Shea was the kind of man one considered spending the rest of their life with. Elli could see her and Shea together for the rest of her life, having kids with greenish blue eyes, and long dark hair. Hopefully bone straight like Shea’s and not the fuzzy mess she had. Shea would make a great dad; he loved Amelia and Ryan like they were his. He was a good man, the kind of man that held her when she cried, bathed her when she was sick, and planned the most amazing parties just for her.

He was a keeper.

The more Elli thought about it, the more she thought that if he did leave, get traded, or whatever, she would go. She would have to. After feeling like she almost lost him, when he was laying face down on the ice, she felt she would do anything for him, go anywhere. Life without Shea wasn’t even possible, she couldn’t even fathom it.

She loved him.

Elli stood slowly, right as her reel started going nuts.

“Elli, babe! You got something!” Mark yelled, but Elli wasn’t listening.

She loved Shea.

She loved him so much it hurt her chest.

No, wait, that was the pole hitting against her chest.

“Shit!” Elli yelled, dropping her beer and taking the pole in her hands.

Whatever was on the end of the line was huge and strong. When the massive fish flung itself out of the water, Elli let out a girly scream, causing Mark and James to laugh.

“Oh hell, El, looks like a wolf fish to me!” Mark yelled, smacking Elli on the back like she was one of the guys.

“A what?! Shit, it’s strong!” Elli grunted as she reeled her little ass off. Why weren’t these men trying to help her!?

“Massive strong fish. I got one last time I was here,” James said as he and Mark made their way to the side, looking over the side as Elli continued to reel her ass off. After what seemed like an hour of reeling, Mark got out a hook looking stick, and pulled on the line, finally helping Elli to get the fish up.

When Mark flung the fish overboard, Elli let out a horrid scream.

“It has teeth!” Elli screamed, jumping up on the chair she had been sitting on, receiving herself a round of laughter from James and Mark as they admired the fish.

“Damn, Elli, you got a big one. We’ll have to weigh it.” Mark said, hooking the ugly blue fish in the mouth and holding it up. The damn thing was as big as she was, and Elli was on the big side.

“I say close to 30 pounds. It’s a biggie,” James said, leaning in closer to look at the fish’s face.

“It’s a beauty. Good job, Elli,” Mark said before sending her a grin, “Damn good job.”

“Okay. For one, that damn thing is ugly as all get out, and for two, I just sat there.”

Finally realizing she loved Shea, not that she would tell them that.

James and Mark laughed long and hard before Mark picked the fish up, motioning for Elli to come over, as James pulled out a camera.

“Come on now, Elli, come hold your beauty, so we can get a picture,” Mark said, Elli shook her head.

“I’m not going anywhere near that thing, it’s got damn teeth!”

“Come on now!” Mark said more sternly, so Elli went, grabbing the pole slowly, before holding the fish up. It was almost as long as she was, and damn near the ugliest thing she had ever seen.

“Smile Elli!”

Yeah, right.

Shea had never laughed so hard in his life.

The picture he held in his hand had him almost busting a gut as he laughed. His beautiful girlfriend stood on a boat holding a massive fish up, with a look of horror on her face. The fish was as big as she was, and Shea couldn’t believe she got it out of the water all by herself. Grace and his mom stood beside him, laughing as hard as he was.

“Oh, Elli, your face is priceless!” Jenna gushed, before kissing Elli’s cheek and turning back to the stove.

“I tell you what, that damn thing was ugly as all get out!” Elli complained in her thick accent. With Shea being home around his Boston speaking family, Elli stuck out like a sore thumb.

“I can’t believe you got it on the boat, Elli. I’m impressed!” Grace said, before leaving Shea’s side to go to James.

“I’m having the damn thing stuffed for her Christmas present, it will look good over your guys’ bed,” Mark said with a grin just for Elli. Shea didn’t think Elli thought he was funny, though.

“He has teeth, Shea. Tell them they are crazy,” Elli pleaded beside him, looking at her picture, shaking her head.

“Honey, you did good. You should be proud,” he said, smiling down at her.

“Proud of that? He’s ugly!”

“He’s a beaut!” Mark complained as he came over to look at the picture, “Wicked pretty fish.”

“You're nuts,” Elli laughed as she took the cup of hot chocolate from Jenna.

“He sure is,” Jenna said with a laugh. Everyone laughed along as Shea leaned into Elli, kissing her cheek softly.

Shea was a little upset when he found out that Elli had left with his dad and James, but then he thought maybe it was a good idea. Letting Elli bond with them was good, since he didn’t see her going anywhere. He wanted her to love his family, he wanted them to love her, and it seemed to have worked out well. Mark and James joked around with Elli and she gave them just as much as they gave her. He loved when she had such a full smile on her face and knowing that his family, were the ones to put it there made him just as ecstatic as if he had done it himself.

Shea’s life was basically complete. Well, it would be if he could play hockey and Elli loved him, but he was feeling pretty damn good at that moment, standing in the kitchen with all the people the loved.