#there were so many girls in hockey jerserys

[nerdsbianhokie]

I didn't go to the pwhl game yesterday (didn't actually know about it cause i'm not somebody who keeps up with anything that would let me know) but I was in st paul and y'all, it was so crowded.

my aunt and i went to a cafeteria style restaurant. it was the busiest she's ever seen it (and she's gone during wild games) and they had to stop the lines cause they ran out of tables

[spine-buster]

Alone, Together | Chapter 26 | Morgan Rielly

A/N:  Just wanted to thank you guys for being understanding about the once-a-week posting schedule.  Also, as always, your canon questions are really fun to answer, as are your comments about the chapters!  Feel free to keep them coming.

Hope you enjoy this chapter because the next two focus on the playoff series with the Bruins and we all know how that went L O L (I’m still not over it).  

When Bee walked into the Scotiabank Arena Monday night, ready for the Leafs to face the Florida Panthers, she already had Aryne and Alannah waiting for her impatiently.  Bee hadn’t gone to the game against New York on Saturday because she was…tired.  From work.  At least that’s what she told them.

She knew that Fred and Tyler wouldn’t say a word to anyone about the fight.  She trusted them.  On Saturday, when the Leafs faced New York on Hockey Night in Canada, Bee just wasn’t up for going to the arena.  She was still emotionally drained from the night before, and even though she and Morgan had a long talk that morning, resolving a lot of things, she didn’t want to be around people.  She didn’t want to be around hockey.  He respected that.  The Leafs ended up losing in overtime, but when Morgan came home, he wasn’t in a bad mood.  Instead, he took off his suit, threw on his pajamas, and held Bee in his arms for the whole night.  He kept telling her how much he loved her; she kept telling him the same.  He kept kissing her tenderly and apologizing; she kept saying there was nothing to apologize about anymore.  He kept telling her how he wished he could give her the world, the moon and the stars – anything her heart desired and that she wanted in life; she kept saying she’d throw it all away – every bag, every shoe, every book, every moon and star in the universe – because all she wanted was him.  

He asked if she would move in before the playoffs; she nodded her head and said yes.  Morgan could have cried.

“We missed you on Saturday night,” Alannah said as she and Aryne hugged Bee.  “Was everything okay?  You haven’t missed a Saturday night game in a while.”

Bee shrugged her shoulders.  “It was…um…”

“We know it wasn’t work,” Aryne put air quotes around the word, giving Bee a look.  “Did you and Morgan have a fight?”

Bee bit her lip.  “We did, but it was resolved before the game.  I was just…I don’t know…emotionally drained, I guess.”

“What was it about?” Aryne asked.

Bee shook her head.  She loved Aryne, Aryne was one of her best friends, but she didn’t want to get into it.  She didn’t want to air her dirty laundry with her boyfriend to the wife of a member of his hockey team, regardless of how close they were.  “The fact of the matter is that we talked about it and solved it.  And, um, I’m moving in.”

Both Alannah’s and Aryne’s jaws dropped.  “Um, please hold,” Aryne raised her hand dramatically.  “You’re moving into Morgan’s place?!  When?!”

“Before the playoffs,” Bee revealed.  “He’s wanted me to move in for a bit now, and, well, I finally agreed on Saturday night.”

“Bee, this is huge,” Alannah commented with a giant smile on her face.  “I mean, especially if he’s wanted you to move in for a while.  What was stopping you?”

My own fear?  She couldn’t say that out loud, at least not to them, so she settled for another shrug of her shoulders.  “I guess I just wanted to get a job first before making such a big life decision,” she said.  “I mean, it’s still technically not even a year since we met.  We’re just reaching our six-month anniversary.  No relationship I’ve ever had has ever gone this…fast.”

“Yeah, but you and Morgan, like…love each other,” Aryne said.  “Like, I don’t think I’ve ever met a couple as on the same page as you guys.  Morgan looks at you like you put the stars in the night sky, and you look at Morgan with this glimmer in your eyes and the softest smile on your face…and it honestly makes me sick,” she joked, garnering a laugh from both girls.  “But I’m serious.  You guys just sort of have this way about you, as if you’ve been together forever.  You guys get each other.  That’s the most that anybody can ask for in a relationship.”

