It was back in 2013 when you visited your best friend, Anders Lee, in New York and stayed there for one week with his parents, who temporarily moved to The Big Apple after their son had gotten picked by NY Islanders.
~~MARCH 2013~~
"Y/N, sweetie, where are you?"
"Upstairs, mom."
You hear two pairs of footsteps going up the stairs and soon both of your parents appear in your room.
"Is there something wrong?"
"No, not at all. I just got a call from...guess who?"
Not really in the mood for her games, you sigh: "Don't know. Who?"
Before your mom can answer, your father interrupts: "Missy, watch your tongue. Your mother wanted to tell you Mrs. Lee called."
"She did?" that suddenly gets to you and you look at your parents wide-eyed. They are both smiling as they nod.
"What did she say?"
"Well since you and Anders are such a good friends, she wanted to invite you to New York."
"New York? But why?"
"Anders was drafted by NY Islanders..."
"I know that, dad, but what does it have to do with me?"
"Well, if you let us finish... He got an extra ticket for their game on 2nd of April against Winnipeg. His mom called to invite you to his game and spend some time in New York with them."
"Beg your pardon? Mrs Lee invited me to visit them in NY?"
"Well, you and Anders have been friends for so long... so, you want me to tell her you are accepting her invitation?"
"There is no doubt about it! Do you allow me?"
Your father looks at his mom before he answers: "Just promise us you'll be good and won't cause any troubles."
"I won't!"
"That's our girl. And we've already bought you a plane ticket to New York."
"But what if didn't want to go?"
"To New York? And to see your best friend?"
"Okay, okay. Thanks, mom. Thanks, dad."
You jump off the bed and hug your parents.
"You better start packing and we will call Lee's."
They leave your room, giving you time to pack for your trip to New York.
The next day your parents take you to the airport, lightly lecturing you how to behave for the entire ride.
"... and you must understand, Anders is a professional hockey player now so he might not have too much free time."
"Mom, I know that. And I'd never do anything to harm Anders' professional career."
"I know. I can't believe he found time to invite you to New York."
"Technically, his parents invited her, Y/M/N," your father corrects your mom and flashes you a grin in a mirror, his eyes fixed on the road.
Later your mother pulls you into a hug just before you walk through the check-in point: "My little girl is growing up."
She wipes few tears from her eyes and kisses you on your forehead. When she lets you go, your father quickly hugs you: "I am proud of you, Y/N. You've grown so much."
"Thank you for letting me visit Anders in NY. I promise I'll call you at least once a day."
"Just enjoy, sweetie. Enjoy New York and Anders' company."
~~NEW YORK~~
You land in New York few hours later, excited and tired from travelling. As soon as you walk to the area where people are waiting, you hear your name being called.
"Y/N! Over here!"
You whip your head in the direction of the voice and see Anders waving his arm energetically.
"ANDERS!"
You run towards him and his family, your backpack hitting your back. You jump in his arms and he lifts you, spinning you around.
"I missed you so much, Y/N. NHL has been crazy and I missed my best friend so much."
"I missed you too, Anders. I am so glad to see you again."
He lets you down, but doesn't stop hugging you even when his parents come closer.
"Welcome to New York, Y/N," Anders' mom hugs you while his father takes your backpack.
On your way out, you and Anders talk about everything, when he suddenly stops: "Y/N, uh, you didn't tell me whether you have a boyfriend back in Edina."
You smile lightly: "Nope. But maybe this will change soon..."
'What? Who do you mean?"
"Why do you want to know? I said maybe," you grin at him. He furrows his eyebrows: "Then tell me who is your boyfriend-to-be. Please?"
"Anders, I will let you know if anything happens, okay?" you sigh, slightly annoyed. Eventhough you two had been friends for so long, he's never shown any interest in your dating life.
He sighs: "I just want to know who wants to take my girl away from me."
Stunned, you look at him, slight blush creeping up your cheeks when you ask him what does he mean.
He puts his arm around your shoulder and grins: "You are my girl, every one knows that. We've been friends for so long, I cannot afford to lose you to another guy."
Oh, that's what he meant when he said "my girl". You cannot deny, you are feeling a bit disappointed.
'So, are you excited for the game? Have you ever seen a live NHL game?"
"I am excited. Actually, no," you answer, your throat still a bit dry from disappointment.
"You'll love it. And I am so glad you'll be there on the stands, watching me play."
You look at him and whisper: "So am I."
