I breathed. “I think she meant you.”
He asked the operator, “Me?” and then, “Okay.”
He stuck the phone back in his pocket. “They’re on their way.”
“This is unusual, don’t you think?” I practically panted.
“What do you mean?” His voice was breathy and flat.
“You calling 911.”
“Well, you are having a baby. It’s an emergency.”
“I mean,” I groaned from a contraction. “I mean, last time I called 911, you were faking a heart attack.”
He held my face. I started to sweat. He wiped the hair back from my brow. “Darlin, that wasn’t fake. You stepped in front of me, and I was done. It was an emergency.” He kissed my forehead. “I’m so in love with you. I love you more than you can possibly imagine. And if you don’t think I was done for the minute I saw you, well, we’ll just have to make more babies to hold all the love I have for you.”
A tear fell from my eyes. “I love you so much.”
“Ditto.”
The ambulance arrived and we barely made it to the hospital before our fourth, our only girl, was born.
She has a name. But we simply call her, Beauty.
About the Stanley Cup
I hope you enjoyed the story of Brett and Elizabeth. For my avid hockey fans, the below information may not come as a surprise. But for those of you that have just recently been introduced, the Stanley Cup is a much-revered trophy, not only in hockey, but one of the greatest status symbols of any professional sports organization.
Being from Seattle, I was thrilled that the NHL finally added a team to the Emerald City. Everything in the story was fiction, but I’d like to believe that maybe I might have sprinkled a little magic on the team for the next season.
I’d like to thank theOfficial Site of the Hockey Hall of Famefor the below information on the Stanley Cup. It makes a lot of sense after reading this why the Cup was so important to Brett. And why he would have wanted to share the moment with Elizabeth.
“The Stanley Cup, notably the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes in North America, was donated in 1892 by Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, Lord Stanley of Preston and son of the Earl of Derby. He purchased the trophy for 10 Guineas ($50.00 at that time) to be presented to “the championship hockey club of the Dominion of Canada.” The first team ever awarded the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association in 1893.
“Since 1910, when the National Hockey Association took possession of the Stanley Cup, the trophy has been symbolic of professional hockey supremacy. Beginning in 1926, only NHL teams have competed for this prized trophy.
“The Montreal Canadiens have won a record 23 Stanley Cups since the formation of the NHL (they also won in 1916), with Toronto a distant second at 13. The Habs also hold the record for most consecutive championships with five, accomplished between the years 1956 and 1960 inclusive.
“There have been numerous alterations to the Cup structure. In its infancy, tiered rings were added periodically to the bottom of the bowl. This was followed by long narrow bands in 1927 which were later replaced by uneven bands in 1947. Because the Cup is the only professional sports trophy where the name of every member of the winning team is inscribed, bands are often retired to make room for new champions. Retired bands, along with the original Stanley Cup bowl, are proudly displayed in Lord Stanley’s Vault in the Esso Great Hall. Currently the Cup consists of a bowl, three tiered bands, a collar, and five barrel or uniform bands. The trophy stands at 35 ¼ inches and weighs 34 ½ pounds. (complete measurement and inscription breakdown).
“Each year upon presentation of the trophy to the championship team, a summer of celebration begins, as each of the organization’s players and staff enjoy 24 hours with the Cup - a tradition which has no rival in any sport. In its many years of existence, the Stanley Cup has traveled around the world, including stays in Russia, Japan, and Switzerland as well as atop mountain peaks through the Rockies and inside igloos in Canada’s newest territory, Nunavut.”
About the Author
Rie Anders grew up in the Pacific Northwest and has led a very colorful life. After successful careers in the country’s aerospace program and corporate America, she picked up a pen and left the nine-to-five life. She wove her knowledge of aviation, Pacific Northwest culture, commercial fishing in Alaska, and the West’s rugged landscapes, into beautifully crafted, happy ever after, contemporary romantic fiction novels.
Rie lives in Texas with her husband and competitive figure skating daughter. She is sure there is a story there as well. On the daily drives to and from the ice rink, Rie enlists her daughter’s input on many things. Character development, possible actors to play her feisty heroines on the big screen, and new songs to inspire perfect scenes are just a few.
If you want to know more about Rie, when she will release her next book, and where you can find her, please visit her website atwww.rieanders.com and follow her at https://www.bookbub.com/profile/rie-anders and https://twitter.com/RieAnders.
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