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Chapter Text

Every time Hailey gets annoyed by how much she and Kim are paying in monthly rent for the apartment they’ve just signed the final paperwork on this morning she just thinks of her boyfriend.

Both because thinking of Jay always makes her feel better and because her boyfriend is currently trying to find an apartment in New York City.

Which is expensive as hell.

He’d still been looking at playing for the University of Chicago for at least one year before going pro but the Rangers are incredibly keen to get him signed and on the roster this year.

He doesn’t want to be away from his mom as she approaches the end of her chemo and starts talking very seriously with her doctors about scheduling surgery.

Trudy had landed the major blow when she’d pointed out, not unkindly, that signing a pro hockey contract – and the money that goes along with it – will help make sure that Bridget gets the best care possible.

That at the minimum, he’d be able to remove the stack of unpaid hospital bills from the kitchen counter and alleviate a lot of the stress on both of his parents’ shoulders that its causing.

And less stress can only have a positive outcome on her overall health.

Once she’d said that, it had only taken a few weeks to sign a pretty basic entry level contract and he’s started looking for somewhere to live.

Rookie Camp starts in early September so he doesn’t have a lot of time to settle on something.

But right now he’s lying on her bed at the Burgess’s, staring up at the ceiling while she packs up her things.

She doesn’t have a lot.

The same three bags of mostly clothes and toiletries that she’d taken from her parents house after her mom had kicked her out.

Another small bag of the few things she’s added in the last nine months since then.

There’s a few boxes down in the living room of basic household items that she and Kim have started accumulating to furnish their new apartment but those don’t require packing because nobody had ever bothered unpacking them.

They’d been purchased and then left sitting in the corner that had been designated for them.

They’ll get keys Monday morning and then spend the morning shifting their belongings.

Followed by a run to the local thrift store to see if they can’t find some cheap furniture to round things out.

Kim is going to move the bed out of her bedroom if she can’t find something but Hailey is kind of relying on the thrift store to have something.

While she’s sure Nicole would say yes if she asked to move the bed she’s been sleeping in since Thanksgiving to the new apartment, she just doesn’t feel comfortable asking.

“Does your new apartment have a strict no boys policy?” Jay asks playfully as she folds a shirt into the bag.

“What do you think?” She asks, throwing a sock at him.

“Is this the official doorknob sock?” He asks, tossing it back her way. “To warn Kim that ‘shenanigans’ are taking place.”

It won’t be that much of an issue.

Jay will be spending most of his time in New York once September hits which means their chances for ‘shenanigans’ will be virtually non-existent.

Hailey is more worried about being the one getting warned off.

Adam has a dorm at the university but he’ll also have a roommate.

“Sure is.” She tells her boyfriend with a smirk. “This is the official shenanigans sock.”

He rolls over, reaching toward her.

“Wanna use it right now?” He asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Kim is two doors away.” She reminds him. “Trying to pack her own things and she has a lot more than I do.”

Hailey had never been the kid who had a lot of decorations and things in her room.

Sure, there had been some personal things but she’d always known that after she turned eighteen she was leaving.

Not just getting her own place or going to a college dorm like most people do but walking away from her childhood home knowing that she was never coming back.

That anything that she left behind would be lost to her.

So her decorations had been minimal.

She didn’t wear a lot of jewelry and what she did, mostly sentimental pieces that her parents and later Kim and then Jay had bought her, had been carefully stored in a small jewelry box that could be easily packed up.

Photos had been similarly put into a photo album rather than being displayed in frames that would need to be packed up and cushioned to protect glass.

She’d kept her wardrobe mostly small and sensible; definitely not spending much if any of her limited income on clothes or shoes.

Bedding had been limited to a single set of sheets, a comforter, a single pillow and two soft throw blankets.

With the exception of one of the throws, it had all been left behind when she’d left.

Most of her toys and stuffed animals had long been either donated or packed up somewhere to potentially be given to grandchildren one day.

Of them, only a teddy bear and a stuffed monkey had been worth taking with her.

All in all, she’s fortunate enough to not have a lot to pack up.

“I’m almost done here.” She reminds him. “Maybe ten more minutes and then we can go do something.”

Maybe find somewhere to park once it gets a little darker.

Easier not to get caught that way.

He smiles softly at her.

“Maybe we can head over to the mall.” He suggests. “Take a ride on the ferris wheel.”

She smiles back.

They’ve returned to the ferris wheel a few times since they’d officially started dating, revisiting the place where she’d fallen for his smile.

It’s an important part of their story.

After the ice rink at her old high school (which they rarely revisit) and Adam’s house (which they spend significantly more time at) its one of the first places they’d spent time together.

Where they’d truly gotten to talk for the first time.

Where he’s asked her if they could be friends.

When she lets herself daydream about ways that he might propose to her one day, she often finds herself considering that ferris wheel as an option.

“That sounds really nice.” She tells him, leaning down to kiss him. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Chapter Text

The apartment is tiny.

Two small bedrooms, a single bathroom, a galley kitchen, no dining room and a tiny living room.

But it’s theirs.

It’s all Hailey and Kim’s to do whatever they want with.

They’d managed to find a love seat and an armchair at the thrift store. They have no television, no stand to put one on if they did and no coffee table.

They’d picked up a cheap bunk bed that Jay and Adam had managed to disassemble to put in their separate bedrooms. ‘

They have enough dishes and silverware for just the two of them and only the most basic of kitchen utensils.

Logan and Alan had gifted them a coffee maker as a housewarming gift.

But she has a home.

As much as she’s appreciated the Burgess’s letting her stay for so long, the room that she’s slept in has always felt like Nicole’s.

Not hers.

The first thing she'd done after they got keys and walked through the door was to put the swallows up on her window.

They’d rented a moving truck for the furniture purchases and Jay, Adam, Mouse, Will, Natalie and her brothers had been there to help carry everything up three flights of stairs to their fourth story walk up.

It had gone quickly given the lack of much to move and soon most of them had been sitting around the living room (plenty of them on the floor though Hailey, Kim and Natalie are sitting in their respective boyfriend’s laps) eating pizza and drinking soda.

Her brothers had needed to eat and run, both them working an evening shift.

Hailey is studying the other purchase that she’d made today, splashing out the relatively big bucks for a nice one.

A radio.

She can’t justify the expense of cable right now to be able to watch the games of an out-of-market team, let alone a tv to watch them on.

She knows once Jay figures out a few details – his own living costs and how to pay off his mom’s medical bills while his parents insist they can’t accept that to name a few – he’s thinking about paying for a cable connection for his childhood home.

Not for his own ego but because he knows his parents will want to be able to watch the games – his mom will probably happily host watch parties for half the neighborhood when she’s feeling up to it – and he doesn’t want them to have to pay for it themselves.

And she’ll be over there plenty but she also wants to be able to hole up in her room and listen to games while she studies sometimes.

That way she can pretend she’s at least sort of paying attention to her homework.

“I would get you cable too, ya know?” Jay whispers.

“And take away my excuse to go over and eat your mom’s cooking?” She retorts.

“Breaks my poor heart when you call me an excuse.” He teases.

She kisses him.

“What if I call you the best excuse ever?” She asks him.

