o l i v i a

The sound of frustrated grunts come from the nursery. Well, nursery in progress. Right after Parker's morning skate before the game tonight, he came home to assemble the crib. Despite my pleas not to overwork himself, especially before a playoffs game, his determination overpowered me.

Not to mention, Parker has been traveling a lot for the first and second round of playoffs. I've hardly seen him over the past month, since the funeral. Good news, though... The made it to the conference finals! From what I've heard, most predict the Blaze will go head to head with the Vancouver Canucks.

"Ugh!" I hear a loud grunt.

I run over to the nursery. And by running, I mean half waddling half scurrying. My twenty-five week belly has grown a lot, causing my center of balance to be off. I'm not sure how I still do photo shoots in heels.

I haven't walked a runway in forever, which I'm bummed about. Considering New York Fashion Week is in a few months, my chances of participating are slim to none. But, I keep reminding myself that it's not the end of the world. Because Parker and our baby are my world.

Speaking of my world, I open the door to the room and immediately see Parker. He's looking frustratedly at the instruction manual for the crib.

"Need some help?" I enter the room.

He puts the paper down and stands from his seated position. "Hey, go rest your feet on the couch. I don't want you overworking yourself."

I raise one eyebrow at him. "I seem to remember saying the exact same thing to you an hour ago."

He shoots me a guilty smirk. "Touché. But seriously babe, go lay on the bed or something."

"I'm not tired, but you will be tonight, if you don't take a nap." I shove him out of the room, which is harder than I thought because of his very muscular frame.

"Alright, alright," he says. "How about we take a nap together, then I'll finish the crib later."

"Maybe we can hire someone to assemble it," I suggest.

Parker shakes his head. "Absolutely not. This is my responsibility as a father." He will never seize to amaze me.

"I love that you're so determined and committed to your new role as a dad." I place a gentle hand to his cheek.

"Don't give me all the credit," he says. "I know how much time you've spent researching about motherhood and every single thing you need to know about babies."

True. I've been stressing lately about being an unprepared parent. I know it's common, but I want to be ready for anything and everything.

"While we're on the topic of our little girl, we should plan a shopping trip soon for baby items. I ordered some stuff online, but I'd prefer to look at some of the stuff in store. Like the stroller and car seat, the changing table, the bassinet," I say. "I know you're schedule is hectic right now, so I don't mind going with Anna and-"

He places a finger on my lips to stop me from talking. "No," he says firmly. "We're doing that together. You're not alone. We're a team."

Before I can respond, he places a chaste kiss on my lips, leaving me absolutely stunned once again. "Now, let's go nap." He grabs my hand and leads me to our bedroom.

•••

Staying true to his word, Parker and I are shopping for our princess. Last night was his third game of the conference finals. If they win tomorrow, they'll advance to the Stanley Cup. I was worried Parker would be in a grumpy mood because yesterday's game was intense. The teams had to do a shootout. Parker scored the winning shot.

The man next to me is not in a grumpy mood. In fact, his mood is the exact opposite. Parker lips are curved into a radiant smile. He proudly holds bags and bags of baby clothes. We might have gone a little overboard, but everything we saw, we needed to buy. Even a fifty dollar tutu that she probably won't wear until she's a year old.

Parker was so happy when he found a onesie with words "Daddy's Girl" on it. He even made me snap a picture of him, holding the onesie up. He posted it on his Instagram story. I swear, the public went crazy over it!

Our next stop is Nordstrom. As we walk into the baby department, a worker immediately welcomes us. "Hello, my name is Cindy! I'm huge fans of you both. How may I help you?"

"Hi, Cindy," I smile. "We're hoping to buy a car seat and stroller, and anything else we might stumble upon that we need."

"Got it! Follow me." Cindy leads us to rows of strollers and car seats, different sizes and colors.

"Wow, you guys sure do have an infinite amount of options," Parker says.

Cindy laughs. "Yes, but don't feel overwhelmed. We'll find the perfect one for you!"

After testing out some strollers and looking at a few car seats, I decide on a black stroller that can accommodate a car seat. I did extensive research and read plenty of reviews before coming here. When I pushed it around the department a few times, I knew it was the perfect one for us. There's even a nude accent color, so it was calling my name.

Parker took a picture of me testing it out, then proceeded to post it on his story. Let me tell you, the public is eating this baby content up!

I'm glad they're interested in our pregnancy journey, but I don't think we'll be sharing much when our baby girl arrives. Parker and I both agree that it's best to keep that part of our lives private. We know what's it's like to be in the public eye, and it's not our choice to decide whether or not she wants to. But, don't be mistaken... We're still going to be very proud parents!

Before we purchase the stroller and car seat that will be sent to our condo, we add a light pink baby carrier. I'm sure Parker will love using that around.

Once we're home, we drop all the bags into the nursery. "Is it just me, or do you feel accomplished?" Parker asks.

I nod. "Totally. A lot more prepared than before. We even have the crib set up!"

Parker flashes me a proud grin. "Told you I'd assemble it. No help needed." Did I already mention how Parker is the best man to ever exist?

•••

To say I was anxious was an understatement. I was scared to death. Hayden and Annalise were worried I would pass out. Again. But, when you're watching your boyfriend get slammed into the glass panels, you have every right to be concerned. It's not helping that Deacon is sitting in the penalty box for fighting with the other team.