Bee couldn’t help but smile.  “And that’s why it feels right,” she said.  If Aryne could see it – if the outside world could see it – then it must mean something, right?  “It might be…you know, quick for some people, but it feels right to us.  It feels like the natural progression of our relationship.”

“Well, I’m so happy for you,” Alannah said.  “You’re over his place so much as it is.  Why delay the inevitable?”

“That was his reasoning.”

“Aryne!” a voice called suddenly, interrupting their conversation.

Aryne spun around to see who called, and when she recognized the two people waving, she squealed and outstretched her arms to hug them.  Alannah was smiling as well but Bee had no idea who they were.  Soon, Aryne turned back towards the girls with a giant smile on her face.  “Alannah, you guys have met, but Bee – these are my in-laws!  Barb, Joe, this is my friend Briony McTavish!”

Bee’s face immediately lit up when she learned who they were.  “Mr. and Mrs. Tavares!  It’s so nice to meet you!” she shook their hands.  

“Aryne has told us so much about you!” Barbara smiled.  “Are you excited for the game tonight?”

“Very,” Bee smiled.  “Gosh, you guys must be so excited to become grandparents!”

“Our first grandbaby!” Joe smiled, looking down at Aryne’s bump lovingly.  “Barbara can’t wait to be a babcha.  She’s already got a makeshift nursery set up.  Even took out some of John’s old clothes to see if they can be given some new wear.”

“I think I’ve been shopping enough to cover that,” Aryne winked at Joe.  “There’s also still the baby shower.  Maybe just take out that classic Leafs toddler jacket you bought him for one of his baby photoshoots.”

“Oh my God, I’m going to completely melt if I see that,” Alannah quipped.  “It’s like when Hank has his little Leafs onesie on.  I totally become a pile of goo.”

“Briony, Aryne tells me this is your first season with the Maple Leafs,” Barbara said.  “How have you taken to hockey so far?  Do you like it?”

“I like it when we win,” Bee joked, getting a laugh from everyone around her.  “To be honest, I’m still learning and getting used to it.  Especially the line changes.  Now I have to learn about the playoff format.  It never ends!”

“It really doesn’t,” Barb shook her head.  “John’s…what?  28 now?  It’s been 25 years since we started hockey and I’m still learning things.”

“Just wait till the game starts, Barb.  Bee knows all about the offside rule,” Aryne wiggled her eyebrows, garnering another round of laughs from the group.  Aryne turned on her heels and waved at the group to follow her.  “We should get to our seats before puck drop.”  

Something must have been in the air at Scotiabank Arena that night, because by the end of the 1st period, it was already 4-2 for the Leafs.  John had scored two goals, with Patrick and Jake scoring the other two.  Aryne, Joe, and Barbara were going crazy, cheering him on and clapping, and the Sportsnet cameras shot to them to show their celebration.  With the way they were sitting – Alannah at the end, then Bee, then Aryne, then John’s parents, Bee was definitely caught on camera.  And she only realized this because Angie decided to send her the video, already uploaded onto Sportsnet’s Twitter account, of them all celebrating John’s two goals.  Bee’s Rielly jersey definitely gave every viewer an indication of who she was there for.

“I have to go to the washroom,” Aryne mentioned as John’s parents were being interviewed by one of the Sportsnet personalities.  “Will you come with me?”

“Of course,” Bee said as they both got up, letting Alannah know where they were going.  

Bee began to walk up the stairs but Aryne walked down.  When Aryne noticed Bee wasn’t beside her, she looked up.  “I don’t want to walk up all those steps,” Aryne grimaced, putting a hand on her bump.  “Let’s just go to the regular ones.  I’m so tired.”

