Page 119 of On the Power Play

Jack didn't care what they watched. He just wanted the decision made so he could eat and figure out what to do next. Time with the team had been a good distraction right up until he'd gotten those texts from Delia before warmups. Then all he'd wanted to do was bust out of the dressing room and climb however many flights of stairs he needed to to get to her suite. He was elated that his parents had driven from Moose Jaw, but he couldn't help but put them in the backseat.

"I love the coat."

Jack cut another bite of steak. "You mentioned that."

She turned, considering him. "Why did you do that?"

"Because you said you wanted one."

"I know, but people say they want a lot of things. They don't usually have someone around who makes their dreams come true."

Jack dipped his steak in HP. "I believe in over-delivering. It’s one of my best features."

Delia quieted next to him, staring intently at Tony Stark standing in front of a group of military personnel. He hoped she was thinking about all of his other best features.

“Ooh, the coat!” Delia turned, almost spilling her food onto the comforter. “Is Clara pregnant?”

Jack blinked. “What does your coat have to do with Clara being pregnant?”

Delia laughed. “No, her coat. She came in the suite today and her coat was open, and there was definitely a bump there. I didn’t say anything because who knows, right? But that would be strange for her to gain weight just there and nowhere else.”

Jack processed this, then thought back to that night in the Jukebox. How he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her drink. Had it been New Year’s? “I think she might be pregnant.”

“Right? Wouldn’t that be so exciting?”

Jack’s head felt like a dust storm. Exciting, yes, but it also turned up the heat. If Clara was pregnant, they’d need that extra room.

He was doing everything he could to be considered for the next season, but even if he was impressive, they had to have a slot open for him. The ground still shifted like quicksand under his feet.

They ate in silence, though Jack couldn't focus on one iota of the action on screen. Delia, on the other hand, seemed riveted. It knocked his confidence down a notch.

"I forgot this movie started with his Hummer getting blown up,” she murmured.

"Brutal." Jack scooped up the last of his potatoes and set his plate on the nightstand.

Delia finished her meal a few minutes after him. She stood and rounded the bed to collect his dishes.

"You don't have to do that."

She met his eyes for the first time in fifteen minutes. "I know. I want to." Delia stacked his plate with hers and took everything back to the desk. "Do you want your cookie?"

"Maybe later." There was something different about her, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Like some push and pull inside her had been resolved. A question answered. It made him nervous.

Delia walked back to her suitcase and pulled out a toiletry bag. "I'm just going to brush my teeth." Jack grinned, and Delia pursed her lips. "Don't you dare laugh."

His smile grew wider. She was so hot when she put a hand on her hip and told him what to do. "I'm not laughing."

She rolled her eyes and padded into the washroom. It was then that Jack realized if he wanted anything besides watching a movie together to happen, he'd better make sure his mouth was clean, too. He turned down the volume on the TV and walked to the door. "Mind if I join you?"

There were two sinks, and Delia shifted to the far one so Jack could use his supplies that were already placed by the first. As he put toothpaste on his brush and watched Delia in the mirror, nostalgia and grief crashed over him like a tidal wave. They'd done this every night. He clamped his eyes shut and gripped the edge of the counter.

"Jack?" Delia dropped her flosser and stepped closer to him, pressing her hand into his lower back. "Are you okay?"

He nodded and forced himself to breathe. "Yeah. Sorry, just—" He pushed back to standing, but Delia didn't step back.

"Just what?"

Jack set down his toothbrush and found her eyes in the mirror. "It's been a long time since I brushed my teeth next to someone."

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