Aside from that, the Blaze is doing exceedingly well. The score is three-zero, but Parker always tells me "you can't celebrate until the final buzzer goes off." This game determines if they'll challenge the Canucks for the Stanley Cup, so nerves are running high, tonight.

Hayden, who's sitting on my right, has told me multiple times to chill out. I can't help my nervous fidgets. I keep biting down on bottom lip and playing with my Cartier bracelet. Anna's no better. When Deacon's gloves came flying off and he tackled the other player, a loud scream came out of Annalise's mouth.

With three minutes left of the game, everyone is watching with bated breaths. I know there's no way the other team can get the puck in three times before the game ends, but with the way everyone else is acting, I'm questioning if I could be wrong.

The puck is traveling so quickly along the ice, my head is going from one end of the rink to the other. In the last thirty seconds, Parker takes possession of the puck and swiftly skates to their goal. When he's a few feet away, I hear a sharp intake of breath from the crowd. "SCORE!! BAYLOR WITH THE WINNING SHOT! THE BLAZE ARE HEADED TO THE STANLEY CUP!" The announcer practically screams.

In a blink of an eye, I'm on my feet cheering. Anna and Hayden hug me from both sides, being sure not to squeeze my belly. "THEY DID IT!" Annalise yells.

My baby girl is kicking up a storm in my belly. You're excited too, huh?

•••

As the crowd finally disperses, Anna, Hayden and I make our way outside of the arena where we'll meet the guys. Following tradition, we'll be celebrating their win at Urban New York. And maybe Parker and I will continue our tradition, and I'll get lucky tonight.

A few minutes of waiting near the exit, the guys come out looking handsome as ever in their suits. Even with Parker's shaggier than normal hair, he looks clean and professional. Very much captain material.

"Ready to get wasted?" Miles says excitedly, then looks over to me with a guilty expression. "Sorry, Ollie."

I wave him off. "No worries. I'll be enjoying some fries. Congratulations on the win, by the way."

The guys all smile. "Stanley Cup, here we come!" Miles yells. "Now, let's go! I. Am. Starving."

"Of course you are." Hayden rolls her eyes.

•••

We're seated at one of the private tables near the back of the bar. The guys get our drinks, and I order a large basket of fries. Once they're delivered to my table, I dig in. My mouth is already salivating over the smell. Before I can put the fry in my mouth, it's stolen from my hand. Miles!

"Sorry." He shrugs unapologetically.

As the guys recount highlights of the game, a flash of red appears in my peripheral vision. I turn my head to the side and see a woman in a red sequined dress. I know immediately from the curvy body and the platinum blonde hair, who this lady is. Bianca. Fucking déjà vu.

"Well, funny meeting ya'll here, again!" She says cheerily.

I look across to Parker who's staring daggers at her. "Bianca, what do you want?" He snaps.

"Nice to see you, too. I just wanted to congratulate you in person on your win tonight!" Parker nods in response.

"Also, congrats on the baby. A knocked up model is a good look for you," she laughs at her own comment.

"Bianca, if you do not leave this bar in five seconds, I will call security. Then, you'll be served with a restraining order," Parker states.

"Or, I can drag her out myself and she can still get served with a restraining order because she's obviously a lunatic!" Hayden yells.

"Oh, come on! I don't blame Olivia for hopping into bed with him. If I remember myself, he was particularly good at-"

Parker stands from his seat, surprising us all. Even Bianca looks a little nervous, because she takes a step back.

"Was this your last ditch attempt to win me back? Or are you jealous of Olivia? Probably both. Let me clear something up for you. No one in their right mind likes a fraud," Parker remarks.

Bianca stares at him with a horrified expression. "Do you want me to continue?" He asks.

She looks over to our table, as if she's asking us to save her. Yeah right. Bianca turns around and makes a b-line for the exit. "Wait," Parker says. What! She was finally leaving!

"Before you go, I want to tell you something. If you ever think of contacting me or Olivia ever again, the psych ward will be in your near future. Expect a restraining order, as well, because I wouldn't put it passed you to stalk us or something. And remember, no one messes with my family," Parker affirms. My family.

Bianca gulps and runs straight for the exit. "Wow," Annalise says.

"That was fucking amazing!" Miles says with a full mouth of fries. "And very entertaining."

"Proud of you, Baylor," Deacon elbows Parker on the arm.

Hayden chimes in. "I still would have wanted to drag her out of here." The whole table laughs.

I motion with my hand for Parker to lead over. I cup a hand over my mouth and whisper into his ear, "You're getting so lucky, tonight."

When I pull back, I see Parker swallow. His eyes have darkened and he's looking at me like I'm his next meal. "Sorry, but the party's ending early for Olivia and I." Parker grabs my hand and pulls me from the booth. "We have important business to take care of."

They all shake their head and laugh, while Parker practically hauls me out of the bar. We shall let traditions continue.

________________________

a u t h o r ' s   n o t e

hi, friends! it's been a while... i'm so sorry for not updating sooner, but i hope you enjoyed this chapter!

i tried to keep it on the lighter side, but i had to throw bianca into the mix to give it a little spice.

who's your favorite character?

stay tuned for more :)

xx,
moony

parker on his way to make olivia his next meal: