Counting Down The Days (Counting on Hockey #3)

Chapter 37: Sir Stanley

"What time do we have to pick up the cup?" I ask Cole as I finish getting ready, and close up my suitcase

I've practically started living at Cole's. Most of my clothes are over here, except for the few I don't wear that much, and those are still back at the apartment. I go back when Cole isn't home until late at night. It's a little closer to the stadium, so it's easy to walk to after a long day. I'll go out to Cole's apartment when I know he's going to be home before I go to bed, or we leave the stadium at the same time. 

Cole and the Wild recently won the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history. Coach is going by alphabetical order once the cup went to the captain and assistants. He have it for a week, so Cole bought the thing a plane ticket, and we're going out to Maine with it tonight. Bangor is having a giant celebration for us this weekend, then we have to fly the cup back here for Jonas Brodin to have. He's taking it out to his home country, Sweden.

"Boudreau said noon. We have to go over something with the keeper, then we fly out at four", Cole says before he walks into the bathroom and picks up all of his toiletries.

We both put our suitcases next to the door and I start on our breakfast smoothies. Strawberries, bananas, a little bit of Kale, chocolate whey protein, and cherry juice. It's the best smoothie I've ever tasted, so we make it every Friday morning before he heads to Xcel.

I don't officially work for the Wild anymore. My job ended right after we won the Stanley cup. Peter and the other two boys left about a month ago, Aiden left a week ago, and I'm supposed to move my stuff out of that apartment next week. I haven't been to the stadium in about a month. I just haven't needed to go. I've toured the twin cities with Aiden and traveled around the Midwest with Cole and the team. I went back to Chicago to see my parents, and to Michigan to see Lucy and her husband.

"Come on. Let's go", Cole wraps his arms around my waist as I finish washing the blender and two glasses. I turn my head and look up at him, but fail when his chin rests on my shoulder. He hums into my ear. "I love you".

I hesitate for a moment. It's the first time he's said it since we broke up last August. I think, but I know my answer. "I love you".

Cole seems to take a sigh of relief and steps away from me. I set down the dish towel and follow him out into the living room. I strap my sandals to my feet and check around the apartment one last time. Windows closed, no lights on, appliances are secure. All clear. Cole opens the front door and I follow him out with my suitcase in hand. We take Cole's car, which he hasn't driven for close to three months, and drive to the stadium.

"Hey Anderson, Miss. Adams. Ready?" Coach Boudreau doesn't even have to look up from his computer when we walk to the doorway of his office. He finally looks up and smiles. "Let's go get you that cup".

Boudreau talks about how us having the cup is going to work. We have to make sure it ever leaves the premises that we're on. The keeper will keep it over nights after parties or we're done with it for the day. The keeper has to go everywhere with the Cup. He doesn't have to be with it while we are, but he doesn't have to follow us when we actually have it in our possession. It's an odd set of rules to explain, and Boudreau had a problem telling us the rules as well, but Cole and I both understand.

"Cole, Meredith, you know Phillip, the Keeper of the Cup. He'll be traveling with you for the next few days while you're in Maine. He won't be with you twenty-four seven, but we all know the limits".

Phillip shakes our hands. "It's great to see you again".

"Okay, so you will all be on the same flight to Maine, though your seats aren't actually near each other. The cup will have to sit in the middle seat on the plane, and delivered to Phillip once you get off the plane. We need to keep it in our sights at all times. Anderson, you know the rest".

With that, Phillip leaves and he is on his way to the airport with the cup and two other Cup-guards. Cole and Boudreau talk for a few minutes before we ourselves are on our way to the airport.

Cole parks our car in long term parking and we roll our bags to the check-in desk. The lady at the kiosk takes our bags and hands us our boarding passes. We head through security, which only takes about twenty minutes, and once we go through, we find Phillip and his assistants, and they open the Cup's case. People crowd around, and cheer as Cole raises the cup from it's case.

"Who wants a picture?" Cole yells out. The crowd cheers again, then forms a line a few feet in front of us.

Cole stands with families, people on their way to see family, others who're on business trips, people going on vacation, all sorts of people. I stand back and watch Cole and Wild Fans stand next to the cup as others take their pictures.

Nothing is better than seeing Cole happy.