Bee could only acquiesce as she followed Aryne to the regular bathrooms, not the ones located in the friends and family section high above them on their special level.  They waited patiently in the line, and although they kept a steady conversation, Bee noticed some long stares coming their way.  She wondered if Aryne noticed them too.  When a free stall came up, Aryne bolted inside, leaving Bee to wait for her, scrolling through her phone and reading all the updates she wasn’t able to read earlier in the day because of work.  She checked her Instagram, as always, and saw a new barrage of notifications.

You have a new BFF in the Leafs squad every week.  First Lucy now Aryne.  Must be because they see how desperate you are and want nothing to do with you.

how do i become a wag like u can u help

Wearing Mo’s jersery so u can let everyone know ur with him.  Ur a joke.

The desperation R E E K S off of you!  You are never going to be as pretty as Cassie or Steph Lachance or any of those girls so quit while you’re ahead!  AND GO TO THE GYM FFS!!!!!

I know you’re not trying to be like the other wags.  That’s very noble of you, I guess.  But do you really think this crusade of yours is going to last?  There are only so many comments Morgan will be able to take about how fat you are before he finally sees it and dumps you.  You’re only getting fatter and fatter and it’s embarrassing for you and for Morgan.  Why would you put him through that?  You will never be part of the inner wag circle because of the way you look.  That’s just how it is.  That and the fact that you are bleeding Mo dry of his money.  

“I’m telling you, that’s Briony McTavish,” a louder than anticipated whisper broke Bee out of her thoughts.  She looked up from her phone quickly to see three girls standing near the entrance, one with a phone in her hands directed right at her.  The second they noticed that Bee was looking at them, the girl holding the phone lowered it dramatically and put it in her purse.

Bee sighed.  “You guys can approach me, you know,” she called out to them.  “I don’t bite.”  The girls’ mouths gaped open, like they didn’t know she could speak.  She smiled politely to try to get the girls to calm down.  “I mean it girls, I don’t bite.  Did you want to speak to me?”

The girls shuffled over, looks of fear mixed with worship and complete shock adorning their faces.  Two blondes, one with straight hair and one with short curly hair, clearly couldn’t believe what was happening.  Their brunette friend – the one who had the phone in her hand – was able to find her words first.  “Sorry, we just think you’re really pretty,” she said.  “It’s nice to see a wag who isn’t a skinny blonde.”

“Well, thanks,” Bee said, unsure if she should be grateful for the compliment.  “You could have asked to like…take a picture of whatever.  I wouldn’t have minded if you had asked.  I would just appreciate it if you didn’t take creeper shots of me.”

“Sorry,” straight-blonde-hair-girl said.  “It’s just…well, we know that Morgan uploaded that picture of you on his birthday, but you’ve just been all over the blogs online--”

“The blogs?  All over?  What do you mean?”

“You know…like, people are talking about you on the bunny blogs!” straight-blonde-hair-girl clarified, like it was the best thing in the world to get talked about online.  “We know they’re bunny blogs and we should take everything they say with a grain of salt, but like, there was that whole thing where you were in Cassie’s New Years video that basically blew up all of Leafs Tumblr and the bunny blogs, and then the Vancouver pictures and then Morgan’s birthday pictures--”

“Seems like a lot of people are stealing a lot of my pictures,” Bee said sarcastically.  

“It wasn’t us, we swear,” the brunette jumped in.  “Everybody is just, like, wondering who you are.  That’s all.  There are like, the mean girls who start rumours about you, but nobody listens to them.  I guess because you aren’t as open as Cassie people just want to know more.”

“Why aren’t you as open as Cassie? ” the one with the short curly blonde hair finally spoke.  

Bee couldn’t believe she would ask such a question, but she also knew that these girls were going to write into those same bunny blogs the second this conversation was done with, so she had to watch what she was going to say.  “Morgan and I are just private people.  Especially Morgan.  He’s super private and super protective.  And we want to keep it that way.”

“Did Morgan help you get the job at Scotiabank?”

Bee’s body stiffened.  “How…how do you guys know I work at Scotiabank?”