“Mmm.” He hums against her lips. “I guess that does help a little bit.”

“Get a room.” Kim says, throwing the crust of her pizza at them.

“Don’t mind if I do.” Jay says, rising to his feet in one smooth motion and tossing Hailey over his shoulder.

She giggles, her hair falling in waves around her head.

“Wait.” She calls. “I want another slice of pepperoni first.”

Natalie obligingly reaches up, handing it to her and she grabs at it blindly.

“I think that’s our cue to leave.” Will says, gently nudging his girlfriend to stand up. “I’m not about to be in the other room while they do… that.”

“Woow.” Hailey says. “What a prude.”

“I’m not a prude.” Will protests. “That’s my little brother. There are things I need to be able to pretend he doesn’t do.”

“You handed me my first pack of condoms.” Jay points out.

“Mom told me to.” Will says. “She knew it would make it too weird if they came from her and dad wouldn’t do it so I got drafted.”

Adam bursts out laughing as color floods Jay’s cheeks.

“She… what?” He splutters.

“Amusing as this is.” Hailey says. “All the blood is in my head right now.”

He puts her down, helping steady her for a moment.

“Why… did she say why she was doing that?” Jay asks.

An impish grin spreads across Will’s face.

“Apparently someone isn’t very good at clearing his chat history.” He teases.

This time the color rapidly disappears from his little brother’s face.

“She … read… and told you…?” He stammers.

Will tilts his head.

“She didn’t tell me anything.” He says, glancing between them in confusion and alarm. “Just that you needed to clear your chat history better and that I needed to give those to you. What did she read?”

But Hailey understands where her boyfriend’s head is at.

“Nothing bad.” She tells Will. “Or particularly embarrassing. We were just talking about my dad that night. Before I was ready for you guys to know.”

“I didn’t mean for her to see it.” Jay says softly. “I told you I wouldn’t tell anyone and I meant it.”

“It’s okay.” She tells him, reaching up to cup his cheek. “I should have known you’d be no match for a snooping mom.”

“I’m still sorry.” He says.

“I know you are.” She says, pressing up on her tiptoes to press a gentle kiss to his mouth. “It’s okay. You didn’t do it on purpose. And I’m pretty sure your mom already knew long before then.”

She’s pretty sure his mom knew before she’d even met her for the first time.

“I guess now we know how she knew about our shenanigans.” She teases him.

He chuckles softly but his eyes are still apologetic.

“Now.” She says, glancing over her shoulder. “I think we were in the middle of something. And Will was being a prude.”

She jumps up, locking her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

“Not a prude.” Will calls over his shoulder as he and Nat walk out the door.

Chapter Text

Rookie Camp is intense.

Twenty or so guys fighting for a spot on the roster for opening night.

The competition is all good natured, everyone rooting as much for each other’s success as fighting for their own.

Long days on and off the ice.

Grabbing dinner with his teammates and then heading back to his motel to call home.

Splitting already limited time between talking to his mom and talking to Hailey.

His girlfriend is busy too.

She’s only a few weeks into her first semester of college but despite being entry level classes, her professors are going in hard.

His mom is finishing her last few courses of chemo.

They’ll be doing scans in six weeks – after the last planned course – to decide if they need to add more cycles again or if it’s time to schedule surgery.

He’s juggling a lot.

He’d decided against getting an apartment in New York just yet, not wanting to gamble that kind of money on whether he’ll get the chance to play with the rangers in New York or end up spending a few months in Connecticut playing with the Hartford Wolf Pack.

It’s a little bit more expensive paying for a motel room for these couple of weeks but he’d gotten a good deal and it’s still better than paying to break a lease early.

It’s all so much more complicated than he’d ever thought it was going to be.

Even once he’d gotten old enough to start to understand how the NHL draft, he still hadn’t realized it could be like this.

The back and forth of not really knowing where he’s going to be living in a few weeks.

All the while being worried about his mom.

Hailey has been around.

No matter how busy she is with school, she still makes time to spend with his mom, helping drive her to doctor’s appointments and sitting with her when she isn’t feeling well.

Half the time that he gets to talk to his girlfriend, it’s because she’s over at his parents’ house, doing her homework and sitting with his mom until his dad gets home from work.

He’s pretty sure at this point that she’s nudged both he and Will out of any chance at being their mother’s favorite child.

He also gets more information on his mom’s condition from talking to Hailey than he does directly from his parents.

Like the fact that his mom had ended up in the Emergency Room within a few hours of his getting on a plane to New York.

She’d just been badly dehydrated from the endless nausea and vomiting.

Had been settled in for a few hours with IV fluids and extra anti-emetics and then released.

They probably hadn’t wanted to worry him but it still stings a little that he hadn’t had a clue she’d been taken in until Hailey told him the next night over the phone.

He’d lost his head anyway, had nearly hung up on her to call the airport.

Desperate to get the next flight home even though his mom was safely back home and resting.

Even though it would have killed any chance of making the roster.

Hailey had talked him down, convincing him to stay and promising that his mom was doing okay.

That his dad and brother were looking out.

And so was she.

Then she’d sat on the phone with him for over an hour while he cried and asked what he was doing.

What he was thinking, leaving the state while his mom was so sick.

That it should be him there with his dad and brother.

Looking out.

He falls asleep on the phone with her.

Sends a text in the morning apologizing for falling asleep on her and thanking her for listening.

Then he races off to practice, intent on distracting himself from what’s going on at home.

He doesn’t call home that night, just puts in an extra workout at the gym and then goes to bed early.

She hadn’t been aware that Pat and Bridget hadn’t told Jay about the Emergency Room visit until after she’d let the cat out of the bag.

He’d worried her that night, showing her just how guilty he was still feeling about the decision to sign that entry level contract.

Not hearing from him other than a few text messages the next day just makes that worry even worse.

They get a few minutes the next day but he’s distracted, distant and gets called away before she has a chance to push.

The day after that is a rest day other than a few team building exercises and she doesn’t wait to pounce once she gets him on the phone.

“Talk to me, Jay.” she says seriously.

“It’s going fine.” he says. “I’m trying not to read too much of it but there’s been some good stuff in the press availability. They’re saying I might actually get a roster spot.”

“That’s fantastic Jay.” she says. “But that isn’t what I want to talk about.”

“I don’t know what else to do.” he says. “I started the clock when I signed that ELC. If I ask for a leave of absence now I risk not getting the exposure for an extension or transfer contract when it runs out. And I… I don’t want to disappoint her.”

“Sweetheart.” Hailey says. “She would never be disappointed in you but it would break her heart if she thought you gave it all up because of her.”

“I don’t want to give it up.” he sniffles. “But she needs me, Hailey.”

“She needs you happy, baby.” she tells him. “Needs your love and support but you don’t have to be here to give her that.”

“She won’t let me.” he whimpers. “She was in the hospital and she didn’t tell me.”

“I’ve talked to her.” she says. “She thought she was helping but she won’t do it again. She’ll keep you in the loop going forward.”

“What if I miss something?” he asks.

“She’s doing better with the chemo now.” she tells him. “She has two more treatment and the doctor says her body is getting used to it. She mostly just needs company afterward. Someone to distract her from how she’s feeling. Maybe you can arrange to hang out on the phone with her.”

