“Yeah, but I generally have the summer to do what I want.” An idea hits me. “Hey, can I show you guys the practice facility after this?”
Sydney seems caught off guard, but she nods. “What would we have to do to go to the game?”
“Nothing. I’ll give you what you need to get in and you can park in a special area of the parking lot for family members. If you want, I can have someone meet you and show you to the box with the other wives and girlfriends.”
“That would be great. We’ll go.”
We finish our breakfast, Savannah surprises me by eating all of her food, and then we’re off to the practice facility.
“Where we are?” Savannah asks as we walk inside.
“This is where your daddy comes to work,” Sydney answers her.
“And where we’re going to have some fun,” I add.
I’m the only one with skates, but that’s no problem. Once they are on my feet, I take Savannah’s hands and make her step onto the ice. Her eyes widen as she shuffles her feet, seemingly thrilled that it’s slippery.
“Be careful,” Sydney says from the sidelines.
“I want skates,” Savannah talks over her.
“We can get you a pair,” I promise. “Want to feel how cold the ice is?” We crouch down and she squeals as she plants her entire hand, palm down, on the ice.
“Brrr! That cold!” she screams. I can’t help but laugh because she keeps touching it anyway, lifting her hand and then placing it right back on the ice.
“Come on. I’m going to carry you while I skate, okay?”
She nods, so I pick her up and off we go. I skate at a leisurely pace, circle the net a few times, and Savannah seems to eat up every minute.
“Go fast,” she demands.
I shift her so she’s on my back. “Hold on tight,” I say, even though I have a good hold on her. She squeezes my neck. “Ready?”
“Yeah!” she shouts.
I take off down the ice. She immediately squeals and starts saying, “Woah! Woah! Woah!” as I approach the other end. I feel her hide her face in my neck as I skid to a stop next to the net, spraying a snow of ice everywhere. Savannah lifts her head. “Again! Again!” She giggles.
This time, she doesn’t hide her face in fear that I’ll crash us into the boards and I can’t seem to wipe the smile off of my face. Savannah has me skating up and down the ice as fast as I can so many times that my legs start to get sore.
“Oh, Savannah,” I start dramatically. “Can we stop? My legs hurt and I might fall. The ice is cold, remember? Brr.”
“Brr!” she repeats.
“Let’s go see Mommy.” It’s weird to call Sydney that, but hopefully, I’ll get used to it here soon.
“No! Skate more!”
“Savannah,” Sydney begins as we approach her. “Skating time is over. Daddy will bring you back another time. He’s tired.”
I sure am. Wonder how long it’ll take to get used to someone calling me Daddy because that’s even weirder than Sydney being Mommy. Savannah pouts as Sydney takes her off my back. I sit down, sighing loudly as my legs finally get a break, and start to take my skates off. Savannah is babbling about skating, but Sydney is watching me. Did I do something wrong? I wait for her to say something, but she doesn’t.
“Babe, what is it?” I ask because I’m tired of her looking at me with an expression I don’t understand. The second it comes out of my mouth, I wish I could take it back. I’m still pissed. She doesn’t get to be called that right now. When I correct with, “Sydney, I mean,” she winces.
“You two are cute together is all.”
Okay then. I mumble a thanks and then we’re on our way back to my apartment.
“We’re going to head home,” she says when she pulls into the parking space.