Franky

When confronted with the cold, hard facts of her diminishing chances to be a mom, what’s a woman of science to do? Make a spreadsheet of eligible donors, of course. Finding a man for life is not in the cards, but one for this singular purpose? I can do that. As the daughter of a Chicago Rebels legend and an expert in the field of gastropods—more commonly known as snails and slugs—I have plenty of choices in the worlds of both hockey and academia. The selection process should be easy, especially after eliminating several options, including Jason Isner, childhood nemesis and recently acquired defenseman for the Rebels. I’ve always considered him arrogant, cruel, and not the brightest bulb. But I might have been mistaken about Jason . . .

Jason

I even surprised myself when I offered to be Franky St. James’s baby daddy, but fatherhood has been a dream of mine forever. If I can achieve my goal without a relationship, even better. I won’t be a “pump and dump” donor, though. I want the whole package: nighttime feedings, shopping for cute onesies, teaching my kid to skate. I’m in it for life, and as Franky and I travel this road together, I start to imagine what having a family of my own might look like. The thing is, she has all sorts of hypotheses about jocks and relationships, and it’s going to take a lot of persuasion to prove her wrong. She might think snail mating rituals are the only “coupling” worth studying, but I’m determined to show her that when it comes to seeking a mate, this player is as driven as any species in the animal kingdom.