“Yeah.” he mumbles.

“And maybe you can take leave for her surgery at the end of October.” she offers. “By that point, they’ll know they need you back afterward.”

“It’s only a couple games before then.” he says.

“It’s ten or so.” she says. “Depending on when they schedule it. You’ll have their attention in one.”

He sighs.

“I miss you.”

“I miss you too, Jay.” she says. “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

Chapter Text

Montreal

The locker room feels huge as he sits on the bench and laces up his skates. 

He’s never been in a locker room this big before. 

Just community centers and then the one at the high school. 

The last few weeks have been spent getting used to the practice facility and everything there. 

This is the first NHL arena he’s played in. 

Holy shit. 

He’s playing in an NHL arena. 

In an actual preseason NHL game. 

His hands still on the laces. 

What if he messes this up? What if he lets everyone down?

Someone bumps his shoulder and he looks up to see Jerry looking at him. 

They’ve been playing on the same line since the start of camp and Jay really looks up to him. 

To how cool he is under pressure. 

“You’ve got this, Jay.” Jerry says. “Don’t let it get to you. Just breathe and play like you’ve been playing the last couple of weeks and you’ll do just fine.”

“What if I…?” he trails off. 

“Just get out there and play it one shift at a time.” Jerry says. “That’s all anyone can ask of you.”

Jay nods. 

One shift at a time. 

Chicago

Part of her had wanted to throw all caution to the wind and fly up to Montreal tonight. 

To pay money she doesn’t have for the best seats she can get to shower her boyfriend with love and support. 

But she can’t afford to miss school or work so she’s making due with watching the game on television. 

Bridget’s plans for a neighborhood wide watch party had been derailed by another trip to the Emergency Room earlier in the week. 

Her iron levels had been low enough that she’d been admitted for the night for a couple of infusions. 

True to her word, Hailey had made sure that Pat gave his youngest son a call and then spent the night in a hospital recliner to keep Bridget company. 

They’re still gathering at the Halstead home to watch the game but it’s only going to be family and a few of Jay’s closest friends. 

She’d called Jay earlier today – wishing him luck and promising she’ll be watching – but his gameday schedule doesn’t leave a lot of time for phone calls. 

Wishes she could have spent more time reassuring him. 

He’d sounded nervous. 

Of course he had. 

She can’t imagine the pressure that he feels resting on the outcome of this game. 

Feels knowing that every move he makes will be scruntized both during the game and in the video room afterward as the staff makes decisions on who will get roster spots and who will get sent down to the minor leagues until they can prove themselves. 

She wishes she was there to give him one last hug before he steps out on the ice. 

Montreal

He steps onto the ice, picking up some speed and working through a series of laps around their zone. 

Falls into his usual warm up routine. 

The stands haven’t completely filled up yet but there’s already hundreds of fans there watching. 

Most of them are there for the home team but there’s a few Rangers fans sprinkled into the crowd. 

There’s even a sign up there with his name on it. 

Held by a kid who can’t be more than six years old. 

It feels like just yesterday that he was that kid. 

His dad’s work had a program where he could get Blackhawks tickets a couple times a season for an absolute steal. 

They were always way up in the nosebleeds but he loved it. 

Would spend hours working on his sign.

They’d get there early enough for him to drag one of his parents right up to the glass for the duration of warmups. 

A player had even thrown him a stick once. 

With that in mind, as the timer ticks down on warmups he glides over to the glass across from the kid. 

It takes a few tries to get it over the glass but the look on the kid’s face as he holds it is worth it. 

He holds one hand up to the glass, getting a fist bump and then turns to skate toward the locker room with his team. 

Chicago

The preseason is all about the Rookies. 

The games don’t count toward ranking or their chance at the playoffs so coaches tend to rest their big stars and give the ice time to their prospects. 

Seeing how they perform in actual games is usually the final step to making roster decisions. 

All of this means that the coverage is focused directly on Jay as he skates over to the boards and tosses his stick over the glass to a little kid. 

They exchange a fist bump through the glass and then Jay races back across the ice, following his team into the locker rooms. 

Hailey hears a sniffle and turns back to see a different Halstead parent than she’d expected scrubbing at their eyes. 

“Mr. Halstead?” she says quietly. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” the man says. “I just… I remember standing at the glass with him when he was that age like it was yesterday. And now he’s… “

He trails off, at a loss for words to explain what he’s feeling but she gets it. 

This small moment is driving home how far Jay has come. 

That he’s no longer the little kid pressed up against the glass for the chance to watch his heroes skate and desperately hoping that someone will toss him a puck or a stick. 

Now he’s that hero for other kids. 

And his dad is proud of him. 

Chapter Text

He calls her from the airport after the game.

His team will be flying to Philadelphia tonight to play another game against the Flyers tomorrow.

She’s home in bed by that time but smiles when she sees his name.

“Hey you.”

“Hey.”

He’s still slightly breathless and she can tell that he’s still riding the high of victory.

He hadn’t scored any goals but had a phenomenal assist in the second period that she’s pretty sure his dad will be talking about for months.

“When does your flight leave?” she asks.

Much as she wants to talk to him, she hopes it's soon so he can get some sleep before tomorrow’s game.

“There’s some unspecified technical delay that’s keeping us from boarding.” he tells her. “They’re hoping for thirty minutes but the older guys say there’s a good chance it’s closer to an hour and a half.”

“Enough time for a nap.” she suggests.

“I’ll sleep on the plane.” he says. “And we’ll still be in Philly by four at the latest.”

His voice softens.

“Right now I wanna talk to my girl.”

She smiles.

“You played really well tonight.” she says.

Something inside her twists in a way that she’s getting better at ignoring.

“And you were very sweet with that kid.” she adds.

“Kid?” he asks.

“With the stick.” she clarifies. “During warmups.”

“You guys saw that?” he asks and she can see him rubbing the back of his neck like he does when he’s embarrassed.

“It was sweet.” she repeats. “Made your dad cry.”

He pauses.

“Really?” he asks.

“Something about taking you down to the glass when you were that age.” she says.

“Yeah.” he says softly. “It was a long hike down from the seats we got through his work but I always wanted to see the guys skate up close. Used to steal little things from them to add to my own routine.”

She chuckles.

“Jeremy Roenick tossed me a stick once.” he adds. “I was seven. Didn’t let that thing out of my sight for weeks. I even slept with it. Mom would take it away, put it on the desk or against the wall and then they’d check in once I was asleep and find me hugging it.”

She laughs.

She’s seen the stick.

At least she’s pretty sure it’s the one that had hung on the wall above his bed in his childhood bedroom.

“Crazy to think that those kids are looking at me the way I used to look at Roenick and the guys.” he says quietly.

“Yeah.” she agrees softly. “When did we grow up?”

He makes a slightly confused sound of agreement.

“You should call your dad tomorrow.” she says after a minute. “If you find a minute. I know everything is kind of nuts with the back to back games. I just… think he’d like to hear from you.”

And his dad has been stressed the last few weeks as the toll that chemo is taking on his wife’s body gets worse and she thinks it will do him good to reminisce about those childhood memories with his son.

“Yeah.” he murmurs. “Do you know if he’s working?”