“Well, like, someone Googled your name I guess, and it was on some website,” the young blonde said.  “It’s been all over the bunny blogs.”

A shiver ran up Bee’s spine.  She couldn’t believe how much information was out there about her, that they managed to find and steal from her, yet these girls still wanted to know more.  Should she just come out with her blood type?  What her favourite movie was when she was five?  Her DNA configuration?  What more could they want from her?  “No, he didn’t help me get the job.  I have a Master’s in Financial Economics.  I got the job all on my own.”

All three of the girls smiled on cue.  “Told you so!” the brunette said to the straight-blonde-hair girl.  She turned her attention back towards Bee.  “Sorry, it’s just that there was this huge thing online about whether or not you quit school when you met Morgan or if you had just finished your program, and there was this whole thing that Sydney Esiason said in a comment on Insta but everyone thinks it’s about Cassie, and some girl claiming to be from your program was all like ‘We’re just done, Briony’s one of the top students in the course’ but someone else, also apparently from your program, was like ‘She quit the second she started going out with Mo because all she’s ever done is aspire to be a wag and all she used to talk about was bagging a Leafs player’ and it was all--”

“Please don’t believe everything you read on the Internet,” she interrupted.  The girl hadn’t taken a breath since mentioning everything that was happening online – it seemed like she lived her entire life there.  More shivers ran up Bee’s spine.  To think someone in her program was engaged in this – that they even had the time to engage in this – was beyond her.  “I’m just a girl trying to work and I happen to have a professional athlete boyfriend.  That’s all I am.  There’s nothing special about me besides my Master’s degree.”

“Morgan definitely thinks there’s something special about her, and I do too,” Aryne’s voice interrupted their conversation as she made her way out of her stall.  She looked over at the girls as she washed her hands; again, their jaws dropped at the sight of John Tavares’s wife.  “You can write to all those bunny blogs and tell them Morgan’s never gonna get with them, so they need to stop,” she said, her voice strict.  “You can also tell everyone that the DMs Bee gets are hilarious and pathetic all at the same time, and we laugh at them over bottles of sauvignon franc at restaurants those girls could only dream of eating in.”

The girls’ eyes went wide.  “It’s not us--”

“I know it’s not you.  It’s all those Toronto party girls who like to cause shit and it’s the Instagram model girls who wouldn’t be able to get a contract with any legit agency if their life depended on it, but be the messenger,” Aryne winked, though her voice still strict and curt with them.  “I don’t care what you say about me.  Call me a bitch on every single bunny blog on the internet – I really don’t care.  But anybody who goes after Bee is gong to have a problem with me.”

“Will do,” the brunette smiled, a feisty look in her eyes.  “Are any of the younger Leafs single?”

Bee’s eyes went wide at the abrasiveness and audacity of the girl.  Her friends slapped at her arm as she was in a staring contest with Aryne.  “They’re not into jailbait.  But I’m sure you’ll just go and befriend Cassie to see.”  Aryne looked at Bee and grabbed her hand.  “Let’s go.  The period’s about to start and I want to actually watch the game.”

Aryne linked her arm with Bee’s, and when they were far enough away from the washroom, she looked at her.  “Don’t ever think that you need to speak to those types of girls ever again,” she warned.  “They’re not worth your time.  Everything you just said is going to go on all those bunny blogs.”

“You don’t think it will clear stuff up?” Bee asked innocently.

“It never clears stuff up,” Aryne countered.  “Rumours are still going to spread about you.  Remember when we watched the Isles game at your place and I told you that you have your priorities in order?” she asked.  Bee nodded her head.  “You still do.  But keeping them in order is harder than having them in the first place.  And those girls…their only priority is either hooking up with a hockey player or making it seem like they’ve hooked up with one.  And if they’re not trying to hook up, they want to make it seem like they’re inside their circle and friends with the wags.  They don’t even have morals.”

