Ellis asked if we could have a bit more time to decide how we want to tell the world and Cassie granted us that. She has a statement ready to go if it leaks before we are ready, saying we were keeping it a secret so Ellis wasn’t caused any stress given her health. Cassie hopes that will garner sympathy from people who might be mad they didn’t know. Only time will tell.

It’s less than an hour until the guys arrive and the garden is sparkling. Back inside, the house feels like a home. Ellis is sat at the kitchen island drinking some tea while Jack is sat on the rug going through a box I haven’t seen in a long time.

“He found it while polishing your trophies, I told him I’d show them to him, but he wanted to wait for you.” Ellis’s words are curt, still slightly stiff with me but she smiles politely, not wanting Jack to feel any tension. He runs over to grab my hand and pulls me over to the box of college pictures on the rug.

On top of the box is written “College Memories”. There is another box somewhere with my first year in the NHL but that has nothing fun for Jack in it. In this box there are a bunch of pictures of his mom and me.

Ellis leaves us to our boy time while I go through a bunch of different pictures of a younger me. I don’t remember aging this much, but the boy in these pictures looks nothing like the man I see each morning in the mirror.

Jack holds every picture of his mom and I can see how much he treasures them with how delicate he is being. Most boys his age wouldn’t care about any of this but Jack is not like other kids. No, Jack is quiet and introspective, so gentle just like I hope our baby will be.

“Can I keep this one?” Jack is sat close to my side, holding one picture tighter than any other. In this picture I’m sat on a couch with Ellis settled on my legs. I’m looking down at Ellis while she is laughing at whoever was behind the camera.

“Of course you can, bud, but don’t you want one of just your mom?” I ask.

“No thanks, I like this one best,” he says bluntly.

As Jack wonders away with the photo in tow, my doorbell rings. Ellis’s eyes jump to mine, filled with anxiety. I give her a reassuring smile and sigh – all I can muster – before I swing the door open to reveal Anders. He’s stood with all his Southern manners, showing up right on time with a bouquet of flowers.