“Tomorrow’s his day off.” she tells him. “He’ll be running to the pharmacy at some point to pick up some of your mom’s prescription but that won’t be hard to plan around.”

“Always likes to be there right when they open.” he says and she can hear the smile in his voice.

“I’ll call them when I wake up.” he promises. “I figured they went to bed right after the game.”

Pat had ushered Bridget off to bed fairly quickly after the final buzzer had sounded.

Hailey and the others had made quick work of cleaning up the snacks they’d eaten during the game before heading out, not wanting her to feel like she needed to stay awake to play hostess.

“They did.” she tells him.

“How was she today?” he asks quietly.

“Still pretty tired.” she tells him. “Has an appointment Tuesday to recheck her iron levels and look at adding something to her medications for the next treatment so that it doesn’t happen again.”

“But she’s okay?” he presses.

“She’s doing fine.” she promises him. “Her doctors are managing the situation and I think we’ve convinced her to take it easy, at least until after surgery.”

“Yeah.” he says gently. “How did you do that?”

“I told her that you needed her to take care of herself.” she says. “And she may not be very good at taking care of herself but she’s the best mom in the whole world.”

He sighs.

“Thank you.” he says. “I wish…”

“I know.” she says. “The timing is hard but we’ll get through this. Together.”

“Together.” he agrees and then sighs again. “We’re finally getting the call to board, I have to let you go.”

“Alright.” she says. “Have a safe flight. Text me when you land, okay?”

“I will.” he promises. “Love you.”

“I love you too.”

Chapter Text

Hailey never really got to be a kid.

She’d taken on a lot of responsibilities at a very young age that most children didn’t have to deal with.

But she’d also avoided some of the new stuff that she’s dealing with now.

Paying rent and utilities, her car insurance, keeping gas in the tank and groceries on the table.

Jay had found a really solid phone plan through AT&T that actually provides unlimited long distance minutes as long as you’re calling another AT&T customer.

It hadn’t taken much convincing for her to let him talk her into letting him add her to the family plan he set up.

It’s even cheaper bundling five lines onto one plan.

She still sends him money (or gives it to his parents) every month for her portion of it but if it means being able to call him whenever she wants without worrying about minutes its worth it.

She’s juggling work, classes, homework, chores around the apartment and helping out with Jay’s mom.

And she and Kim have had a few clashes but she’s so grateful it’s her best friend that she’d made her roommate.

She knows that some people end up destroying friendships over the shift but they’ve been able to work things out.

Thankfully, they’ve been sharing a room (and a bathroom) off and on since they were twelve so they’d already gotten used to a lot of each other’s weird quirks.

Dividing household chores had taken them a minute to find a system that works but they got there.

And sometimes it’s hard having Adam over all the time – especially when her own boyfriend is so far away – but Kim has been pretty considerate about that.

When she sees the sock on her friend’s door, she knows its time to go sit with Bridget for a few hours.

Bridget who is really struggling with these last couple of doses of chemo.

Hailey guesses that’s what happens with a treatment that involves literally poisoning yourself and hoping it takes out the cancer before it takes out you.

She’s holding onto the fact that the doctors are still optimistic about being ready for surgery after they finish the scheduled cycles.

It’s tentatively booked for the first week of November.

Jay has already spoken to his coaches and the general manager about coming home for it and they’d been all too willing to agree.

They’d drafted him knowing that his mom was sick.

That there would be times when he needed to be home for things.

Accepting the risk that his head would be somewhere else because they trusted him.

Because they’d watched him play throughout the second half of his senior year and were impressed with how well he kept his head in the game and his focus on the ice in spite of being worried about his mom.

And he’s continued to do so.

Throughout the last few weeks of training camps and the preseason games they’ve played over the last week he’s made an impression.

He’s worried about his mom, struggling with the fact that he’s so far away and can’t help care for her.

But the moment he steps on the ice, that’s where his head is at.

Hailey knows his main motivation is that it would break his mom’s heart if he got hurt because he was distracted worrying about her but she’s proud of him anyway.

As the second overall draft pick, he’s been a hot topic of conversation for sport’s broadcasters and there isn’t anyone in the league who isn’t aware of his mom’s condition.

He and Trudy had done what they could to keep it underwraps but the press ae insidious and it had quickly started coming up in interviews despite their best efforts.

And there’s been a few jerks but overall everyone else is impressed too.

That is however why they’re trying to keep the press from finding out he has a girlfriend.

Because once they know, she’ll become a topic of interest too.

And it had been hard enough navigating senior year of high school as the girl with an abusive dad.

Now that she’s in college, few enough people have made the connection between her name and the relatively small scale news stories that had gone out when he’d been arrested that she doesn’t have to deal with it.

But if the press following Jay’s every move got ahold of the story she’d have to deal with it again.

So she’s keeping her head down.

They’ll figure out how to handle things when she attends games in person but that isn’t likely to be a problem unless he’s playing in Chicago.

And their first game against the Blackhawks isn’t until December.

Until then, the biggest problem is the other girls.

Much to her relief, hockey doesn’t have cheerleaders (though a few teams do have a squad of ‘Ice Girls’) so she doesn’t have to worry about anyone travelling with the team.

They do however have groupies.

Hailey isn’t a fan of the way the term ‘puck bunny’ is used to refer to all female fans of the sport but she does have to agree that the behavior of some of these girls earns them the title.

There are a group of young women who attend every single home game and even travel to watch the team on the road from time to time.

They dress somewhat scantily and show up early enough to watch warmups all with the hopes that a famous hockey player might sleep with them.

And a few have definitely set their sights at the attractive, talented (and apparently single) new rookie.

Jay’s done his best to make it clear that he isn’t interested but they don’t seem to be getting the message.

During warmups before their home game against the New Jersey Devils one of them had even thrown her bra out onto the ice.

She’d been escorted from the arena and they’d all been warned that any future such behavior would result in a lifelong ban.

But the less clinically insane antics have continued.

Hailey doesn’t really know if she thinks that Jay announcing he has a girlfriend would be enough to stop them but since that’s something they’re very much trying to avoid it doesn’t matter.

She’s not worried about Jay or that he’ll indulge their fantasies.

But she is jealous.

Chapter Text

His name is Garrett Thompson.

He’s in her intro to photography course and he has a crush.

Had asked if she’d like to get coffee the second week of the semester but she’d turned him down.

They’d become friends after that but it doesn’t take a genius to know that he’s still pining.

He’s been sweet.

Respectful.

Hasn’t asked her out again.

In another life, she might be willing to give him a chance.

To let him buy her coffee and see how things panned out.

But she’s got Jay.

Jay, who calls her boss once a week to place an order for flowers for her.

Jay, who has a single strip of blue tape – the same color as her eyes – around the blade of his hockey stick.

Jay who called her last night from the locker room just before skating out for warmups to tell her that he was thinking of her, that he misses her.

That being in Florida reminded him of the trip they’d taken to the beach over the summer.

That he loves her.

Jay, who she is utterly, completely, madly in love with.

And Garrett is sweet but he just can’t compare to that.

He knows she’s seeing someone.

When they’re out and about working on photography projects with their group from class, she’s constantly checking her phone for texts from Jay.