Bee knew that she needed to listen to Aryne.  She didn’t have a clue about any of this and she was so in over her head that she didn’t even know where to begin, what was right and what was wrong, what was appropriate and what was not.  It was a mystery to navigate this minefield; every step she took, she felt like she was going to explode, or that she’d set off something that would get the sirens ringing and the armies rushing the battlefield.  “Let’s go watch some hockey,” Bee announced, resolved to not giving it another thought.  What was more important than what those girls told her was being spread online was that John was on the verge of a hat trick and Morgan was on the verge of approaching seventy points.  

“Atta girl,” Aryne wiggled her eyebrows.  “Now let’s go watch my hot husband dominate Florida.”

Dominate John did.  Only six minutes into the second period, he completed his hat trick thanks to a rebound from a shot by Morgan.  It rained hats in the arena as Bee, Alannah, Aryne, and John’s parents danced, cheered, high fived, and hugged each other in celebration, the cameras panning to them and showing them on the jumbotron for the fans to see.  The assist by Morgan meant that he was on his 69th point, and Bee wanted so desperately for him to get 70.  

Then the magic happened.  Only four minutes into the third period, John scored a fourth goal.  Aryne went nuts, as did John’s parents, and rightfully so – it was his first four goal game for the Leafs.  Barbara even began to cry as the fans kept roaring their applause for their hometown boy.  Like a cherry on top of a perfect ice cream sundae of a Monday night, Zach scored the seventh goal for the Leafs, with an assist from Morgan, gaining Zach the distinction of being a 20-goal scorer and getting Morgan to a 70-point season.  Bee teared up as she hugged Alannah after the goal.  She knew he was having a career season, but he blew his previous points total out of the water – by almost 20 points.

After the game, Bee waited for Morgan in the usual spot, eagerly anticipating his arrival.  Media was taking longer than normal – she figured because of the night John had.  She checked the usual Twitter accounts for Sportsnet and TSN to see what they were saying and uploading onto their feeds.  She checked her Instagram to see more DMs, but only read Angie’s who sent her a compilation video Sportsnet had uploaded of the group celebrating all four goals.  Then, for the first time in her life, she Googled ‘puckbunny blogs tumblr’ to see if what those girls were saying – and what Aryne told her – was actually true.  Automatically, what seemed like hundreds of links popped up for her to click on, and she clicked the very first.  Right at the top of the feed, she saw her name.

I met Bee McTavish (Morgan Rielly) at the Leafs game tonight in the washroom of all places lol.  She’s a sweetheart.  Super super nice.  Doesn’t like that all her photos got posted everywhere bc she is trying to remain super private and says Morgan is super private too.  She was in the washroom with Aryne (John Tavares wife) who was much ruder.  Oh and she has a Master’s.  Never quit her course when she met Morgan. It was all lies ☺ bye!

Aw thanks anon!  Good to know!  We all knew Morgan would go for someone just like that!  It’s too bad a lot of people won’t respect their wishes.

Bee McTavish is bigger in person but pretty.  Maybe it was the jersey.  Saw her at the Leafs game tonight sitting with Aryne Tavares and John’s parents.  Went crazy after Mo got his 70th point.  I know Sportsnet showed her a bunch of times but she was on the jumbotron too after John’s fourth goal and it was really cute.  Small applause bc the crowd recognized John’s parents and wife.

I guess Mo doesn’t mind her size anon.  Thanks for the update!  She must be really close with Aryne if she sat with her and John’s parents?  Did she know them from before and that’s how she and Mo met?

Bee McTavish is lovely.  Everybody needs to get off her dick.  If you watch the videos from Sportsnet she’s so genuinely happy for Morgan and the team when they do well.  Whenever I see her at games she’s one of like, the only wags – esp the young wags – who is always paying attention to the game instead of being on insta.

Thanks anon!  Seems to go with what a lot of ppl are saying.

Those people saying Bee is nice are probably her friends she’s sent to say stuff about her.  She’s honestly not that nice.  A TOTAL social climber.  Pretends to be all cute and innocent but she’s been on the Toronto party scene for a while and was stalking Leaf players before she got with Mo.  Rumour has it she slid into Auston’s DMs (what Toronto girl hasn’t lbr) and even Willy Nylander’s before she landed Mo.  Shows how much of an idiot she is bc Willy wasn’t even in Toronto till December!!!!!

