Noah was spoiled for his first birthday. Seemed to me that everywhere I turned, someone was handing me gifts for him. Tiny Railers outfits from the equipment guys, the smallest hockey stick and puck I’d ever seen from Arvy and Galina, a savings bond from Connor, who said that every child should have a nest egg, and it didn’t end there.
Stan and I bought up the entirety of a toy store, then hid a lot of it away when we got it home, because a one-year-old didn’t really need a racing car game just yet, nor a set of metal construction pieces to build with.
Galina added extra bunnies to the mural so that it spread onto another wall, another family, all dressed in Railers uniforms. It was easy to identify Ten, and Arvy, and Stan in net, and me. She said she’d add in the Stanley Cup when we won it.
I pretended I hadn’t heard her, because the superstitious part of me thought maybe mentioning it meant we wouldn’t win. We weren’t the favorites going in, drawn against Philadelphia in the first round. That didn’t matter, though—we were a determined team.
The only dark spot on the horizon was the interview that needed to happen with Immigration for Galina and Arvy. They had to prove they’d married for love, but to be honest, anyone who saw them together knew they were in love. Or maybe I saw that because of how much I loved Stan. Who knows.
Stan was with Galina, thought that maybe his presence, NHL goalie brother with money, might add some support to her and Arvy’s case. Which left me pacing the house, bouncing a fractious Noah, who was sucking on his fist through teething. I knew every corner of this huge place now, but still there was nowhere to hide from the worry.
Nor from Stan’s momma, who didn’t speak English, and was currently stalking me as I paced. She said something to me as I turned into the kitchen on my fifth walk-through.
She moved between me and the door I was about to go through, holding out her arms for Noah, and I passed him to her. She bobbled him, jiggled him, then handed him the cold gel teether that Stan had bought yesterday. The magic happened nearly instantly, Noah chewing and relaxing a little with each passing moment until finally he was quiet in her arms.
“Little rabbit,” she said affectionately, in English, then smiled at me and patted my head.
This family thing? It really rocked.
Stan
“I see this in movie,” I told a large woman sitting behind a desk. My sister and brother-in-law were having their green card interviews. In separate rooms. I was sitting out here with a woman who looked like she was trying to digest a porcupine. “Funny movie. Woman from Canada. Be sent back. Marries assistant. He is most pretty.”
“She is most pretty, you mean,” Grumpy Big Woman replied with no emotion.
“No, I mean he.”
“Oh.” She looked even more like a pokey animal was sitting in her bowels now.
“They go to place in Alaska. Make many funny things. Bird steal puppy. But drop, so puppy is fine. I get dog soon. Find good shelter run by handsome man. Big dog. Make loud woofs and eat men in brown shorts.”
“And you’re here in America for what reason?” She pursed her lips. Her lipstick was orange. Not a good color for her.
“I play hockey. Goalie. You know of hockey?” Her phone rang, but she ignored it to stare at me. I glanced behind me to see if something unsettling was there, but there was just a wall.
“I hate sports.”
“Oh. Sorry for you. Sports is good. Keep fit. You should try.”
The sour man who was interviewing my sister exited his office, Galina following him, looking calm and steady. I stood up. The sour man with the ugly brown tie gave me a look and then went into the next office to talk to Arvy.
“Did you make good answers?” I asked my sister.
“I told him the truth and nothing but the truth.”
We both looked at the angry big woman. She finally answered her phone. I draped an arm around my sister and led her to a water fountain.
“I tell you watch Perry Mason be good. Know good lawyer-speak.”
Galina smiled as she filled up a pointy paper cup with water. “Stan, you should go. This is going to take a couple more hours at least. They have about five hundred questions.” She paused to drink. “They ask about the number of windows in our bedroom, what our Wi-Fi password is, and do we have any siblings. So many nosy questions! I told him if he wished to see my sibling, just look out in the office. He’s that massive Russian in the dark suit wearing a dopey smile.”
“My smile is dopey with love.”
“Yeah, I know.” She lifted to her toes to press her chilly lips to my cheek. “Go home. Rest. You have to face Philadelphia for the first round of the playoffs in two days.”
“Dieter say Trent’s babushka make voodoo doll for each Railer.” That worried me. Russians are superstitious. We never shake hands over a threshold, whistle indoors, sit at a corner table, and never wish someone a happy birthday prematurely. I spat three times over my shoulder. Big Angry Woman glowered at me. Galina giggled into her water cup.
“Stan, voodoo dolls are silly. Go home. Snuggle with Noah and Erik. I’ll call when we’re done.”
“You come for dinner? Mama is making stroganoff with vatrushka for dessert. I have vodka for celebrating good green card day.”
“I’m going to be so fat now that Mama is here.” Galina sighed. I patted my stomach and nodded. “We’ll be there as soon as we’re done here. Go.”
I gave her a look.
“Go! I can sit and read. Go. Shoo.”
“Okay, I go.”
She nodded at the door. When I stepped out onto the street, I was surprised to see Erik waiting for me. He looked so good leaning against our car, a warm spring breeze pushing a few curls into his eyes.
“Why you here?” I strolled over to him and ran my hand down his arm.
“Arvy texted me to come get you. Said they’re suffering through the interview that may never end and you were driving the office workers crazy.”
I looked back at the tall government office. “Me? I no drive crazy.” My gaze went to my betrothed. “Do I make crazy?”
“I’m crazy in love with you. Does that count?”
My heart stuttered a bit. I took his hand and pressed a kiss to the knuckles, each one. Right on the street in downtown Harrisburg.
“It counts most big.”
The End