She hadn’t bothered to mention it when she’d been turning him down, figuring that he didn’t need to know, but as they’ve become friends she hasn’t bothered to hide that there’s a guy in her life.

He’s asked a couple times why he’s never seen the guy.

Hailey’s told him that her boyfriend goes to school out of state, not wanting a guy she thought she could trust talking to the press to be what spills the secret she and Jay have worked so hard to hide.

For both of their sakes.

Though it would probably be good press.

He’s already the league’s darling in so many ways.

The sweet, genuine kid from Chicago who always takes the time to check in with the kids at the glass during warmups.

Throwing them mostly pucks but sometimes sticks and offering fist bumps.

Who’s never too tired to sign things or talk for a second during encounters that happen without a sheet of glass between them.

Who had spent a huge chunk of his annual salary this year paying off his mom’s cancer bills.

There’s a few people convinced he’s got to have some skeletons in his closet but the rest are enamored.

And she’s sure if word got out that he got beat up protecting his girlfriend from her abusive father they would only love him even more.

But she knows he would hate the attention.

Already doesn’t know what to do with all of the eyes on him all the time.

They’re approaching the end of the preseason.

Only two more games left and guys have slowly been reassigned to minor league affiliate teams until it’s only Jay and a few other guys left playing with the team.

It’s looking more and more like he’ll be making his official NHL debut in North Carolina next Wednesday.

That last thing he needs is more people talking about him because she found out the hard way that a guy who seems nice wasn’t so nice.

She does feel a little bad for the fact that she’s basically lying to Garrett.

But that won’t stop her from doing what she has to in order to protect the man she loves.

No matter what the stats that Callie – a girl in their photography group who is also in Hailey’s intro to sociology group – keeps quoting about long distance relationships say.

And Hailey really wants to know what the deal there is because it really isn’t normal how often the girl brings it up.

Either she’s in a long distance relationship of her own that she hasn’t told them about and is worried about it falling apart or she’s already experienced it.

Hailey isn’t worried.

She’s under no delusion that long distance is easy.

Especially when you factor in an NHL travel schedule, cancer treatments and a busy college and work schedule of her own.

They sometimes go several days without more than good morning and goodnight texts exchanged between them.

And she misses him.

Misses his arms around her, his hands in her hair, and his lips on hers.

Misses the warmth that she feels just being in his presence.

It’s hard being back here alone, surrounded by so many happy couples.

Kim and Adam, Will and Natalie, her brothers and their girlfriends, and especially Pat and Bridget.

They may be fighting a nightmareish battle against an enemy that isn’t fighting fair but it only serves to highlight the love they have for each other.

She’s spent a lot of time around the Halstead’s place watching Pat tenderly care for his wife.

Can see Jay in the quiet, thoughtful concern that he shows for her.

Can’t help but daydream a little about that being them one day (though hopefully without the looming specter of cancer).

She walks out of class with thirty minutes for the thankfully short walk to her next class.

Her phone rings and she looks down at the screen.

Jay ♥️

Smiles and answers the phone.

“I was just thinking of you.”

“Me? Or my mom’s apple pie?” he teases playfully and she laughs.

Yeah.

They’re going to be okay.

Chapter Text

It’s been a whirlwind month jetting back and forth across the country to play hockey.

And moving into a new apartment.

After getting a spot on the roster for the season opener, he’d stuck around at the motel for another week, half convinced he was going to blow it and get sent down to the minor leagues.

After that, he’d finally taken the leap and closed on a fourth floor studio apartment in the city.

He still hasn’t really furnished it – he doesn’t spend very much time at home – but he has a bed and a couch.

A few basic things in the kitchen though he’s still trying to find a balance between having things available to cook healthy meals when he’s home but not having a bunch of stuff go bad when he’s on the road.

But today, none of that matters.

Cause he’s going home.

While the rest of the team are getting on a flight back to New York, he’s sprinting through the airport to catch his flight to Chicago.

Home.

Too many anxious, jittery hours in the air later he’s walking through the airport.

Stops at baggage claim to pick up his bags and then there she is.

He’d lied to his parents.

Telling them that he wouldn’t be in Chicago until tomorrow afternoon.

His mom’s surgery is Friday.

But tonight, it’s just him and his girl – at least for a little bit.

She’s gorgeous.

He drops his bag and hugs her tightly, lifting her off the ground and spinning her and she squeaks in shock.

Sets her down, keeping one arm around her waist as he brushes her hair back from her face.

“Hi.” He says softly.

“Hey stranger.” She says, grinning up at him.

He shakes his head, dipping down to kiss her.

“I hope you wouldn’t let a stranger do that.” He mumbles against her lips.

She kisses him again.

“Maybe if he was hot enough.” She says when they pull back for air before diving back in.

He hums against her lips.

“Saying I’m hot?” He asks between kisses.

“Eh.” She says. “Maybe not a stranger.”

He digs his fingers into her sides, finding her most ticklish spot and she giggles, squirming away from him.

“Why you gotta break my heart all the time?” He teases.

“Cause I love you.” She says impishly. “Now c’mon. Let’s find somewhere so I can show you how much I missed you.”

If he ever turns that down, someone better put him out of his misery.

He crashes for a few hours at her apartment and then she drives him over to his parents’ house.

Will is still going to be in bed for a few hours – his first class isn’t until eleven – but his mom and dad will be awake.

Sure enough, his mom is sitting at the table – sipping her tea while his dad cooks her breakfast.

“Sweetheart.” She says – her tired, pale face lighting up – “I thought you weren’t getting in until later.”

“I wanted to surprise you.” He says, bending down to hug her tightly. “Grabbed a couple of hours at Hailey’s so I wouldn’t wake you guys sneaking in.”

“You have a key.” His mom says, shaking her head like she isn’t the lightest sleeper he knows.

“Still didn’t want to wake you.” He says, kissing her cheek.

“And crashing with your girlfriend was just an added bonus.” His dad teases, coming over to hug him.

He shrugs, smirking and winking at Hailey over his dad’s shoulder.

“It was definitely a bonus.” He says.

“Oh, you little scoundrel.” His mom says, swatting at his back.

“I hope you didn’t wake Kim up.” His dad says, releasing him.

His mom shakes his head.

“Enough about bonuses.” She says. “How was Florida?”

“You got a damn good look there in the third period.” His dad says.

“Yeah.” He says. “It was a good game. We got a couple hours night before last to check out some sights but the coach wanted us back at the hotel early.”

“Any girls?” Hailey asks playfully.

He rubs the back of his neck.

“There were a couple at the next table during dinner.” He says, reaching for her hand. “I guess they were in town from New York for the game. I tried to brush them off but…”

He trails off and she steps closer.

“I know.” She says softly. “I’m sorry this is so hard. Maybe you should just tell them you have a girlfriend.”

“I don’t want your personal life under the microscope like that.” He says, shaking his head. “Don’t want you and your brothers to have to deal with that.”

“But maybe we should get it out there on our own terms.” She says. “Before some psycho gets a picture of me picking you up at the airport or something.”

He frowns.

“Give Trudy a call.” She suggests. “See what she says. Maybe she can help smooth things out.”

He nods.

