me proud you know that?" I give him a little fistbump, like I used to do when I was little. "Thanks Dad." 

I will be updating a new chapter each day this week, so check back tomorrow for the latest update! Please leave comments because it allows me to know what you are enjoying about the book and if there are things I should fix. Thank you for reading!