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1. Words of Affirmation: Actions don’t always speak louder than words. If this is your love language, unsolicited compliments mean the world to you. Hearing the words, “I love you,” are important—hearing the reasons behind that love sends your spirits skyward. Insults can leave you shattered and are not easily forgotten.
It is words that first capture Jess’s heart. She’s heard Eric talk enough to last her whole life, but sometimes she rewatches an interview of him. It’s usually one from before she was on the team, but she still likes watching ones that are more recent. As much as she likes watching interviews of him, nothing beats sitting across from him and listening to him talk.
Most of the time, it’s small talk. They usually talk about their day, but it’s usually stuff that they already know since they’ve spent it together. Sometimes though, Eric will surprise her and say something that has nothing to do with their small talk. That is what gives her butterflies.
“You look really beautiful today,” he’ll say to her as she looks down, trying to hide the blush. As much as she tries to pretend that she’s used to Eric’s compliments, she’s not.
“You think so?” she’ll ask him.
“I know so. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you today on the ice,” he says and she can’t help the giggle that leaves her lips.
Eric, of course, chuckles across from her and she flashes that smile at him. You know…that smile, dimples on full force and she knows that it’s only seconds before his lips are pressed against hers.
The thing that Jess loves to hear the most that comes from his lips is I love you.
He’ll say it before games, after games, sometimes during games, before bed, when they first wake up, but the time that she loves to hear it most is when she’s not expecting it.
Jess had just finished making their breakfast, because Eric had demanded that they had pancakes, because it was now off-season. He had told her that they could have a cheat day and she had agreed.
They were sitting across from each other, him shoving the pancakes in his face like someone was going to take them away and her eating slowly, trying to savor every moment of how good they were.
He had finished and was looking at her when he said it.
“I love you Jess,” he said and she smiled.
“I love you Eric,” she said.
“You know why?” he asked her.
“Why you love me?” she asked him.
“Yup,” he replied back.
“Please enlighten me,” she said to him.
“I love you, because you’re perfect and before you interrupt me and say you aren’t, you are. What other girl would wake up super early to make me pancakes and then not get completely applauded when I shove them in my face? I love you, because you have the best dimples that I’ve ever seen and because I wouldn’t want anyone else out there, playing hockey with me,”
“You mean all of that?” Jess asked him.
“Course I do,” Eric said.
Jess walked over, sitting on his lap as she kissed his sticky lips.
“I love you too captain,” she said and winked, causing Eric to laugh.
2. Quality Time: In the vernacular of Quality Time, nothing says, “I love you,” like full, undivided attention. Being there for this type of person is critical, but really being there—with the TV off, fork and knife down, and all chores and tasks on standby—makes your significant other feel truly special and loved. Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful.
When Jess finds out about that she didn’t make the Canada’s National Hockey Team, she’s upset, but she tries to hide it. She’s happy for Eric, she honestly is. She can say that with a straight face, because she loves him.
She wants him to be successful and she knows how much it means to him to be able to play for the National team. She just wishes that maybe she could have gotten that chance.
She puts on a brave face, especially in front of the team and his brothers, most of all. She knows how excited they are for him. She knows how much work he’s put in to deserve this and she’s supportive of him.
She sits and waits for him to finish interviews after the announcement. She texts Sid mostly, since Sid is the other girl she’s closest with in the NHL. She knows some of the other girls, but she prefers to talk to Sid, because Sid will tell Jess everything directly. Sid doesn’t fuck around, on or off the ice.
Sid, of course, made it on women’s team. Hell, she could’ve made it on the men’s team if she really tried, but that isn’t what this is about. Sid insists that Jess talk to Eric and tell him how she feels, but Jess is vehemently against that idea.
She wants Eric to be happy and not have to deal with her, acting like a baby.
“You’re not acting like a baby” is what Sid says next.
“Maybe not a baby, but like I got in timeout for something that Eric did but I couldn’t do” she explains.
“What’s with the damn child metaphors? Are you trying to have baby?” Sid says next and Jess rolls her eyes before replying.
“It seems like something a kid would do when this would happen to them,” Jess says next.
“Well, it’s not like that. Jess, just tell Eric how you feel when you two get a second to be alone and he’ll understand. He knows you better than you think he does and I’m sure he’s worried about you right now, but hey! I’m going to celebrate with Geno! I’ll talk to you later”
Jess laughs before replying. “Have fun with your Russian lovebird. Hahah I’m funny!”
Jess is messing around with her phone and talking to Elias that she doesn’t notice that Eric is finally done. She hears him clear his throat and she feels a small blush appear on her cheeks.
“You ready, baby?” Eric asks her and Jess just smiles.
