It was by those very words that everything changed for me. New city, new house, new friends, new life. I moved to Pittsburgh the summer of 2005, I was 22, and couldn't wait to get started on my new job. Getting settled in Pittsburgh was easy, I moved in with someone who worked at the newspaper with me, and I had my cousin who was making millions. Oh yeah, my cousin. Sidney Crosby. Apparently he's some kind of a big deal in the hockey world, but whatever, I always beat him at pond hockey in Cole Harbor anyways.
A year and a half after the draft, it was as if I'd never lived in Nova Scotia. Pittsburgh was my home now, and that wasn't about to change anytime soon.
Coming to watch practice today?
I read the text message from Sidney and contemplated if I should go or not. I had a lot of editing I had to do, but I decided to put that aside and go anyways. I told my boss I'd be going to the practice to take some shots for an article Chelsea was writing, and he let me go uninterested. I grabbed my camera off my desk and headed to my car, jotting Sidney a quick text on the way there.
Be there in 5.
I put the key in the ignition and started off, listening to my old Shania Twain album on the way there. Man, I feel like a woman, I sang in my off-key voice. I heard my phone buzz once again signaling another text from Sid.
Good, there's someone who wants to meet you.
I raised my eyebrows. Someone who wants to meet me? But I already know everyone. I arrived at Southpointe, the Penguins practice arena, and headed straight to the locker rooms where I knew Sidney would be sitting with Kris LeTang going through his iPod looking for a motivational song, like he does every practice. Sure enough, he was there doing exactly that.
"Hey Naomi," he said and pulled me into a hug.
"Ew, gross Sid, you're in your under armour." I said wiping the sweat off me.
"Ha, sorry," he said throwing his jersey on top of his head. "Hey, there's someone I want you to meet."
He guided me over to the other side of the room where I saw an unfamiliar face attempting to talk to Geno, and failing horribly. Poor Evgeni hasn't quite learned English yet.
"Colby," he said pointing to the curly-haired man, "This is my cousin, Naomi. Naomi, this is Colby Armstrong, he just got recalled from Wilkes-Barre." That explains why I didn't know him.
"Heeeeeeey!" Colby said pulling me into a hug. Wow, I thought, He doesn't waste time.
"Haha, hello there." I responded laughing.
"Wanna come see me kick Crosby's ass?" he asked.
"Yes, definitely, but only if I can help," I said, pointing to my skates that were hanging up next to Sid's stall.
"Let's do it." Colby said, grinning, and walked over to my stall to help me put on my skates.
There's something about this guy...
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