The Day Has Come (Counting on Hockey #4)

Chapter 3: Family Values

On my first day off in three weeks, I'm awoken to Cole's phone ringing on his bedside table. I roll over, knowing he's in the shower, and look at the screen. With one eye open, I see it's one of his aunts.

"Hello?" I answer it.

"Oh, Meredith, it's Aunt Fiona", she says to me. "Did I accidentally call your phone?"

"No, Aunt Fiona, you didn't. Cole's in the shower". I say back. "What's going on?"

"So, I've been talking with Lina for a weeks about this", Fiona starts. "Lina was wondering if she could come out and see you and Cole for a few days sometime soon? Only three or four days. She misses Cole so much, and you too. She's fourteen now and there's direct flights from here to Saint Paul. If she can't, we completely understand. I know you too are both so busy".

"Oh my goodness. I would love to have her come out here. I will have to talk to Cole about timing and things like that, but I don't see why she couldn't come out. How about I talk to Cole when he's done getting ready and I can have him call you back sometime between today and tomorrow, okay?"

"Perfect. Thanks Mere. Tell Cole I love him. Bye".

I hang up the phone and roll back into bed, trying to fall asleep again. I almost do when I get a call on my own phone. I roll over to that side and look at the screen. Cara.

"Hello, Sister", I answer the phone.

"Hey, Mere. How's it going on this fine day?" Cara asks over happily.

"Good. How is yours?"

"Really good. I have some news for you", Cara replies.

"What?"

"I'm pregnant", Cara squeals.

I sit up quickly in my bed. "You're what?"

"Meredith. I'm pregnant".

"Oh my God", I practically scream. "I'm going to be an aunt, and you're going to be a mom. Cara, this is amazing. Congratulations".

"You're the first person I've told, besides Matt of course. I haven't told Willow, or Mom and Dad".

"Cara. Oh my god! I don't have any other words for this. It's just amazing".

Cara and I talk for a few more minutes, about the past few week with what's going on in our lives. It's mostly been work for the both of us. She's a physical therapist now, and Matt works at some engineering company in Detroit. They just started to pay back Mom and Dad for the house they bought, which is the house I grew up in before we moved to Maine. We bid our goodbyes as I hear the shower turn off.

"Good morning, Baby", I hear from behind me. In the doorway, Cole stands in just his underwear.

"Good morning, Mister", I smile at him.

He walks over to the closet and put on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt with the Minnesota Wild logo on the right sleeve, his name etched in the fabric over his heart. He comes to sit next to me on the bed, placing a kiss on my lips.

"Were you talking to someone out here?" He asks me.

"Yeah. Two people actually. I'll get to the first in a moment, but I have some news from my sister", I say. Cole cocks his head in inquiry. "Let's just say we are going to be Aunt and Uncle".

"Oh my god. Really? That's awesome", Cole says. More thrilled than I thought he was going to be.

"The first was Aunt Fiona, she actually called your phone. But she wanted to know if Lina could come out here for a few days. She misses you so much, both of us I guess. Fiona says she's old enough to travel out on the direct flight. I already say yes, so the final decision is up to you".

"That's not even a question. Of course she can come out. When I talk to her, she's always telling me I need to go home to Maine, but I never have the chance", Cole says to me, joy filling his voice. He thinks for a moment. "How about in three weeks? We only have three games that week, and they're all at home. I can call Fiona to make sure she's good with that week, but it's close to now, we aren't that busy. Everything will work out that way".

I stretch across the bed and grab Cole's phone. "Then you can call Lina and Fiona and give them the news".

I hop out of bed and grab a towel from the linen closet outside our bedroom door, then head into the bathroom and take my shower. While in the shower, like always, I think about my future with Cole. We've been living together for almost two years, and been together seven. We've talked about getting married, but we both think we might still be little young to actually do it. But now that Cara told me she was pregnant, I start to think about kids. What would happen if Cole and I have kids. How many would we have? What about how busy our life is?

I guess we have more things to think about.