Pulls his phone out of his pocket and steps out onto the porch.

Trudy answers quickly and laughs when he apologizes for bothering her.

“It’s a Thursday Jay, I’m already in the office.” She tells him. “What can I do for you?”

“Hailey pointed out that short of us never seeing each other, the odds are some idiot with a camera is going to blow our secret sooner or later and it might be best to get it out on our terms.” He says. “I just wanted to see what your thoughts were. You understand this media circus nonsense better than I do.”

“Understandable.” She says. “I agree with Hailey on that. These snakes have a way of getting their noses into things they shouldn’t. My recommendation is to try to keep it a little casual as far as going public.”

“So start telling the psychos I have a girlfriend?” He jokes.

“I’ve seen those vultures circling you.” She says. “I think a better option is going to be to have her come to the Chicago game in December. We’ll get her good box seats – I can reach out to some contacts with the Blackhawks and see if we can get her in with their local wives and girlfriends.”

“Okay.” He agrees. “I’ll talk to her.”

“I also might be able to line up a charity event for you while you’re in town this week.” She says. “Bring her as your date, quick statement about your high school sweetheart.”

He pauses.

“I know you’ve got a lot on your plate this week.” She adds. “I’m only talking a few hours.”

He sighs.

“Yeah.” He agrees. “I could do that.”

“I’ll look at some options and give you a call a little bit later.” She says.

“Okay.” He says. “Thanks Trudy.”

“Of course.” She says. “And Jay?”

“Yeah?”

“About those vultures.” She says. “Just… be careful, okay? The ones that start out throwing bras at you before the end of the preseason… they get more psycho. Not less.”

For a minute he wonders if he should tell her about the women at the next table the other night.

The ones who hadn’t seemed particularly surprised when they’d been seated next to them.

Shakes his head.

Just some over excitable fans.

“I will.” He promises. “Thanks Trudy.”

Chapter Text

The next day is spent at the hospital, quizzing Hailey on material for an upcoming exam while waiting for his mom to get out of surgery.

Will is sitting next to him, writing a paper for one of his classes.

Across from them, his dad is anxiously wringing his hands.

A few more flashcards later, she quietly reaches out, putting a hand over his.

He lowers the cards.

She stands up and crosses the gap between the chairs, sitting down next to his dad.

“She’s going to be okay, Mr. Halstead.” she says softly, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder. “She’s strong and the doctors know what they’re doing.”

“The chemo has been taking it’s toll.” his dad whispers. “What if her body isn’t strong enough for this?”

“The doctors took that into account.” she tells him. “They did their tests. She’s strong enough.”

“I can’t…” his dad swallows hard. “I can’t lose her.”

“I know.” she says gently. “It’s going to be okay.”

She wraps him into a hug and his dad drops his head to her shoulder, body supressed with minute sobs.

It doesn’t last long and then his dad is straightening, wiping discretely at his eyes.

“She knows you’d be lost without her.” she says softly. “She’d do anything for her boys.”

“I don’t know what we’d do without you, Hailey.” his dad says with a small smile. “Always knew Jay would be good for something someday.”

“Hey.” he whines. “You hearing this, Will? I’m just a middle man. Only good to Hailey as an excuse to hang around the family. Only good to the family for the sake of bringing Hailey around.”

“Them’s the breaks little brother.” Will says with a chuckle. “If only you had some other value.”

“If only.” Jay sighs. “Well. I suppose Hailey could always just ask mom and dad to adopt her, cut out the middle man.”

“Oh, I would never do that.” Hailey says, pulling a small smile from him. “Not while you have my flashcards.”

He scoffs.

“Wow, I see how it is.” he says. “I’m going to eat these now.”

His dad laughs.

“You’re going to eat her flashcards?” he says, looking slightly incredulous.

“Yep.” Jay says. “Compared to hospital cafeteria food or vending machine fare, I don’t really see a whole lot of difference.”

Hailey springs across the aisle between chairs, making a face as he just stands up, holding the cards in the air.

“Is it high sticking if I hit you in the face with my pencil?” she jokes.

“Can’t help it if you’re a short stack.” he teases.

“Jay.”

The serious tone of his brother’s voice draws their attention and they turn, Jay slowly lowering the flashcards.

A familiar man is stepping through the double doors into the waiting room.

Dr. Edwards has been consulting with the family for the last month or so as they’ve made the final approach toward the surgery.

His dad is at the front as they approach the man.

“Doc?” his dad says.

“Surgery went well.” the man says. “Margins all look great and she’s getting settled into a room now.”

“When can we see her?” Will asks.

“Give the nurses fifteen, twenty minutes and someone will come get you.” the doctor tells him.

“Do we know what the next step is?” Jay asks.

“We’ll get her recovered from surgery and then get fresh scans.” the man answers. “Based on where we were at before surgery, I think were in excellent position for radiation and medication but we’ll have to see.”

Hailey snakes an arm around his waist, stepping closer.

It’s almost thirty minutes before a nurse comes out to find them, escorting them back to a small hospital room.

His mom is already awake, smiling tiredly at them.

“There’s my boys.” she says, reaching a hand out. “And my Hailey.”

His dad steps forward, taking hold of his wife’s hand.

“Hey B.” he says warmly. “How do you feel?”

“A little tight.” she says. “But it feels like I won.”

“Today was a big one.” he agrees. “You did great, babe.”

“I took a little nap.” she dismisses. “The doctors did all the hard work.”

“No way, mom.” Will says. “You’re a warrior. Kicking ass and taking names.”

“Language, baby.” she says softly and he chuckles.

“Sorry mom.” he says softly.

She chuckles.

“As if I don’t know where you get it from.” she says with a smile.

“Dad of course.” he says.

She smiles.

“Of course.” she agrees.

Then she turns to Jay.

“Are you ready for tonight, sweetheart?” she asks.

When Trudy had started looking for a good charity event for him to make an appearance at while he’s in town, she had a come across a fundraiser gala tonight being held by the very cancer hospital where his mom is being treated.

A few phone calls had been all that it took to clear it with the Rangers management and get the hospital on board with him saying a few words.

An emotional plea from a celebrity with personal ties to the hospital to help encourage donors to open their pocketbooks.

It wouldn’t usually be his thing but to help patients like his mom he’ll do it.

“Uh… yeah I think so.” he says. “We’ve done the prep work.”

“You’re going to do fine.” his mom tells him.

“Sure.” he says. “Anyway, we’ve got a few hours before we gotta get ready. Can I read to you? Or do you want to watch something?”

“Did we pack Beach House?” she says.

“Of course we did.” he says, digging into the hospital bag he’d helped her pack.

He settles in next to the bed, opening to the bookmark and starting to read.

Chapter Text

He never owned a tux before this.

For dances in high school, he’d always made do with a regular suit or (once) rented a tux.

Everyone here are wearing their nicest formal wear but he’s pretty sure he’s got the best looking gal in the room on his arm.

Hailey is wearing a maroon gown with her hair pinned to one side and a little darker make-up than she would usually wear to match.

She’s gorgeous and he can’t believe how lucky he is that she’s here with him.

They mill around with the other guests, talking to a few people that he knows from spending so much time around the hospital this spring, until a high ringing sound fill the room.

