"VAL! WE DID IT", Megan yelled, jumping into her boyfriend's arms. They had just won the Stanley Cup against Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins. "Yes, we sure did, baby. We won", Val said into her ear, kissing her. Megan smiled and pressed her hands to his chest. They had been dating for almost two months and Megan felt that this had been the best boyfriend/girlfriend relationship that she'd ever had. "Val, I'm proud of you. That goal was one of the best I've ever seen", she said. Val smiled and brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. "Thanks, baby. I love you". Megan laughed and pressed her lips to his. "I love you too, Val", she said. "MEGAN!" The rookie forward turned to see Hank and Nick coming towards them. She glanced at Val, who nodded. "Go ahead. You're not my property". Megan grinned and skated towards her two friends. "A boyfriend who happens to be your teammate and a Stanley Cup in your rookie year? That's pretty special, Meg", Hank said as Nick hugged her. Megan laughed and turned around in Nick's hug. His arms wrapped around her from behind and her hand went on his wrists, her head back against his chest. "It is pretty special, Hank. This is been a crazy first season but it was worth it", she said. Hank smiled and gently brushed the hair from her face. "Where's my hug", he asked. Megan smiled and got out of Nick's arms to hug her captain. She felt relaxed in his arms, safe, in a he's-my-big-brother way. "I'm proud of you, Megan. You've come a long way since the start of the preseason. You've grown", Hank said. Megan smiled and reached up to fix Hank's hat, which was tilted to the side. "I don't understand you. I'm a girl and I wear my hat backwards and you can't stand it if it's sideways? That doesn't make sense". Hank just laughed. "I don't know. That's just the way I am".
Megan took out her braid she'd put in after her shower and let her hair fall in curls around her head. Val was coming in about an hour to pick her up. He was taking her out to dinner. "MOM! Can you come her a minute please", she yelled. Minutes later, Megan's door was open. "What's wrong, Meg?" "I'm trying to decide what I should wear for my date tonight with Val", she explained. Megan's mom looked through her closet for several minutes before she pulled out a pair of black leggings. Next she pulled out a dark blue dress with sparkles on the collar. The hem line went just below the knees. It was one of Megan's favorite dresses. "Thanks, mom". Megan's mom winked at her before she left the room. After changing into her outfit, she picked out her black army boots. Next, she found her blue headband and put it on. Throwing her white purse over her shoulder-with her phone in the front pocket-she headed downstairs. "Megan, you look beautiful", her mom said. "Thank you, momma. I try". It was sometime in July and Megan and Val were still going steady. This relationship was great and Megan had pushed David entirely from her mind. The doorbell rang and Megan's mom answered it. "Hello, Val. How are you", she asked. "Fine, Mrs. Johnson. Thanks for asking". Megan smiled and pushed herself off the couch. She walked into the room and Val noticed her instantly. He opened his mouth a few times to say something but no words came out. Megan giggled. "Speechless, babe", she said. Val made a face at her before pulling her into a hug. "You're beautiful, Meggie", he said, using her old nickname. She rolled her eyes and gave him a shove. "Ready to go, handsome?" Val laughed and took her hand. "I sure am, beautiful", he said. Megan kissed her boyfriend before hugging her mom. "Be careful out there! And no funny business", Mrs. Johnson said. "We'll be careful mom. I promise. Love you", Megan said as they made their way to the door. "Love you too, sweetie", Mrs. Johnson called after them.
Megan's eyes widened as Val pulled up in front of her favorite restaurant, Cheli's. "Val! You choose my favorite place", she said, looking at him. Val smiled and took her hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of it. "This is my treat, Meg. Tonight's all about you, babe, so just enjoy it". Megan couldn't stop the butterflies in her stomach when Val's favorite pet name for her came out. She loved him so much, but he didn't know that. She smiled when he opened the door for her. "Thank you, baby", Megan said, kissing her boyfriend's cheek. Val took her hand and led her inside. They were ushered to a table and they quickly ordered their drinks. "Have you heard from Kronner since he left", Val asked, reaching across the table to grab Megan's hand. "Oh, yes. He texts or calls me just about every day", she replied. "He's like your older brother, isn't he?" Megan nodded. "Yep, he's like the older brother I never had. Well, actually, all of my teammates are like the older brothers I never had, except for you. You're protective of me for a different reason", she said. The waitress came back with their drinks and they ordered their food. "Val, did you ever have a really bad relationship", Megan asked when the waitress left. Val looked surprised at the question. "No, not really. I've had bitter break-ups, but not relationships", he replied, rubbing her hand. Megan sighed. "You're lucky, then. You've never had to deal with the, I guess what could be called "abuse" I went through". Val looked at the beauty sitting in front of him and sighed. How anyone could ever want to hurt her was beyond him. "Meg". The girl looked up at her boyfriend. "What, Val?" He looked down for a minute before looking back into her eyes. "I'm never going to hurt you, you know that right?" Megan smiled. "Of course, Val. I know you wouldn't hurt me. But stop worrying about it. Let's just enjoy tonight". Val grinned. "Agreed, my dear".