Two Years Later || Book II

Chapter Twelve - Shots Fired

I stood there silently, stunned.

"Our what?" I stuttered, raising my brows. "I'm gonna be a who?"

"I'm pregnant, Ondrej," she said quietly, smiling.

"We're gonna have a... Baby?" I swallowed hard.

She nodded.

"I'm gonna be a father..."

I had been speaking quieter and quieter, and by this point, I had pretty much been questioning myself.

"Ondrej?" Daniela called, "Are you okay? What do you think?"

My face fell suddenly, but I forced a smile.

"I'm gonna be a father!" I cried happily, enveloping her into a hug and spinning her around.

Deep down, I was hurting. Bad.

I'd always wanted to be a father, I really did... Just not right now, not like this; and not with her.

I imagined starting a family with Anna since we were kids, and that just wasn't something I could easily sweep under the rug.

It was going to take a lot of getting used to - not only having a little child with my DNA running around, but knowing that it's Daniela's, and not Anna's.

My thoughts must've been evident, seeing as how Daniela had taken notice, and rested her head upon my shoulder.

"I know it's gonna be tough," she started, her voice breaking in the process, "But, we can do it, right?"

I nodded simply, placing a soft kiss upon her head.

"You're gonna be an amazing father, babe," she whispered, making me smile.

"And you'll be an even better mother." I smiled, placing a soft kiss upon her nose.

My stomach tied in a knot, then, making feel as if I needed to vomit.

"Uh," I mumbled, "Do you think we could head home now?"

A small, slightly-sad smile flickered across Daniela's face as she stared me in the eyes, intertwining our fingers as she lead me back to our vehicle.

With the awkward silence between us, I knew my feelings must've been evident once again.

She hopped in the drivers seat and sighed, turning to look at me next to her. "Are you sure you're excited?" She asked, concerned.

"Of course I am!" I cried, the knot in my stomach tightening, "Who in their right mind wouldn't be excited to be a father?"

I had convinced her this time... At least for now.

"I love you," I smiled, intertwining our fingers and placing a kiss on her hand.

"I love you, too."

Once arriving home, I insisted she rest not only herself, but our supposed baby. I still cringed at the thought.

What if she's lying to me? I thought. What if she's telling me this so I won't leave her?

Either way, I didn't have any plans to leave her. I had everything, and even more on the way, than I need. Right here, in Daniela's arms.

"Are you comfortable?" I asked, closing the blinds. "Do you need anything?"

I had already grabbed her a glass of water, some medicine for her headache, extra pillows and a blanket, and laid her down in my bed.

"I think I'm good," she yawned, "Thank you, love."

I nodded.

"Now, do you mind if I step out for a bit?" I asked.

"Go right ahead," she smiled softly, drifting to sleep.

I left the room quietly, looking back at her sleeping face before shutting the door behind me.

I headed off into the city, where I strolled around for awhile; every once in a while being stopped by eager fans wanted pictures and autographs, to which I happily did.

"How come you're not playing hockey now?" A small child asked, looking up at me expectant. His eyes concerned.

"I've just gotten a few days off," I explained, "I'll be back in Winnipeg tomorrow."

The little boy's face lit up, before he turned and skipped off into the distance, where he greeted his mother.

He was a sweet kid, but I couldn't help but think about how that would be Daniela and I in a few months. Walking the streets, a child in our arms.

It was scary, really.

I headed over to a back street, where I was sure no one would recognize me. It was dark, and it seemed to be quite vacant.

I pulled out my phone and began dialling Michael's number.

"Hello?" He answered after two rings. There wasn't a game until tomorrow night, so I knew he would be napping right about now.

"Hey, Michael," I swallowed hard, taking in a deep breath,"I'm sorry if I woke you."

"No, it's alright," he insisted, "You're just the guy I wanted to talk to, anyways. How's you're trip been?"

I raised my brow.

"Really?" I asked, ignoring his question entirely.

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about something-"

"Me too," I cut him off, "Mind if I go first?"

"Go right ahead," he chuckled, "What's up?"

"Well, uh," I hesitated, scratching the back of my neck, "I may or may not be a father..."

"What?" Michael shouted through the receiver, "Who's the mother? What did Daniela say when he found out? Was the mother one of your one night-"

"Michael!" I cried, "Calm down." I demanded, tears burning at my eyes.

I had called him because he was my best friend, and I needed support. I couldn't take any more guilt.

"I'm scared enough as it is," My voice broke, "The mother is Daniela."

"Well, why aren't you excited?" Michael questioned.

"Because..." I paused, "...We're not even married yet!" I lied.

"Speaking of marriage," Michael piped up, "Although your news probably takes the cake for most exciting..."

He hesitated.

"I've been thinking of asking Nicola to marry me."