Chapter 20

Chapter 20
They lay in bed flipping channels for a while but then Sidney flipped the TV off. “Lauren, will you do something for me?”
“I think I’d do just about anything for you, Sidney.” She said, resting her chin on his chest and looking up at him.
“Will you sing for me?”
She thought for a moment before answering. “Sure.” She sat up and turned around so she was facing him. And then she began to sing.
Lying here with you
Listening to the rain
Smiling just to see the smile upon your face
These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive
These are the moments I'll remember all my life
I've found all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more

Looking in your eyes
Seeing all I need
Everything you are is everything in me
These are the moments
I know heaven must exist
These are the moments
I know all I need is this
I've found all I've waited for, yeah
And I could not ask for more

I could not ask for more than this time together
I could not ask for more than this time with you
And every prayer has been answered
Every dream I've had's come true
Yeah, right here in this moment
Is right where I'm meant to be
Here with you here with me
Yeah

These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive
These are the moments I'll remember all my life
I've found all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more

I could not ask for more than this time together
I could not ask for more than this time with you
And every prayer has been answered
Every dream I've had's come true
Yeah, right here in this moment
Is right where I'm meant to be
Oh, here with you here with me
No, I could not ask for more
Than this love you gave me
Cause it's all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more
No, yeah
No, I could not ask for more
(AN: Here’s the song, as performed by Sara Evans)
While she was singing, Sidney had just laid there watching her in complete awe. But when she finished, he sat up and kissed her sweetly on the lips. “That was beautiful and I loved it. Thank you for singing for me.” He stared into her eyes.
“You know something? That’s the first time I’ve ever sang for someone when they asked me to. I mean, I used to sing in choir and stuff, and even did a few solos on occasion, but anytime someone would just ask me to sing out of the blue, I would always get shy and say no. I like singing for you, though. And that song reminds me of you.” She said, grinning at him.
“I love you, Lauren Elizabeth.”
She kissed him again and curled up in his arms, resting her head on his chest. “I love you, too, Sidney Patrick.”
The next morning, they woke up around 10. “Good morning, sunshine.” Lauren said, leaning up to accept Sidney’s kiss.
“Morning, baby. Wanna order room service for breakfast?”
“Actually, Beth is making breakfast for all of us.” Lauren said.
“Oh, cool. I’ve been waiting to meet the infamous Beth. What’s she making?”
“Peanut butter and chocolate chip pancakes, my favorite.”
He stared at her, shocked. “Peanut butter and chocolate chip pancakes are my favorite!”
“Really? That’s so weird. She told me she got vanilla drizzle too. Mmm. I don’t really like syrup that much.” She said.
“Now that might be a deal breaker.” He said seriously. “I don’t know if any respectable Canadian can associate with anyone who doesn’t like maple syrup.” His face was stern for a moment, and she stared at him blankly until he broke out into a devilish grin. “On second thought, I definitely think I can make an exception for you.” He said, kissing her nose.
“Gee thanks, Mr. Maple Leaf.” She said sarcastically, tossing a pillow at him as he got out of bed. They packed up their stuff and drove to Lauren’s apartment.
Beth was in the kitchen mixing up the pancake batter. “Beth! We’re here!” Lauren called as they walked in the door.
“Hey!” She smiled, taking a look at Sidney.
“Beth, this is Sidney. Sidney, this is my most favorite roommate in the whole world, Beth.” Sidney shook Beth’s hand and smiled.
“It’s nice to finally meet you. Lauren talks about you a lot.”
Beth chuckled. “She talks about you a lot too. And my boyfriend, Kevin, talks a lot about you too, actually. He’s a big Penguins fan.” Beth rolled her eyes.
“I take it you’re not?” Sidney said with a chuckle.
“Well, I’m not really a big fan of hockey, but Kevin and Lauren have both made it very clear that I am indeed a Penguins fan, whether I like it or not.”
Sidney laughed and Lauren shrugged her shoulders and grinned at him. At that moment, Kevin entered the kitchen. He looked like he’d just woken up. He saw Lauren first and said hello but then when he saw Sidney standing behind her, he nearly fell over onto the stove. “Woah.”
Lauren giggled and Beth rolled her eyes. “See? I told you he was a fan.”
Sidney smiled and extended his hand to Kevin. “Hey man, I’m Sidney.”
“Uhhh, yeah. It’s awesome to meet you. I’m Kevin.” He struggled to find his words and the other three were highly amused.
Beth shook her head and smiled at Kevin. “Breakfast will be ready in like 15 minutes.”
“Okay, thanks Bethy. I’m going to show Sidney around the apartment.” Lauren said, taking Sidney’s hand and leading him into the hallway. As they were walking down the hall, they could hear Beth and Kevin talking in the kitchen.
“Was Sidney Crosby seriously just standing in your kitchen?” Kevin asked.
Beth laughed. “Lauren told you she was dating him. And that he was coming to visit this weekend.”
“I know, but it’s like it wasn’t really real until just know. Like, I believed her, of course, and I saw her pictures, which should have been enough proof, but now it’s like really real.”
Sidney and Lauren couldn’t see, but Beth rolled her eyes. “You are so goofy sometimes.”
Sidney and Lauren stifled their laughing and continued the tour. She showed him all around her apartment, ending in her room.
“Wow. It’s really neat and clean. It reminds me of my room.” Sidney said, looking around her room at the pictures she had in frames all around the room. His gaze stopped and he smiled when he saw a picture of the two of them on her nightstand. It had been taken at breakfast with his family on their last day in Montreal. “I love that picture. I already knew I was in love with you then. You looked so pretty. But then again, you always look pretty.” He leaned over and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. She put her arms around his neck and he gently pushed her down onto her bed. He continued kissing her and worked his way down to her neck, letting his hands roam all over her body.
“Breakfast is ready!” Beth yelled loudly from the kitchen. They broke the kiss and laughed. Sidney rested his head on her chest and she ran her fingers through his dark brown hair.
“Come on let’s eat!” Lauren said. She tried to sit up, but the weight of Sidney’s body held her in place.
He groaned. “The only reason I am getting up is because there’s food involved. Lauren giggled at him.
He got up and pulled her up with him. As she stood up, he put his hand on the small of her back and pulled her close. He leaned down and kissed her cheek and whispered, “I love you.” His breath was hot on her ear and sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine.
She put her hand on his cheek and smiled. “Love you too, handsome.”
After breakfast, Lauren and Sidney went for a walk around campus. She showed him where she had classes, where she worked, where her sorority house was, and all her other favorite spots, including her favorite Starbucks, where they stopped for coffee on the way back. They sat there for a while just watching people. “I should probably get going.” He said sadly, looking at his watch.
Her eyes fell. “I wish you didn’t have to leave. But I know you have to.”
He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close as they walked back towards her apartment. “I wish I didn’t have to leave either. But you’re coming home in a few weeks right?”
She smiled and nodded her head. “Yes, I’ll be home in two weeks.”
“And your family is coming to the game this Thursday, aren’t they?”
“Yeah. I think it’s so weird that the first time you will be meeting my siblings, I won’t even be there.” She laughed. “Hopefully they won’t act too ridiculous.” Lauren said, rolling her eyes.