Wow ok anon thank u!!!

Whoever sent in that last ask is so incredibly dumb lol yeah she’s a known Toronto party girl yet her whole instagram feed when she was public was books, her coursework from her Master’s, and food she’d cook???  Try doing ur research next time sweetie you sound so jealous!  Ur probably trying to hook up with Mo even though he’s taken.  Just makes u a slut.  Not to mention a homewrecker.

I just post all my asks.  Not necessarily what I believe.

Bee couldn’t help but snort as she swiped to delete the tab.  There was no way she was going down that rabbit hole.  She stuffed her phone back into her pocket and waited impatiently for Morgan.  When he finally came out, with John, Zach, and Tyler in tow, she couldn’t help the giant smile that appeared on her face as he walked towards her.  

“You ready to go?” he said, extending his hand towards hers.

She grasped onto it tightly.  “Come here.”

When he was close, she stood on her toes so she could reach him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders before giving him a long, lingering kiss.  “You wanna talk about it?” she whispered.

“Talk about what?”

She smiled slightly.  “Mr. Seventy-point season.”  A smile crept upon his lips as he closed his eyes and shook his head – his version of ‘I don’t want to make a big deal out of it.’  But Bee was going to make a big deal out of this.  “I’m very proud of you,” she whispered quietly, so only he could hear.  “I’m so, so proud of you.”

Morgan bent down to kiss her again.  “That’s all that matters,” he whispered.

“What?”

“That you’re proud.”

“I’m always proud of you.”

“I know you are, but it’s especially important tonight.”

“Because you hit seventy points tonight?” she giggled.

“Stoooooppppp,” Morgan buried his head into the crook of her neck.  “Stop saying it.”

“Stop saying what?  That you hit seventy points this season?” she smirked, moving away slightly so she could look at him again

“Noooo no no no ,” he shook his head before bending down to kiss her again.  “Is that the only way you’re gonna stop saying it?”

“Mhm,” she nodded her head.

“Am I gonna have to kiss you all night?”

“You tell me Mr. Rielly,” she pecked at his lips.  “What do you mean ‘it’, anyway?  Do you mean the fact that you got sev--”

He kissed her again, dragging her quickly towards the door.  “I gotta get you home quick.”

***

“Okay, I can help carry all the garment bags down.”

“I’ll follow behind you with the box of handbags.”

“I’ve got the shoes.”

“Make sure all the books are taken.  We may need to take two trips.”

“Naz, you can just sit there and look pretty.”

“HEY!” Naz yelled in protest to Morgan’s comment.  John, Jake, Mason, and Tyler laughed at the scowl on Naz’s face as Ashley stuck her tongue out at the boys.  “Are we forgetting these guns can b--”

“Do not brag about how much you can bench press right now or else I’m going to punch you in the throat,” Jake grimaced.  “Can we just move all this stuff to Morgan’s?  Because the quicker we do so the quicker we can eat Chinese food.”

“Yes please, because baby’s hungry,” Aryne rubbed her belly.

The boys grabbed their designated boxes of Bee’s things to bring down the moving elevator, and the girls grabbed the various garment bags and made their way down the main elevator’s to Lucy and Aryne’s waiting SUVs in the parking garage.  Once they loaded everything in, Bee and Angie drove with Lucy to Morgan’s apartment, while Ashley hitched a ride with Aryne.  The boys ended up taking a second trip up to the apartment to get the remainder of Bee’s things before packing everything into Naz’s SUV and driving to Morgan’s apartment.  They were lucky that Bee didn’t have a lot of things, comparably – no furniture to move, no giant ottomans or kitchen tools and accessories to pack away – just her half-bookshelf, taken from her old apartment, with its modest stack of books she’d added to sparingly during her time at Naz and Ashley’s apartment.  

