Hat-Trick

01

This story is being reposted because I wasn't really happy with it at first. I've added some minor and major changes to help build a better storyline

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"Girls come put your shoes on!" I yell through the apartment.

I hear their little feet pad across the floor as I gather our belongings and bring them to the door. I quickly check to make sure the tickets are in my pocket and bend down to grab their shoes once I confirm they're there. They slip their feet into the tiny shoes as I get to work tying each of them, running through the explanation of the bunny ear and going through the hole as I do every time in hopes that they will pick it up eventually.

"Remember it's gonna be busy on the way there so hold mom's hand and don't let go okay?" I lecture as I help them slip their shoes on.

The girls were buzzing with excitement and I can tell they're not really listening to anything i'm saying.

While they're still too young to understand what's actually going on, ever since the girls were babies they've loved watching hockey. It was something I watched with my dad as a kid that we all eventually watched together when I became a mom, sparking their interest in the lively sport. They didn't really understand the rules or what deemed a team's victory, but their excitement throughout watching the game through a TV screen never failed to make me melt. My dad decided to surprise them with tickets to a Maple Leafs game so they could see hockey live, and because we're so close to the Scotia-bank Arena, I thought it would be fun if we left early and walked through Toronto together.

When I found out about this surprise my dad had planned , I wasn't exactly thrilled. My family wasn't really aware that I used to be friends with Auston Matthew's. Well, friends is a bit of an understatement considering he's the father of my children.

I met Auston for the first time through a mutual friend and we got along really well. He was already a player for the Maple Leafs so I decided it would be best if I didn't mention our new friendship to anyone I knew for his privacy. We were only friends for about a year when we hooked up and everything was sort of awkward after that. While I was sure that Auston and I both had feelings for each other, it felt like too much for him to juggle with his growing career and we eventually lost contact. Along the way I got a new phone at some point and then completely lost his number and by the time I found out I was pregnant I had no way of contacting him.

Finding out you're pregnant when you're 21 and alone isn't ideal, especially when you have to lie to everyone and say it was the result of a random one-night stand. Can't say my family was pleased with that one.

I decided to keep the baby, however, seeing the two dots on the screen that the doctor labeled "baby A" and "baby B" had me second guessing myself. One was a big enough scare, two was something I didn't know if I was ready for. Confiding in my dad helped me make the decision to keep the twins, a long and tearful night ended in his repetitions of support and how I was not alone.

Despite how scared I was, i've never regretted my decision to keep my girls.

Jovie was born 10 minutes before June and god did they look like their dad. Dark hair and eyes, plump lips, and happy little faces.

I worked so hard to build our life for us, living at my dads house with him for the first few months before I decided it was important for us to live in our own space. While our small apartment in downtown Toronto may not be the best, I'm proud of how far i've come. My dad was my biggest supporter throughout the entire pregnancy and their lives, always willing to watch them when I needed to work. I had been a single mom for three years now and rarely thought about anyone else but my girls.