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UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
- Mar 13 vs. Ottawa, 7:00 PM ET (home)
- Mar 15 @ Minnesota, 6:30 PM CT
- Mar 17 @ Winnipeg, 7:00 PM CT
CHAPTER 54
FRANKIE
A week later, I fly to Minneapolis, nerves rioting. Logan picks me up from the airport in his mother’s SUV. His parents’ house is a short drive from the airport, and before I know it, we’re pulling up in front of a large white house with black shutters.
Logan takes my hand. “I’ll come around and help you out. It’s icy.”
“I’m twelve weeks pregnant, not incapacitated,” I protest.
“Still.” He leaps out of the car and jogs around to the passenger side, unbothered by the supposedly icy conditions.
Itisfreaking cold, though. It’s been years since I’ve experienced winter like this, and I do not miss it. I don’t think I packed enough base layers.
He opens my door and I brace myself against the arctic bite.
At least the cold distracts from the unknown ahead.
It’s not going to be the worst case scenario you can imagine.I know that’s true, but there are a lot of not-quite-worst-case-scenarios that I can also imagine. And it’s actually very hard for me to think of ways that this meeting will go well, because that’s rarely been my experience in life, except at school.
And showing up pregnant after getting drunkenly married to a stranger is pretty far from the persona I had to adopt to do well in my studies.
“Stop overthinking it,” Logan whispers as he opens the front door.
“I just want to make a good impression,” I whisper back.
He gives me a look so fond and sweet, I’m not sure I’ll ever understand how I lucked out with this man. “You will.”
“They’re here!” a woman calls, and then two people about my parents’ age come running into the warm foyer.
Running. Eager to meet me. Slightly out of breath, even.
“We’ve heard so much,” Logan’s dad says.
“Take her coat,” his mom says. “Oh, you’re very pretty indeed, aren’t you?”
“And smart, too,” Logan coaches, his hand firm against my back. Maybe he’s afraid I’ll bolt.
“Yes, we’ve heard how smart you are,” his mom gushes. “Please come in. I’m so happy you’re going to come to the game with us tonight. We’ll have so much time to get to know each other.”
“One thing at a time, Mom. Let’s give Frankie a bit of space. Did you make coffee?”
“Of course, yes, come in to the kitchen.”
At the back of the house is a big great room. It’s half kitchen, half living room, with large French doors that open to a huge deck, and a backyard beyond that. There’s a pond in the near distance. Hockey sticks leaning against the deck railing tell me that Logan’s dad skates on that pond, and that’s delightful.
“Frankie, these are my parents, Jeff and Annie Granger. I have told them a lot about you, but, uh, not the most important parts.”
We talked about this. We went back and forth if he should tell them before they meet me or not. But Logan thinks it’simportant for them to see how we are together, as we tell them the story at the same time.