When the boys arrived at Morgan’s apartment, the girls were already rearranging the closet to incorporate Bee’s clothing.  They shoved all his game-day suits to one side while they hung her work clothes on the top bar and her more casual clothes that still deserved a hanger on the bottom bar.  Angie called out to Morgan that it was time to invest in another shoe rack where his Jordan’s collection wouldn’t take it over.  Aryne was busy ordering the Chinese food.  Ashley rearranged the bathroom drawers so all of Bee’s products could fit.  The boys kept Bee’s bookshelf right next to the entertainment centre – he’d be buying bigger bookshelves soon, anyway.  They decided to set the table while the girls continued to work on the closet behind the closed bedroom door. 

“Did you consent to whatever’s going on in there?” Tyler asked as they all heard a loud thump coming from his bedroom.  “They could be painting your room purple for all you know.  They could be installing a Habs mural.  A giant picture of Randy from Trailer Park Boys on your ceiling.”

Morgan shrugged his shoulders.  Jake rolled his eyes.  “Even if he didn’t, what’s he gonna say?  She could paint the walls neon green and he’d nod and smile and say he loved it,” Jake said.

“Let’s not act like girls don’t run the world,” John commented with a chuckle.  “Our wives definitely run our lives.”

“You got that right,” Naz piped up.  “The other day Ashley had a craving for anchovies.   Anchovies.  Guess who had to go out to go buy anchovies at midnight or else her brain was going to explode.”

“That’s why I remain a bachelor,” Tyler said.  He turned dramatically towards Mason.  “Unless you have a sister?”

“Only a brother, dude.”

“And I reiterate, that’s why I remain a bachelor.”

Morgan’s phone buzzed, indicating that the Chinese food had been delivered.  “You girls have three minutes until the food is here!” he yelled as he shoved his phone into his pocket.  “Can you be a dear and come help me with the bags?” he asked Jake, who nodded his head.  “And can you guys go check on them?  Make sure they’re actually not installing a picture of Randy on my ceiling or throwing out any of my clothes?”

When Morgan and Jake came through the door again with the Chinese food, everybody was out in the main area.  Aryne was already sitting at the table while everyone else mingled about; Bee was grabbing something out of the fridge – probably a hot sauce – and Tyler and John were leaning up against the couch.  Aryne saw them first and she began clapping when she saw the food.  “It’s here!”

Everybody gathered around the table quickly.  Bee helped herself to too much Cantonese chow mein.  Everything was passed around – the chicken balls, the sweet and sour sauce, the chicken fried rice, the plain steamed rice, the spring rolls, the beef with broccoli, the kung pao shrimp and the Szechuan chicken.  Everybody’s plate and glass was full of goodness.  For a while everyone was even silent because they were stuffing food into their faces.  It was Tyler who broke the silence.  “Have you guys seen how well the Raptors are doing?  Their post-season is gonna be amazing.”

Everybody nodded their heads.  “Hopefully ours is gonna be equally as amazing,” Naz commented.

“You think we’ll be able to go to some games?” Aryne asked her husband.

“Aryne, are you aware of who your husband is?” Tyler asked, causing the table to laugh.  “He’s John Tavares.  He can walk into anywhere and get whatever he wants.”  

“Raptors tickets are gonna be the hottest commodity in town if they do well,” Mason commented.  “Good luck with that.”

“I’m sure Masai will hook up Kyle with something,” Naz said.  “Besides, Bee’s gotta go to her first Raptor’s game.”

The mention of her name gave Bee an opportunity to look at everyone – really look at all the people surrounding her – and she felt a pang of gratitude hit her chest.  There was excitement, of course, of moving in with Morgan – of knowing that, when their friends were gone, she wouldn’t have an apartment to go back to; that this was her apartment too now.  There was thankfulness, of course, for everyone helping her to move her things, despite how little she had and how quickly it took them to do it – she barely needed to bribe them with a Chinese food dinner before they said yes to helping.  But more than anything, gratitude.  Gratitude for them surrounding her.  Gratitude for their help and support.  

Gratitude that they were her family.