Thursday, April 21, 2011

Chapter 49

***Looks like this will go past 50! I just gotta think of more plot so it doesnt get boring...any ideas for what ya'll would like to see? &I thought I'd post this now because I'll be beyond nervous for game 5 tonight! As always--enjoy & cant wait to hear from ya'll :)
~J

St. Patty’s Day came and went, and so did my parents, who had went back home the following Monday. The end of March was right around the corner, which meant playoffs were around the corner as well. It was a busy day at the arena with the guys practicing, and the Better Halves working on a new charity project, with the inspiration of Dayna and I being new moms soon. We are going to have a clothing drive for other expectant mothers who are less fortunate. For the home game against Tampa Bay, we are asking people to bring baby items to the game and drop them off at our table in the concourse.

While Lauren, Mel, Dayna, Savannah and I were in the office organizing things for the charity event, I totally spaced that tonight’s game is against Florida…until there’s a knock on the door, I look up to see Jack standing there

“Ahh! Hi!” I say, a little excited
“Hi JJ! See I told you I’d be back!” He says hugging me then the girls
“Yeah, because you have to be,”
“Yeah, that too, but I just had to come say hi, I figured you’d be watching the guys practice,”
“We’re planning a charity event for next weeks game against the Lightning, and lost track of time, and I actually completely spaced out that tonight’s game is against your new team,”
“Wow, way to forget!” he says laughing
“Sorry, preggo brain is in full effect,”
“Preggo brain? Ha ha, ok well I told the guys I’m breaking some of their pre-game rituals so we can go to lunch, and all you ladies better be coming!”
“Breaking the rituals? How did you manage that? Especially with Jon, he never changes that,”
“Well, we’re leaving first thing in the morning, so it was either lunch before the game or dinner after,”
“You’d think that they would go for dinner after,” Dayna says
“Yeah, but if the game didn’t go how they want, they’d be in a bad mood,” Mel adds
“True, ok so when’s lunch?”
“Whenever the guys are done,”

The guys finished practice, and got cleaned up for lunch with Jack and all of us girls. It was good to catch up with him, he loved Florida, but it just wasn’t the same without the guys with him. Jack also added that he wanted to come back during the summer, for some playoff games, and also when the babies are born.

Speaking of playoffs, the guys kept relatively quiet about it, because they were still fighting for 8th, the Hawks were on a constant roller coaster between 6th and 8th place, we knew it would be a tough end to the season, but like we always do, we are hoping for the best.

Charity night during the game against Tampa Bay went very well, people were very willing and glad to help with donating items to less fortunate mothers. They were also very nice to Dayna and I, saying congratulations and giving hugs. Few tried to ask what we were both having, but we kept quiet on that subject, saying we were keeping it a secret until the babies were born, so they would tell us they were hoping for boys, so they could be all stars, like their dads…little did they know.

Regular season was coming to a close with 3 games left; the Hawks have been neck and neck on points with the Flames for the last week or so.

The stress had begun, and today of all days, on the last day of regular season. And let me tell you, being 7 months pregnant, and stressing about the fate of the boys playoff hopes, was not a fun time. But I managed to put on a happy face, and be there for Jon and the rest of the guys, as did Dayna.

The boys managed to get a win in the final game against the Blues. Now the hopes rested on the game between the Flames and the Avs. A loss from the Flames meant the Hawks are in the playoffs, but if they win, they own the tiebreaker and will therefore take the 8th and final playoff spot.

We closed out the season at home, and the guys were going back and forth about watching the game together, like they had done previous years, or watching it at their own homes. After some debates, it had been decided to watch it as a group, at Jon and I’s house. So with a few hours separating us from this important game, Jon went to clean up the house while Dayna joined me for a trip to the store for some food and drinks for the night. Let me tell you…sending 2 pregnant women to the grocery store was not the smart thing to do, I think we spent at least $200 on the most random stuff EVER.

The guys had gotten to our house about 30 minutes before the game; they were all in good spirits, which was good to see. Dayna, Abby and I had set out the veggie and fruit trays, along with all the other food we got. I had a brief phone call with my mom before the game started, I was trying to explain to her why this game is so important, but every time I did, the guys gave me dirty looks, so I told her to have dad explain it, and now she understood why I wouldn’t say anything.

The game was pretty fast paced; both teams knew what was on the line. The Avs got on the board first, with a goal by Duchene, and then scored again 4 minutes later. But the Flames cut the lead in half in the closing minute of the 1st period. Due to the fact of being uncomfortable, I couldn’t sit down for long, so my constant standing up and walking around made Jon and the guys even more nervous. I was finally able to get comfortable and managed to sit for the last period, it started with a 4-3 lead for the Avs.

The heartbreaking moment of the night was when the Flames got 2 goals 12 seconds apart…in the last 2 minutes of the game to take a 5-4 lead. The entire house was quiet. Colorado pulled their goalie with 1:20 left, hoping it would give them a last string of life. It didn’t. The Flames won, and bumped us out of the playoffs. It was a completely different atmosphere, no one got up or anything, we just sat in silence for a few minutes. Then the 2 emotional ones over here started crying, and that did it. The guys had been wishing something could have been done differently. But it couldn’t. The Hawks would be having an earlier summer vacation for the first time in a few years.

2 comments:

  1. awww, so sad! hopefully its a good summer for them!

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  2. Even though it's just a story it broke my heart

    ReplyDelete