This one takes place a little over a year after the wedding…lots of stuff happened between the wedding and this one, but none of it ever came to me, so I skipped ahead a bit...

It was early morning and the alarm clock hadn't gone off yet, but Rizzo woke up anyway. Something was disturbing him unconsciously, and when he reached over to Krista's side of the bed and found it empty, he discovered what it was. He could see the light under the bathroom door and knew exactly what was happening.

He climbed out of bed and padded over to the bathroom. "Snowflake," he called softly knocking on the door. "You okay?"

When he didn't get a reply, he cracked open the door and peeked in. He found his wife kneeling on the floor, her face pale and drawn.

"Oh, sweetie," he said, kneeling down next to her and sliding an arm gently around her. "Still sick?"

She laid her head on his shoulder. "Yeah," she replied hoarsely.

"Maybe you should see the doctor."

"It's just the flu," she told him.

He ran a hand over her hair. "But it's been a week," he told her. "I'm worried about you."

She smiled weakly. "Okay, I'll call when the office opens."

He kissed the top of her head. "Good, now let's get you back into bed." He helped her up off the bathroom floor and carried her back into the bedroom, laying her gently in bed and climbing in beside her, holding her until he had to get ready for work.

When it was time for him to leave, she insisted on walking him to the door like she did every other day.

"Promise me you'll call the doctor," he said, wrapping his arms around her and looking into her blue eyes.

She looked up into his brown ones. "I will."

He kissed her on the forehead. "Okay. I'll call you later and check on you."

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek, trying not to spread her germs to him. "Have a good day at school…"

A few minutes after he left she kept her promise and called the doctor, making an appointment for that very day. She got herself dressed and ate some crackers and ginger ale, which she managed to keep down all way through the doctor's appointment. The doctor listened to her describe her symptoms, examined her carefully, and drew a couple of vials of blood for testing.

"It'll be a day or so, but I'll give you a call as soon as the results are in," he told her. "In the meantime, just rest and drink plenty of fluids."

Krista made it home in time for Rizzo's call and repeated to him what the doctor had told her.

"So he doesn't think it's anything serious?"

"No, honey, he doesn't…just a bad case of the flu, like I thought. We'll know for sure as soon as the blood tests come back."

He was still unconvinced, but decided not to argue the point. "Okay then, go take it easy and I'll be home right after practice."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you too," she replied smiling.

The next morning was a repeat of the previous one with Rizzo waking up alone in bed and finding Krista retching in the bathroom. As he had all week, he comforted her and carried her back to bed, holding her until he had to begin getting ready.

"I thought you were feeling better yesterday," he said quietly, stroking her cheek as she lay in his arms.

"I was," she told him. "Then this morning…"

Now he was worried. "I'll call in sick today and stay home with you."

She looked up at him. "Honey, no, I'll be fine," she insisted. "Go to school and go to practice, and if the doctor calls, you'll be the first to know."

"What if something happens…?"

"You parents are only a few minutes away." She summoned all the energy she had left in her body and said as firmly as she could, "I'll be okay."

As before, he looked skeptical, but went off to work at her behest.

The lab worked quickly, and Krista received a call from the doctor's office asking her to come in for a quick appointment early that afternoon.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Everything's fine," the nurse assured her. "The doctor just wants to go over your lab results with you."

Once again, Krista got herself dressed and over to the doctor's office.

"Good afternoon Krista," the doctor said as he showed her into his office. "This won't take long…have a seat."

"Thanks Doc," she smiled nervously.

The doctor noticed the tension in her face and voice. "Relax. What I have to tell you is good news."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. The lab ran a battery of different tests on the blood I drew yesterday. We were wrong…you don't have the flu."

"I don't? They what on earth has been making me so sick?"

"All of the other tests came back negative except for one." The doctor smiled. "When was your last period, Krista?"

She thought for a minute, confused. "It was supposed to be a couple of weeks ago, now that you mention it. I've been so sick I completely forgot…" A smile spread over her face as the importance of the question sunk in. "Wait a minute, am I…?"

The doctor's smile grew. "You, my dear, are pregnant."

She sat in the chair across the desk from him and tried to contain her excitement. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Krista beamed all the way out to the car. She drove straight to school where Rizzo was in the middle of practice, unable to keep the news to herself. When she arrived, he was putting the boys through the last couple of drills for the day.

"Hey there," he said as she walked out behind the bench. "You look a lot better than when I left you this morning." He leaned over the boards and kissed her on the cheek, taking off one of his hockey gloves and squeezing her shoulder.

She smiled, and kissed his lips lightly. "I feel a little bit better."

"Mrs. E!" one of the players called. "Feeling better?" he asked skating over to the boards.

"Actually, I am," she replied. She was grinning, still enjoying being called by her married name.

"Well enough to skate with us today?" another player asked.

"Yeah, I think I can handle you boys this afternoon." She disappeared into the locker room and returned with the pair of skates she kept in the coach's office. She laced them up and made her way out onto the ice, still moving slowly and obviously still feeling poorly, but in much better shape than before.

The boys showed her which drill they were running and Krista took her place among them. Rizzo watched her carefully, noticing her laborious movements but also the perpetual smile on her face. After the last drill was concluded, he sent the players into the locker room but remained on the ice to talk to his wife.

"Still feeling crummy, aren't you?" he asked, sliding his arms around her waist.

She smiled, her arms encircling his neck. "Yeah, but now I know why."

"The doctor called today? I thought something was up."

Krista just grinned, playing with his hair.

"Well? Is it the flu?" he asked.

"Nope."

"No? But it isn't anything serious, or you wouldn't be so happy. What is it?"

"Morning sickness," she told him, pulling him closer and kissing him gently. "I'm pregnant," she whispered in his ear.

He pulled back a little and looked in her eyes, trying to comprehend what she said. "Pregnant?"

Krista nodded.

"We're going to have a baby?"

She nodded again. "You're going to be a daddy," she grinned.

Rarely was he without words, but this was one of those moments. All he could muster was "wow" smiling like a man who had just won the lottery.

She laughed and kissed him again.

"A baby," he said quietly. "We're going to have a baby."

She laughed again. "Yes we are…"

"Coach?" one of his players stepped back out onto the bench.

"Go take care of the boys," Krista told him. "I'll see you at home in a little bit."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you too."

He kissed her softly once more, still grinning like a Cheshire cat, and skated off to attend to his players.

Later, when he arrived home, he found Krista standing in the middle of the mess that was their spare bedroom. "Hey honey," he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind and kissing her neck. "Whatchya doing?"

"Trying to figure out where to put the crib," she smiled, resting her hands on his.

He smiled, too. "Well, wherever we put it, we can put this in it." He produced a small teddy bear and handed it to her.

"For our little baby bear," she laughed.

He gently rubbed her stomach. "Here?"

She guided his hands to the lower portion of her abdomen. "Here."

"Our child," he beamed.

"Our child."