“Yup,” she says, grabbing her bag before turning around, waving and saying goodbye to Elias.
The car ride home is for the most part, silent. That isn’t normal for Jess and Eric; their car rides are usually so lively and full of energy. Even after a loss, they’re each other’s support systems and they vent to each other, but this is a different silence.
This is the silence that holds things unsaid and holds Jess’s frustrations. Her frustrations are mostly at herself, because she should’ve worked harder and she should’ve just gone to a few more optional practices and maybe she’d be as good as the other people who made it.
When they get inside, Eric goes right to the kitchen while Jess trudges upstairs. She wants to get a shower and she doesn’t want to think about this. She wants to wash all of her stress and frustration away.
The hot shower feels good for the first few minutes, but then the thoughts start eating her alive. Jess has always been critical on herself especially with hockey but this is beyond that. She’s coming up with every excuse to feel worse and it’s working, but she needs to pull herself together.
She needs to pull herself together for Eric, so that’s what she does.
She gets out of the shower, gets dressed and lies down in bed beside him. Eric’s watching highlights when she first gets in there and before she can make a comment, he turns the TV off and looks over at her.
“Alright, what’s wrong with you?” he says and she looks at him, confused.
“I don’t know what you mean, Eric,” she replies, coolly.
“Cut the bullshit, Jess. I know you and I know when there’s something wrong with you, so just talk to me,” he says.
Before Jess can stop herself, it comes out.
“I’m upset, because I didn’t make Canada’s national hockey team. I mean I knew that you would make it and of course, Sid made it, but if I could’ve worked a little bit harder, maybe if I wouldn’t have been so distracted during the games and would’ve listened to you more, maybe I could’ve made it then…”
Before Jess can continue, Eric cuts her off.
“Jess, don’t talk about yourself like that. Come here,” he says to her as she leans over, lying on his chest as he rubs her back, softly.
Those small gestures mean the world to Jess and she finally lets it all out, letting herself sob and fall against his chest. Eric doesn’t say much to her, just rubbing her back and whispering sweet things into her ear until she finally exhausts herself.
“You deserve to be on the team, kid. Don’t doubt yourself so much. They’re crazy. Did you see that they picked Eric Staal? Real loser, right?” Eric says as she wipes away some tears and giggles softly.
“Total loser is more like it,” she says and just like that, they’re back to just being Jess and Eric, two kids in love.
3. Receiving Gifts: Don’t mistake this love language for materialism; the receiver of gifts thrives on the love, thoughtfulness, and effort behind the gift. If you speak this language, the perfect gift or gesture shows that you are known, you are cared for, and you are prized above whatever was sacrificed to bring the gift to you. A missed birthday, anniversary, or a hasty, thoughtless gift would be disastrous—so would the absence of everyday gestures.
Jess and Eric’s anniversary is coming up and Jess has the perfect gift for Eric. She’s known for months what she was going to do for him and she’s been working on it for months. Jess had decided that she was going to make him a scrapbook of everything hockey related, ending at him being on Team Canada.
She tries to be fair about what she wants to add. She doesn’t want to add too many pictures of her and Eric, but it’s just for him. She decides to be neutral and ends up making it in the way that she thinks Eric will like it.
It takes her months with how busy they are and the fact that she has to hide it from Eric. It’s the day before their anniversary and she’s trying to rush with it. She wants it to look good, but she wants to finish this for him.
“Only two more pages to go,” Jess mumbles to herself as she continues working, carefully. She knows that Eric will be home soon and she just wants to finish it and wrap it already.
She’s just putting the last finishing touches on it when she hears his voice, calling her name. Before she can wrap it, she runs out, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a soft kiss. “I have to finish up something and then I’ll be out, okay?” she says and she knows Eric is gonna pout.
“Don’t pout. I’m almost done,” Jess said, getting on her tip-toes and kissing his nose.
“Do you care what we have for dinner?” Eric asked her.
“Whatever you want babe,” she says as she disappears into their bedroom.
Jess looks over her work, admiring it and she’s proud of it. The only thing that makes her nervous is seeing Eric’s reaction to it. Even if he hated it, Eric would at least pretend to like it.
She finishes the scrapbook and gets the gift box from under the bed. She wraps it up, nice and pretty with a little bow tied around it and then secures it back in her hiding spot before she runs down to the kitchen to meet Eric.
Jess doesn’t have a clue what Eric is planning or if he’s even planning anything. The next day after practice, they’re laying on the couch together when Eric suddenly turns to her.
“Hey. Go get a shower. I have plans for us,” he said and Jess looked at him, confused before shaking her head and leaning over, kissing him on the cheek and going to get a shower.
