My alarm startles me awake, and I frantically search to shut it off. It takes me a minute to realize where I am, but then I remember my temporary bout with a stomach bug that's keeping me quarantined from Sid. I step out into the hallway and head for the bathroom when I notice a hot pink sticky-note on the door.

"Wake me up!" Obviously from Taylor and it warms me to see how important this is to her. I grab the paper bag from the bathroom vanity and sneak downstairs into Taylor's room. She's fast asleep, the blinds drawn to block out any morning light, and the room already looking like a teenager lives here. I creep over to her bed, and tap her gently on the shoulder. Nothing. A little more force and I get a low grumble. "Taylor?" I whisper, shaking her awake.

"What?" she hisses. Okay, not a morning person.

"It's time," I say stupidly, making a much bigger deal out of this than necessary. Either way, it works. Taylor bolts out of bed and throws on the light. "I'm just going to use your bathroom and then we wait." She nods excitedly, watching me disappear behind the bathroom door for a private moment. Okay, I've done this before, nothing to it. My stomach is in knots, and this time there's no doubt - it's nerves. I emerge a minute later, and join Taylor on the corner of her bed.

"How long do we wait?" she asks excitedly.

"Five minutes," I say anxiously.

"That's it?" she squeals.

"Yep," I laugh.

"They always make it seem like it takes an hour!" she giggles.

"Who makes it seem that way?" I chuckle.

"I don't know, movies and tv I guess," she shrugs.

"Oh, so people like me?" I tease her.

"You said it, not me," she laughs. A nervous silence spreads between us, and Taylor senses how tense I am. "Have you decided how you're going to tell Sid?"

"I haven't really thought about it," I admit in a whisper. "If it's negative, I guess I won't say anything. It's just a touch of the flu and he already knows that. If it's...well, I'll probably wait until the season is over."

"You could wait...but, I know Sid and he'd want to know. Don't you think?" Taylor asks.

"See, I don't really know how to navigate the whole playoff thing," I admit with embarrassment.

"Yeah, good point," she concedes. I stand and start pacing around the room, picking up some clothes that litter the floor, folding them into a neat pile. "You're nervous," Taylor chuckles.

"Terrified," I correct her.

"Only two more minutes," she tells me checking the clock.

"Distract me," I beg.

"Okay, okay," Taylor starts. "Ummm, so Sid kind of let it slip that you're divorced," she says seriously.

"Yeah, it's kind of the most interesting thing about me," I mutter.

"Why?"

"I was married to Benny, we got into a car accident, he lost his memory and forgot who I was, then didn't want to be married to a stranger so he divorced me, then I got together with Sid and Benny got his memory back and decided he did want to be married, but by that time I'd moved on and it was too late, so he came to try to win me back, but I'm not interested...at all...so Sid and I moved in together because we're trying to have a baby because the scar tissue from the accident will make it harder and harder for me to get pregnant as I get older, and at first he thought he wasn't ready so we broke up, but then he decided he wanted this, so here we are," I ramble at lightning speed, and quickly find myself out of breath. Oh Kate, way to unload on Sid's poor sister!

"Whoa," is all she can say.

"I have a lot of baggage," I frown.

"Uh, earth to Kate, so does Sid," she tells me.

"What do you mean?"

Taylor hesitates for a second, avoiding eye contact and glancing around the room. "It's been five minutes," she says quietly. Before I can consider her comment any further, all my thoughts are pulled back to the little plastic stick waiting for me in the bathroom. Taylor gives me an excited smile which I struggle to return, I take a few deep breaths and stand, stepping forward slowly.

It's either going to be a plus or a minus. I flip on the light switch and catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I'm a nervous wreck. All the color has drained from my face and I feel my hands tremble slightly. Okay, one, two, three. I count slow, even beats, close my eyes, lift the test off the counter and say a little prayer.

Please be plus, please be plus, please be plus. I open my eyes. Minus.

It's like a swift kick to the stomach. I feel tears pool, threatening to spill, and I so badly want to give into it, but I remember Taylor is in the next room waiting for me. This is the first of many disappointments, be patient. It was too good to be true, and I find myself almost laughing at how hopeful I was. Ridiculous. Chances are I'll never get pregnant, so why did I think I'd be lucky enough to do it the first time out? I give my head a shake, slap on a phoney smile and head back into the bedroom.

"So?" Taylor is kneeling on the edge of the bed, practically vibrating from excitement. I frown slightly and shake my head. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, really," I tell her as cheerfully as I can muster. "It was such a slim chance, I just wanted to be sure, you know?"

"Yeah," she smiles, but it's not an easy-going grin, it's a sympathetic smile that tells me she realizes how much this means to me.

"I guess it really was just a stomach bug," I shrug.

"Just..." she doesn't know what to say, and truthfully, there's nothing that can be said, "...keep trying?" My boyfriend's little sister is telling me to keep trying to get pregnant and it's a little awkward. She knows it and I know it. The banality of the situation overwhelms any emotion and I burst out laughing, and Taylor gives me a puzzled look and then starts giggling herself. "What's so funny?" she chuckles.