A hospital administrator is standing at the podium with a crystal glass in hand.

“Welcome everyone to our semi-annual charity gala.” the man says. “As some of you will know, in May our efforts are focused on cancer research but November is all about supporting the families. The average cost of fighting cancer has climbed rapidly in the last couple of years. Even after insurance pays their part, the initial battle can run $10,000 -$40,000 depending on the form of cancer.”

Jay grimaces.

“That is a heavy burden for patients and their families.” the administrator says. “Tonight, we have a very special guest to talk to you a little bit about how that cost lands beyond the dollar amount. So without further ado, Jay Halstead of the New York Rangers.”

Hailey squeezes his arm, her fingers slowly falling free as he steps toward the stage.

He offers a smile as he tops the steps, shaking the administrator’s hand and taking his place at the podium.

“As he said, I’m Jay Halstead and I play for the New York Rangers.” he says. “But I’m also Jay Halstead, boy from Chicago who’s mom is being treated in this very hospital.”

He swallows hard, meeting Hailey’s gaze and drawing strength from her warm smile.

“I could tell you about the sacrifices my family has made over the last ten months trying to keep up with the hospital bills but I think you’ve heard that story. Heard about the debt and the extra shifts. The missed vacations. And the truth is, if it gives us a chance to keep our loved one with us, even just a little bit longer, we don’t mind the sacrifices.”

He looks around the room, making eye contact with a few people whose clothes suggest they’ll be good donors.

“Not as many people realize the ways that the cost of treating cancer is hurting patients’ chances at survival.” he says. “Patients who keep working long after starting chemo, long after it’s taken the kind of toll that means they should be resting. But instead they keep moving just trying to stay ahead of the bills. Patients who can’t afford to fill supplementary prescriptions like pain pills and anti nausea meds. Because while the hospital care gets taken care of and billed later, usually set up on a payment plan, pharmacies don’t give you your meds until after you’ve paid the patient responsibility portion of the cost. Uncontrolled pain hinders your body’s ability to recover. Unchecked nausea robs your body of essential nutrients and hydration that it needs to fuel the fight against the cancer.”

He catches a few more eyes.

“These patients are poisoning themselves, hoping against hope that it kills the cancerous cells before it kills the rest of them.” he says. “They need to be able to rest and focus on healing. Should be able to take all the medications the doctors think might give them a better shot at coming out on top without having to trade out for food on the table.”

“Anything you can give to help them keep their focus on their health, where it belongs, will mean the world to these patients – and to their families. Thank you.” he says, pausing a beat like Trudy had told him before turning and walking back down the stairs.

Hailey reaches out, taking his hand as he gets close enough.

He squeezes her hand.

“Thank you for coming with me.” he says softly. “I know you probably had other things you wanted to do tonight.”

“Just the lunatic from my sociology class who thinks her boyfriend is cheating on her at Yale wanting to do a study group tonight.” she says shaking her head. “It’s kind of nice to have a good reason not to go tonight.”

He smiles.

“There I go, a good excuse again.” he jokes and she giggles.

“Jay.”

He turns to see a man with a pocket notepad in hand standing next to them.

“Reg Watkins with the Northwest Harald.” the man says. “If I could just ask a few questions.”

“I don’t have much more to say than I’ve already said.” Jay says cagily.

“Who’s your arm candy?” the man says.

“Her name’s Hailey.” he says, “We’ve been together since high school.”

Trudy had advised to give them her first name only and to make sure to mention the high school sweethearts angle.

Another kid from Chicago not likely to be considered as exciting as if he’d met someone in New York.

The man sizes Hailey up, makes a note and then barrels forward.

“And your mom. What kind of cancer are we talking? How is the treatment going? Is it hard to be so far away?”

Jay tries to swallow back his anger.

Most of the answers are somewhat common knowledge.

People know that his mom is fighting breast cancer and he’d let Trudy arrange with one of the reporters on the Rangers’ broadcast team to briefly discuss how hard it was being away from home right now before his official NHL debut.

Addressing the topic with a reporter that he trusted to handle it respectfully and with pre-approved questions.

This guy isn’t being particularly respectful and given that he’s not really asking anything that’s liable to give him an exciting new scoop, Jay suspects the questions are more about pushing buttons.

About trying to get him to lose his temper.

“She’s working with some incredible doctors and doing really well.” he says evenly. “It’s good to be able to spend a few days with her and I’m grateful for the chance to promote a cause that means so much to me while I’m here.”

He glances around, seeing one of the doctors assigned to his mom’s care.

“Excuse me.” he says, carefully pulling Hailey and himself away from the reporter and drifting over to say hi.

Hailey squeezes his hand.

Only another hour and a half of this.

And he can handle it, as long as she’s by his side.

Chapter Text

The second he gets back to New York he misses them all more than ever before.

But he doesn’t have long to dwell on it because he’s back on the ice that night to play against Calgary.

And then it’s back to the rat race.

Articles about Hailey are starting to slowly filter through the networks but Trudy’s plan seems to be working.

Nobody has been too interested in digging.

After almost two weeks on the road, they’re back in New York to play Anaheim.

More importantly, for the Ranger’s Hockey Fights Cancer night.

It’s an unbelievably emotional night.

Skating warmups in a special commemorative jersey, checking and triple checking the pink tape at the top of his stick, listening to the interviews with cancer patients, watching survivors ring the bell, and trying to keep it together when the commentators call for the crowd to hold up their ‘I fight for…’ signs and he turns to see his entire team holding signs with his mom’s name on them.

Having his captain, Mark Messier, give him a little nudge when it’s time for the ceremonial face off.

“But.. it’s always the captains.” he protests.

“This one should be you, Jay.” Mark says. “Get out there.”

He nods, setting his helmet on the bench and skating out onto the ice.

The Ducks captain, Paul Kariya, offers him a nod before they put their sticks on the ice.

Two kids, both cancer survivors, drop pucks to the ice and they bat them around before scooping them up.

Hand them back to the kids before shaking their hands, offering a few kind words.

Then the kids are walking back toward the portal and assistants are rolling up the carpet.

Jay turns to skate away but Paul calls him back.

“Yeah?” he asks.

“How’s your mom?” Paul asks. “She had uh, surgery recently, right?”

“Uh, yeah.” he confirms. “She’s doing good. Surgery went well.”

“Good to hear it.” Paul says. “If she’s as tough as you, she’ll be fine.”

They shake hands again and then he’s skating back to the bench.

Accepts the fist bumps from his team and then reaches for his water bottle.

Then they drop the puck and the game starts.

And the first period goes pretty good.

He gets two solid looks, one of which ricochets off the goalpost, and manages a secondary assist on a goal.

Its a pretty good night – right up until warmups for the second period.

They don’t have much time on the ice, just enough to get their skates moving and get the feel of the fresh ice.

But it’s long enough.

One of the girls from that restaurant in Tampa is standing there.

Holding a sign with a photo from that charity gala.

With her own face photoshopped over the top of Hailey’s.

Badly.

She presses a mark of her lips against the glass and he reels away.

Turns out coming clean about Hailey hasn’t made things any better on that front.

A lot of people think the glass around the rink mutes sound a lot better than it really does.

