My Hockey Alpha



NinaProperty of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

The plane landed on the tarmac with a jostle, and I let out an inaudible sigh of relief. I wasn't usually bothered by flying, but this trip had been particularly full of turbulence. Now that we were on solid ground again, though, I felt like I could finally relax.

"We made it," Enzo murmured, his eyes meeting mine as if he had heard my thoughts.

I chuckled, my hand floating to my belly without even really meaning to. "We sure did."

The hotel was just as nice as I had hoped, with a large plush bed, a sofa, and a flat-screen TV. We could see the view of the city through the window, a stark contrast to the view of the ocean from our cliffside house back in Mountainview, or even the forested view from my room in my father's mansion in the werewolf realm.

It was nice to look outside and see human life, cars, buildings. It was like a reminder that we weren't alone in the world.

"You know, we don't have to go out immediately. We can just rest for a while," Enzo said, sinking down onto the edge of the bed.

"Are you kidding? I've been cooped up on a plane for hours. I want to explore," I replied, barely able to contain my excitement.

Enzo chuckled, nodding. "Okay. Exploring it is."

We headed out not long afterwards, the city already alive and bustling. Enzo held my hand tightly as though he was certain he would lose me in the crowd, which I didn't mind. It was nice to walk beside him someplace new. "You doing okay?" he asked at one point, glancing down at me as we made our way through a shopping district. "Of course," I assured him, reaching out to squeeze his hand.

We meandered through the streets, my eyes darting everywhere, drinking in the sights and sounds. And then I saw it-the baby supply store. Its windows were filled with cribs, toys, and an array of adorable baby clothes.

"Enzo, look!" I said, my voice catching in my throat.

He followed my gaze and chuckled. "You wanna go in?"

Before he had even finished the sentence, I was already dragging him into the store on a sort of maternal whim. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, but I found myself more drawn to the colorful little onesies, toys, and spinning mobiles than ever.

And then my eyes fell on it-a onesie, so small it looked like it could fit into the palm of my hand, embroidered with tiny flowers.

"Oh my god, this is so cute," I gushed, unable to take my eyes off of it. I held it up, examining it in the light." Wouldn't this be perfect? Boy or girl..."

Enzo leaned forward, examining it closely. "You like it?" he asked, his eyes meeting mine.

"Like it?" I gushed. "Enzo, it's so cute. I love it."

Without a word, Enzo took the onesie from my hand. I watched in shock as he walked up to the counter and placed it down, pulling out his wallet at the same time.

"Enzo, you don't-"I began as I jogged up to him, but he stopped me, shaking his head.

"Too bad. I want to."

As the cashier rang up the onesie and Enzo paid, I felt my heart melt. Despite everything, despite the fear and the

trauma and the shadow entity, Enzo was standing here, buying a onesie for our future child. It almost brought tears to my eyes.

"Here. For our little one," he said softly when he returned, holding the bag out for me.

I took the bag from him, my fingers trembling as I touched the fabric of the onesie. And in that moment, I felt it-a connection, as if a thread had been woven between me and the tiny life growing inside of me. It was almost visceral, as though a switch had been suddenly flipped.

"You okay?" Enzo's voice broke through my reverie, pulling me back to the present.

I nodded, swallowing hard to dispel the lump that had formed in my throat. "I'm fine. More than fine, actually."

As we left the store, my mind drifted to my mother, to the baby she had lost all those years ago. A wave of sorrow washed over me, followed by a pang of fear. What if the same thing happened to me? What if our baby-our little one-never got to wear this onesie, never got to be a part of this world?