Harlow Gaffney. One of the best teen hockey players in the country, gets invited to join Team USA for the Junior Goodwill Games along with her twin sister, Julie. Nicknamed 'Wolverine', because she gets into many fights on the ice, she ends up as pa...
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"Anyone know where I can find District 5?" Gordon Bombay's voice rang out through the pizza place. Harlow looked up from her conversation with Julie and they all turned around. "Yes!" Julie's husband, Adam, said. "There he is." Averman said. "Oh, it's real." Bombay gave Averman a hug. "Ken Wu!" "It's good to see you, Coach." Kenny said. "Hey, You got big! You again?" He said to Fulton. "Good to see you again, Coach! Yeah!" "Dean!" Bombay said before turning to Harlow. She placed a hand on her growing baby bump. Bombay shook his head.
"Harlow Gaffney." He said. "Portman-Reed, actually." She corrected him. "Who's fault is this?" He asked, looking down at her stomach. "Fulton's." She said. Bombay chuckled before turning to Julie. He opened his mouth to speak but Julie cut him off. "It's Banks now." She said. Bombay gave her a hug and then moved on to Adam. "Coach! How you doing?" "The cake eater no more." "It's good to see you. Hey, Connie. Guy. you handsome devil. Wow!" They all grabbed their glasses and clinked them together. "To District 5!" "District 5, that works." "Cheers." They all started quacking.
***
"Look at us." Dean said as they looked at the pictures of them on the wall. "I can't believe my hair used to be that dark." Harlow said, shuddering at it now. "Check out the hair on the Avermeister, getting his fro on. He's fro alicious. Orange creamsicle fro yo! Where's the fros at? Where my fro?" "Averman..." Harlow started. "Yeah." He said, shutting up. "You're still talking like that?" Bombay asked. "No, not really. Figured I'd break it out tonight, cause I know how much you love it." "We remember things very differently, Averman."
"Man, I miss getting into fights on the ice." Fulton said, wrapping an arm around Harlow's waist. "Good times." "Who says they gotta end?" Kenny spoke up. He held up two breadsticks. "Breadsticks. Gloves. Shirt." He said, reaching in for Fulton. "Ken Wu, you're making my day, buddy!" He hugged Kenny and lifted him off the ground.
***
"It was a good game! I just didn't hit it in the right direction." Connie said. "You guys have all done well for yourselves. You look great. Banks, I heard you became a lawyer." "Uh, public defender. I learned a long time ago to fight for the good guys." Adam told him. "And Mrs Banks?" Bombay asked Julie. "Women's National Hockey League, team USA, head coach." Julie said. "Wolverine?" "Oh, Jesus Christ. I haven't heard that in a long time." Harlow said. "I'm a stay at mom." She told him.
"Wow. How many kids do you guys have?" Bombay asked. "Six, and two on the way." She said. Julie turned to her twin. "Bitch. You didn't tell me you were having twins." She said. "Oops. Here you go." Harlow said, handing her sister an ultrasound picture. "We're gonna be outnumbered." Dean said. "Six girls, and two boys." Fulton said. "Wow." Bombay said again. "Averman? What have you been doing?" "Okay, I don't wanna brag, but I take a limo to work every day." "Living large. Not surprised. You're a clever kid. Annoying, but clever."
They all laughed. "And Guy married Connie Moreau. You guys went the distance." "Yeah, but now it's Minnesota State Senator Connie Moreau." Connie told him. "That's right. And I am just a lucky guy that gets to go along for the ride. And take care of our seven children." Guy said. "We have three kids." Connie corrected him. "It feels like seven." "We invited you to the wedding. You never responded."
"Yeah, man, nobody's heard from you in years. Where you been?" Adam asked. "I move around a lot. You know, I'm not really good with my mail." "Probably in the same pile as your Spirit of the Ducks invitation." Fulton said. "Man, that party is going to be awesome!" Kenny said. "I'm not going." Harlow said. Dean placed his hand on the stomach and started rubbing it. He wasn't going either. Neither was Julie. The three of them were gonna stay home. Jade and Fallon wouldn't be able to handle the rest of their younger siblings by themselves.
"Are you gonna speak?" Connie asked Bombay. "Maybe then we can finally hear what you've been up to?" "Yeah, I'm not gonna go to that thing." Bombay said. "Why wouldn't you?" "I got some things going on. I'm not going." "You got some things going on?" Averman questioned. "Jeez! Look at this guy. I mean... What, you coach college hockey, and all of a sudden you got this bigger head than when we first met you?"
"Are you avoiding us on purpose?" Adam asked. "No." "Yes, you are." Connie said. "Our wedding, Julie and Adam's wedding, Harlow, Fulton, and Dean's wedding, this gala. What's it gonna take to get you to hang out with us? Another criminal court order?" "Wow. I'm sitting right here." "Don't tell me Charlie was right." Fulton said. "What?" "About you. He didn't come cause he said it's not like you've been showing up for us lately, so why should he show up?"
"Charlie said that?" "You know, you started all of this. You're our coach. Don't let us down now." Connie ranted. "Look, we were a team, it was a long time ago. But I think it's time that we all just move on." Bombay said. He got up and left. "Seriously?" Guy said. "We named our kid after that guy." "So did we." Harlow said.
***
"We're home." Harlow called out. "Mommy!" Elizabeth, Harlow and Dean's youngest daughter ran into the room. "Hi, sweetie." She said, picking her up." Where's everyone else?" She asked. Elizabeth pointed at the living room. The throuple walked in to the living room to see the twins, Jade and Fallon, basically pulling their hair out. Jade was chasing Gordon around while he had no shirt on, and Fallon was trying to get Teddy to stop crying. Julie, their angel child, was just sat on the couch watching cartoons. "Everybody freeze!" Fulton called out.
Their kids all froze and turned to look at their parents. "Go to bed." Dean said. Jade took Elizabeth out of her mom's arms. "I'm sorry." She said. "It's alright. Just go upstairs." Jade nodded and headed upstairs with the rest of the kids following. Harlow immediately kicked off her shoes and sat down on the couch. Fulton and Dean sat next to her. Dean rubbed her thighs while Fulton spoke to the twins in her stomach. Harlow looked down, smiling at the family they had built. She didn't know what was going to happen when she joined team USA for the Junior Goodwil Games, but she couldn't have asked for anything better.