But he can still hear her.

“She’ll never love you like I do.” she screams, unzipping her hoodie to reveal a lacey pink bra.

He turns away.

Behind him, he can hear a disturbance and glances back to see an usher leading the woman up the stairs as she protests.

Shakes his head.

Trudy is right.

He needs to be careful about these psychos.

A buzzer sounds and he clambers back onto the bench with his teammates.

“Hey.” Jerry says, bumping his shoulder. “Is that one of the chicks from Tampa?”

“Uh, yeah… I think so.” Jay says. “They always like that?”

“No.” Jerry says, shaking his head. “But one does show up every so often. Watch yourself, Jay. Talk to your agent and the management. But you’ll probably need to go to the police on this one. The best the managers can do is to ban her from the arena and where she’s already proved willing to follow you out of town… well, I can’t see that doing you a lot of good.”

He hears the sound of bodies slamming together and looks up to see that play is starting.

He’ll talk to the manager after the game – make a call to Trudy – but now it’s time to focus.

Forty minutes – plus just under a minute of overtime – later and he’s walking into the locker room with his team.

The usual euphoria after a win fades instantly when Jerry elbows him, nodding toward the GM’s office.

He nods, swallowing hard and hurrying to take his skates off.

Stan looks up at he taps on the door frame.

“Jay.” he says. “Come in.”

He steps through the door.

“Sorry to bother you.” he says, looking at his feet.

“That’s what I’m here for, Jay.” the man says. “What’s up? Is your mom doing okay?”

He shakes his head.

“She’s great.” he says. “Surgery went really well but that’s not why I’m here.”

Stan nods, motioning for him to continue.

“There’s this girl.” he says, wincing. “Arena security might have her name.”

“The one ushers escorted out at the start of the second?” he guesses.

“Yeah.” Jay confirms. “She uh – I might be overthinking it but we had a couple fans show up at the next table over when I went out to dinner with some of the guys the night before the game in Tampa. Fans from New York who… well they didn’t really seem surprised to see us. And I’m pretty sure she was one of them.”

Stan frowns, leaning over his desk and propping his chin on his hand.

“That’s concerning.” he says. “Disturbing behavior at the glass is one thing. We can handle that with arena management – get her a lifelong ban from the arena.”

“Doesn’t help with things like Tampa though.” Jay mutters and Stan nods.

“No, it doesn’t.” Stan agrees. “I’ll talk to arena security tonight. Make contact with the NYPD in the morning. I’d recommend looping your agent into things.”

“She’s my next call.” he tells him.

“Good.” Stan tells him. “Look, this is kind of shaky ground. What we’re looking at is more than enough for me to agree that we need to do something but inappropriate behavior at games plus a run-in in a public place that she’ll claim was a coincidence isn’t a lot for the police to go on.”

Jay nods.

“I’m glad you came to me though, son.” Stan says. “You have the full support of the team on this.”

Jay nods again.

“Thank you, sir.”

Chapter Text

They’re having Thanksgiving at The Burgess’.

Jay’s mom is feeling a lot better since her surgery and especially since she’d been able to stop chemo, switching over to chemo’s less abusive sister radiation.

But she’s still not really up to hosting Thanksgiving, no matter how much she might want to, and Kim’s mom had stepped in to offer to host.

She’s even agreed to let Bridget show up a couple of hours early to help with the final prep work.

They’re also celebrating on Tuesday so that Jay can join them.

He’d been meaning to fly out late last night after the game but his flight had been delayed by the weather.

He’d finally gotten into the air a little over two hours ago and Will is waiting at O’Hare now to pick him up.

He’ll be flying out tomorrow evening to meet the team in Atlanta for their Thanksgiving Day game.

She and Kim are picking up a few last things at the local store on their way to Kim’s mom’s.

If she’d seen this coming, she would have told Bridget they would need to go without the cranberry sauce.

They come around a corner to see her mom standing in front of a shelf, comparing sugars.

For a minute, Hailey feels guilty.

Both of her brothers will be joining them at the Burgess’.

Her dad is still in prison which means that Christine Upton will most likely be spending the holiday alone at home.

But then she remembers how her mom had handled herself last Thanksgiving when Bridget had been generous enough to invite her over.

She looks away, walking down to the other end of the aisle where she examines the selection of cranberry sauces.

“Sweet girl.”

She turns to see her mom walking up to her, a bag of powdered sugar in one hand.

“Mom.” she says, swallowing hard.

“How is college?” her mom says. “Life? Are you doing okay? What with … well everything with that boy?”

Hailey frowns.

“What about him?” she asks.

Her dad watches hockey. Has he seen the stories about Jay’s mom?

“Your dad doesn’t catch a lot of sports in prison.” her mom says. “Certainly not the ones he wants to watch but he’s caught some Rangers coverage. They’re very proud of their new rookie. Their new ‘single’ rookie.”

Hailey rolls her eyes.

“I tried to tell you.” her mom says, reaching out. “That you were too young to know what love was. That he was just another boy trying to get in your pants.”

She grits her teeth.

“He’s not single.” she bites out. “He was just trying not to make a big deal about me.”

“Trying to pretend to be single so he can chase tail out in New York while keeping you on the hook back here isn’t any better.” her mom says. “Actually it might be worse.”

“He was trying to avoid the vultures of the press digging into me.” Hailey growls. “Waiting until the new rookie heat died down in the hopes it would keep them from finding out about dad and making a big deal.”

“Oh Hailey.” her mom sighs. “That might be what he’s telling you.”

Hailey growls, opening her mouth to unleash a scathing response.

“There you are!”

She turns to see Jay rounding the corner.

“Jay!” she says, stepping forward as he runs the last few steps to him, pressing up to kiss him. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to stop and get some sparkling cider or something for dinner.” he says, kissing her back and then pulling her into a tight hug. “We ran into Kim waiting at checkout and she said you were grabbing cranberry sauce.”

She buries her face in his chest.

“When are you going to stop taking advantage of my daughter and let her get on with her life?” her mom says rudely from behind her and Hailey tenses up. “Surely you’ve got plenty of girls in New York who will sleep with you without needing to pretend you’re in love with them.”

“That’s enough, mom.” Hailey snaps, pulling away from Jay and whirling to face her mother.

“I’m just trying to keep you from getting your heart broken any worse.” her mom protests.

Jay wraps an arm around her waist.

“Mrs. Upton.” he says quietly. “If I knew what to say to convince you that your daughter is my entire world, I would have said it already. There are no other girls in New York. There are no other girls anywhere. She is the only girl I think about. Ever.”

Her mom scoffs and Hailey rolls her eyes, snatching a can of cranberry sauce from the shelf.

“It’s not worth it, Jay.” she growls, taking his hand and pulling him away. “Goodbye, mother.”

Jay is silent as she drags him along the aisle to the front of the store.

Will and Kim are talking by the registers, Kim holding a bag of peanuts and Will with a bottle of sparkling cider tucked under his arm.

They both seem to sense that Hailey isn’t in the mood for a conversation and the four of them move through the register, Jay insisting on paying for everything.

Then Hailey is leading the way into the parking lot.

Her family is waiting for her.

And that doesn’t include Christine Upton.

Not anymore.