What Goes Around...

Part Thirty Eight

Chapter Thirty Eight

"I'm pregnant."

Coop dug his feet into the uneven ground and climbed higher. Reaching the top of the hill he finally paused, dropping onto his haunches. His heart pounding in his ears was deafening, and the wind whistling through the trees only overwhelmed his senses more. But anything was better than hearing those words...again.

"I'm pregnant."

In his mind, his hyperventilating state morphed the matter-of-fact words from Freya's lips with the gloating, attention seeking words that Michelle had uttered over four years earlier. Freya's soft lips merging with Michelle's scarlet painted ones. Sinking to the floor on his back he wanted to cry. History was repeating itself, and he was struggling to find enough air to breathe.

"I'm pregnant Coop. Can you believe it?"

Michelle had been his girlfriend for two years. If accompanying him to any social event counted as being a girlfriend. She hated hockey, the sweaty stench of the training rink, the days on the road. But she loved the glamour of being a girlfriend at games, the events, the parties, the champagne...the attention.

And him? He'd headed to England after injuring his knee, not thinking that he'd ever play again. Coming back to six months in the farm team and then an NHL debut was both a shock and a dream come true. He spent half his time pinching himself confirming that this wasn't a dream, and the other half catching up with his teammates who were much more used to the lifestyle. He hadn't noticed Michelle, or rather paid much attention to her. He liked her, she was pretty, she knew what was needed in every situation. His parents liked her, the other wives and girlfriends liked her, and when they went to parties, she disappeared with the women, leaving him to catch up with the guys, sex was good. She was happy as long as he was buying her things, and he was happy as long as he was having TONS of ice time.

He didn't have the time to realise that things weren't 'normal', that they didn't share anything, that they didn't love each other. But now looking back it was all so obvious. Likewise he had no idea that being pregnant was just another ploy to embed herself further into his life. And he fell for it. He'd fallen hook, line and sinker for the idea of having a child. He didn't want a wife particularly, he didn't really have strong feelings for Michelle, but his child...he had gotten tingles across the back of his neck at the thought of a mini Coop appearing in the world.

And he loved the idea of parenthood, but his greatest passion after the baby was his hockey. Michelle's needs and desired barely registered with him. Looking back he could see that now. She hated being pregnant, didn't appreciate the beautiful changes to her body. He saw her bloom, she saw herself grow fat.

Milo was perfect. Born in February, a winter baby, Coop was smitten. The nights he spent just holding him watching him breathe were too many to count. Every moment away from the house he missed him more than anything. And a few weeks later they were headlong into play offs; his team were heading towards the Stanley Cup like a rocket. Michelle had become more and more depressed during her pregnancy and once Milo arrived, she hated that she didn't bounce back to her pre-baby figure, and of course there were the sleepless nights, lots of them, and the feeds, the dirty diapers. Before he left for a double header weekend to Florida he'd phoned her mother, asked her to come and look after Michelle.

He opened his eyes, the blue sky above him was endless, the pain of that weekend in Florida was still real. He'd played well, but they'd lost the second game and with that went their hopes of progressing further in the Cup. A long summer had loomed ahead of them. He planned to take them both to the cabin. Time, that was what Michelle needed, some time and some support, he was going to make her realise how perfect things were.