"Just you..." I squeal, my laughter bordering on hysterics.

"Me?"

"You!" I pant. "Telling me to keep having sex with your brother!" Taylor's laughter becomes explosive and we're making quite a racket until we hear a knock at the door. We both freeze, our eyes widening, like two children in trouble. "Come in?" I say in my smallest, meekest voice.

"What the fuck Taylor?" Sid says while opening the door, his expression changing from pure annoyance to curious delight when he sees me. "What are you two up to?"

"Girl stuff," Taylor says immediately, and I realize I'm still holding the offending piece of plastic. Sid closes his eyes and shakes his head. I use the opportunity to throw the pregnancy test blindly behind me, letting it land somewhere among Taylor's things.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Sid smirks and changes his focus to me.

"One hundred percent," I tell him. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I was trying," and something about his pissed-off expression triggers the giggles in both Taylor and I again. "Okay, I'm breaking this up," Sid strolls across the room, pulls me to my feet and drags me laughing out into the hallway. Somehow, outside of Taylor's room, life just doesn't feel so funny anymore. I recover my composure and follow Sid into our bedroom. He's going to be resting for most of the morning, and I really should get to the office and put in a few hours, but the temptation of a cuddle is just too great to resist. I lay down, settling into the comfort of my side of our bed and Sid wraps himself around me. "Take the day babe," he asks softly.

"The afternoon," I compromise, and the weight of him against me, the smell of his skin, the warmth of his body all work to push me over the edge. I can feel tears sliding down my cheek and am thankful Sid can't see my face. I knew it was unlikely, but I really, really wanted it to be true. Sid holds me tightly against his chest, his free hand cupping my breast, and I'm forced to steady my breathing. I don't want him to deal with a crying mess today, especially today.

"How long can you stay?" he asks, his voice heavy, on the edge of sleep.

"I'll stay until you fall asleep," I whisper, and this seems to satisfy him. I feel his breath on the back of my neck, warming my skin, his chest closing the tiny space between us every time he inhales. It's not long before little throaty snores let me know he's drifted off again. I carefully slip out of his grip and tiptoe into the bathroom, starting the shower and deciding to indulge my poor-me feelings. I step into the warm water and lean against the tiled surface, letting my tears circle the drain. It's silly really. How could I have been so stupid? Of course I'm not pregnant. Of course not. And now I've told Taylor and gotten her hopes up when the truth is I probably will never be pregnant.

I should have been patient, I should have kept my big mouth shut and waited. It's not even twenty-four hours later and I feel perfectly fine. I knew it was nerves, I knew better and I let myself get swept up in a stupid daydream. Life is so busy right now, I should be focused on work and playoffs. I finish showering and dress quickly, pulling my hair into a messy ponytail instead of running the hairdryer. A touch of makeup and I'm ready to head to the office.

Usually I arrive early, so things are already humming along by the time I get to the office. Some of the crew are decked out in their Penguins jerseys, and I get some pretty outrageous offers if I can score them tickets for the game tonight. There's not much I can do but smile and laugh. Once in the privacy of my office, I close the door and buckle down, desperate to forget the events of this morning and get some work done. Carter has the good sense to leave me be, and only interrupts me to ask if I'm feeling any better. I glance up, and his expression tells me he's asking so much more. I shake my head and offer him a weak smile.

"Sorry," he says softly, and I can't indulge this feeling. If I go there I don't know if I can come back.

"Nope, nothing to be sorry about," I say with false confidence and cheer.

"Let me know if you need anything," he squeezes my shoulder and I return my attention to my laptop. Twenty minutes later I'm startled by the sound of my phone vibrating against my desk. It's a text from Sid.

"Headed to the arena, home late tonight."

"I love you I love you I love you!" According to Taylor, Sid isn't crazy about hearing "good luck" around playoffs, so I'm doing my best to remember that.

"Love you babe. You were pretty cute this morning, all giggles with T." I bet it looked pretty cheery to him, and I'm glad. He doesn't need to worry about me right now. He's got the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"I hate sleeping apart."

"Me too. Never again." It's a promise he can't keep, but I definitely appreciate the sentiment. It's nearly one and the office is breaking for lunch right away.

"Carter, I'm heading out. I'm on my cell if you need anything."

"Have fun tonight," he says brightly, and I feel a flutter of nerves in my stomach.

"Yeah," I sigh deeply.

I'm home shortly before two, and the house is a flurry of activity. Troy's phone is glued to his ear, and Trina is a basket case, busying herself tidying up the lunch dishes. Taylor is watching SportsCenter as they breakdown the first round match ups. I consider joining her, but we're going to be heading out in a few hours and frankly, I look like death-warmed-over and I'm going to need some time to get ready. Sid hasn't made the bed, and the room is in an unusual state of disarray, a few discarded suits piled up on the floor, his shorts and t-shirt balled up in the corner. I make the bed first, then tuck his pajamas under his pillow. His suits take only a few minutes to hang, and then I head into the bathroom, using the ample time to get ready for the big game. The big game. Everything he's been working for comes down to the next few games.

Hopefully one of us gets what they want today.