YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM BOTH

Chapter 47: First Skate with the Twins

October 2014

Sidney had Karen and the kids in the car going for a ride.

"Where we goin daddy?" Nicki asked in her small voice.

"Just for a ride princess."

"We goin to daddy's house" Sidney told his sister.

"Silly, daddy lives wif mommy" Nicki answered back.

"We goin to daddy's utter house, see" he said pointing out the window.

Karen looked out the window and heard the kids laughing in the back seat. She just looked at Sidney who shrugged his shoulder "you're not right" she told him.

Sidney picked up her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist "you love me anyway." Karen shook her head as Sidney parked in the players lot. They got out and got the kids out of their car seats, holding their hands as they all walked inside. They headed to the lounge and Karen sat down with the kids as Sidney went to the locker room. He came back out with skates for the kids then disappeared before coming back with his and a pair for Karen. They got the skates on the kids before putting theirs on. Helping to walk them to the ice, Karen smiled knowing Sidney had waited for this moment.

"Sid, becareful with them their first time out."

"I will baby" he said kissing her cheek. "Ok guys, we're going to start off easy and just learn balance today." Sidney took Nicki who was attached to his leg and Karen had to literally slow Sidney down because he was practically running to the ice.

"My God, he is just like you" she said as they passed them. Sidney just laughed as Karen scooped him up and went onto the ice.

"You say that like it's a bad thing" he said picking up Nicki and going out on the ice.

"I just wanted it to wait a few years. Was that too much to ask?"

"Mommy, down" Sidney said squirming in her arms and she put him on the ice, holding onto him.

"Apparently not" Sid told her as he started skating around with Nicki in his arms until she wanted to get down and try on her own.

Sidney was going a little fast and Karen was having a hard time keeping up with him. Her motherly instincts wanted to hold on to him but the fan in her wanted to see if he could do it on his own at 4 years old. Karen let go and Sidney skated over with Nicki giving her to Karen and went after Sidney. She just smiled and took Nicki's hands and slowly skated with her until she felt comfortable on her skates. After a while, Nicki was getting stronger and Karen let her hands go so she could go on her own. Karen just stood back by the bench and watched as her son, daughter, and husband skated around.

"How long have you waited for this moment?" a voice rang out behind her.

Karen turned around and saw Mario standing there "not as long as the big kid out there has."

"You know after he found out you were pregnant, I would find him just standing at center ice and staring around the ice. After a few times watching him, I asked him what he was doing."

"And his answer was what?"

"That he was trying to imagine this moment that's happening now."

"I knew this was going to be inevitable but just watching him with the twins it's overwhelming. Sidney couldn't wait to get on the ice and it took Nicki a little while to get comfortable, but look at them now."

"They have hockey in their blood." Karen just looked at Mario and smiled as he gave her a wink and left them alone.

"Come on mommy. Daddy said you need to come have fun wif us" Sidney said as he skated over to get his mom.

"Only daddy?" she said bending over, grabbing him and started to tickle his sides.

"No" he said laughing.

"No? Who else wants me to come have fun?"

"Me and Nicki."

Karen stopped tickling her son and knelt down to his level "I would love to come have fun with you and Nicki and your daddy." Sidney threw his arms around Karen's neck and hugged her before they skated off and over to where the other two were.

Awhile after skating around, Sidney went towards the bench and grabbed a couple of small sticks and two of his own. He stuck a couple of pucks in his pocket as he skated back over to his family.

"Here baby" he said handing her one of his sticks.

"Oh no, the world is going to end now" Karen said as the kids looked at her "someone other than daddy is touching his stick" she said getting a laugh out of the twins.

"They're two young to understand baby."

"Give them another few years and they'll understand."

"You're funny."

"Well I try to be" she said seeing him give a small stick to both Nicki and Sidney.

He put the pucks on the ice and showed the twins a couple of simple moves to get the puck going. They both picked it up quickly and made short strides to the net. Sidney kept it up until they felt a little more comfortable on their own. Karen had just watched them take the pucks around the net when Sidney skated up to her.

"I'm not pushing them if that's what you're thinking."

"I'm not thinking that Sid."

"Then why aren't you playing with us?"

"It's the being supportive role. If I can stand back to watch them and resist the urge to go be right beside them to keep them from falling then I believe I can let this happen."

"Tell me what you're afraid of."

"I'm afraid they'll love this. I don't think I'm ready to be a hockey mom when being a hockey wife takes all my time."

"Karen, if all I get out of today is that they had fun and no aspiring dreams come out of it, then I'll be happy."

"Really?"

"Yes really. I want them to know what I do and if they choose on their own to keep doing it, then I know they're truly my kids" he said getting a look from Karen "what I meant was, if they didn't like today then the hospital must have switched the babies."

"Oh god" she said rolling her eyes and skated over to the twins.

"What, it could be a possibility" he yelled as he skated towards her. She looked up and smiled as they continued playing around with the twins.

After a couple more hours, Sidney and Karen got the kids back to the locker room and took off their skates. They headed out and went to get a late lunch. When they finished lunch, the kids fell asleep in the back seat on their way home. When Sidney pulled into the driveway, they each took a kid and carried them inside, taking them directly to their room and putting them in bed for a nap.

"You wore them out today."

"Yes I did and I'm proud of it" Sidney said smiling as they left the room.

They headed downstairs to the living room and sat on the couch "I know I had reservations about this moment, but I loved watching you out there with them today."

"Thanks baby I appreciate that. I've been dreaming about this moment for so long."

"I think I saw how you must of felt when you first stepped foot on the ice at that age."

"I'm just glad I got to have this moment."

"I don't doubt that you wouldn't have had this moment Sid."

"I know. Before you finally got pregnant and you told me about those other times, I was actually scared that I wouldn't get that moment like we had today."

"I was scared too. I knew you wanted an heir to follow in your footsteps, now you have two. I don't think today could have went any better and I will forever remember it."

"Me too baby, me too" he said leaning in for a kiss before Karen laid her head on his shoulder as they enjoyed the quiet.