I also had the chance to finally show Willa where I grew up. All in all, it was a great trip.
When we return, the Bears tweet out the news, and we’re inundated with well-wishes from tons of people.
I ask Willa when we should have our wedding, and she agrees with me that the offseason would be best.
So we go with July.
When we choose the exact date, she tells me, “This is going to be the absolute best wedding I’ve ever planned. It certainly will be the most important.”
I take her in my arms. “You got that right.”
The days and months pass by, and it’s pretty much all hockey and wedding planning. Turns out, Willa wants a midsize wedding.
That’s fine with me.
We decide on a church and a beautiful reception venue. She tells me that she wants lots of candles and loads of flowers.
Shay helps with a lot of the arrangements as well. Between their attention to detail and expertise, I know we’re going to have a spectacular wedding.
And we do—my wedding day is the best day of my life.
We settle into wedded bliss, and another new season begins.
My team is having a strong start, and my own stats are impressive, even better than last year, which were good.
Then one day in late October, after I return from two away games, Willa sits me down in the living room.
“I have something to talk to you about,” she says.
It sounds serious, and I immediately begin to worry.
She hands me an envelope, and it feels like there’s some kind of sticklike thing in it.
Now I’m totally confused.
“What is this?” I ask.
Smiling, so I know this can’t be all bad, she says, “Just open it, Shane.”
Feeling a little more confident, I tear open the envelope.
Annnd…
Out falls a little plastic stick.
Hey, I know what this is.
I look over at her with wide eyes, speechless for a moment.
“Willa?” I manage to whisper.
“Flip it over, silly.”
I do, and I am now experiencing another best day of my life.
Willa is pregnant!
We weren’t trying, per se, but we weren’t not trying either. We didn’t want to put too much pressure on ourselves, so we were just taking it day by day to see what would happen.