When Jess gets out of the shower, she sees a sticky note on the mirror. Sprawled in Eric’s handwriting, it says “Go into the bedroom”
Jess huffs before walking into the bedroom, seeing a red dress lying on the bed. “Put me on,” is what the note reads.
Jess goes back into the bathroom, blow-drying her hair. It’s short for this season, having it long had made it too hard on her and now, it’s a pixie cut which is perfect for her.
She slips the dress on and then a pair of flats before going back into the bathroom and doing her makeup.
She walks downstairs and sees another note on the bottom step. She picks it up and reads it aloud to herself.
“Meet me at your favorite restaurant,”
Jess drives to the small Italian place towards the edge of town. Not a lot of people know about it and they’ve only gotten recognized twice there and once was by a kid.
She gets into the restaurant, seeing that it looks almost closed down. There aren’t many lights on, just candles at different tables. She stands there for a second, looking confused before one of the waitresses, Lydia came over.
“Follow me please,” Lydia said as Jess followed until she got to the table Jess was certain was hers. She saw Eric sitting there, one of his game-day suits on with a red tie to match her dress. Eric pulled her chair out before sitting back down at his own.
“Surprise! Happy anniversary,” Eric told her and Jess couldn’t wipe the smile on her face. Eric never failed to make her feel like a princess.
“This is so wonderful, Eric. How did you plan this?” Jess asked him as they started to eat. “It was nothing really. I called the restaurant and they told me they’d be happy to let me use it for the night,” Eric replied simply.
The couple finished eating and talked for a little while, before Jess was eager to give Eric his gift.
“I love this so much, but can we please go home? I want to give you your gift,” Jess said to Eric and he just laughed.
“This isn’t your only gift, but I’ll go pay and then we can leave,” Eric said as he walked up to the front, paying for their meal as Jess pulled her coat on and walked outside to her car.
“Did you drive here?” Jess asked him.
“Nope. Jordan actually dropped me off,” he said as Jess threw him the keys.
The drive to the house felt too long, especially with how eager Jess was. She had worked really hard on Eric’s gift and she just wanted to give it to him already.
They pulled into the driveway and before the car’s even off, Jess is running into the house and going upstairs, pulling Eric’s gift out of her hiding spot.
Eric walks into their bedroom a few minutes later as she changes into one of Eric’s old t-shirt and a pair of shorts.
“Let’s go downstairs,” Eric says after they’re both ready.
They’re sitting beside each other as Jess turns to Eric, handing him the box.
“Happy anniversary,” she says, softly as she watches Eric open up the box. She watches as he picks up the book and his hands move over the front of it, seeing all of the details Jess put into it.
He starts looking through it, his hands carefully touching and surveying each page. Jess loves to see the expressions on his face as he looks through it. He finally gets to the end of it, seeing how at the end, she dedicated a whole page of just them, playing hockey together.
“Jess, this is so amazing. It must’ve taken you months and you probably got help from the guys. I really really appreciate it. It’s seriously one of the best gifts that anyone’s ever given me. I can’t even put into words how much I love it,” Eric said as he leaned over, kissing Jess and he could feel her smile into the kiss as he pulled away.
“Can you do me a favor, babe?” Eric asks her.
“Sure,” Jess says.
“Can you go to the kitchen and get me a bottle of Gatorade?” he asks her as Jess just smiles, walking out to the kitchen and getting red, Eric’s favorite as she walks in and it’s like she’s forgotten how to breathe.
She sees Eric, down on one knee and a ring box is in his hand.
She walks over towards him as he grabs her hand, holding it in his.
“Jess, these last 3 years have been the best of my life and it’s all been because of you. Before we met, I’d given up on finding the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I didn’t think a girl on the world would be able to handle me and hockey, but then I found you. I found you and you opened up a whole new world for me, Jess and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for that. So, Jessica Skinner, will you marry me?”
Jess feels the tears falling down her cheeks as she wipes them away before taking a deep breath and looking down at Eric.
“Yes,” Jess whispers, trying to hold in all of her tears as Eric slips the ring on her finger. He stands up, wrapping his arms around her and picking her up as he kisses her.
“I love you so much Jess,” he says.
“I love you so much Eric,” she says back and just like that, she’s soon to be Mrs. Eric Staal.
4. Acts of Service: Can vacuuming the floors really be an expression of love? Absolutely! Anything you do to ease the burden of responsibilities weighing on an “Acts of Service” person will speak volumes. The words he or she most wants to hear: “Let me do that for you.” Laziness, broken commitments, and making more work for them tell speakers of this language their feelings don’t matter.
Planning the wedding has really been getting to Jess. Most times, she loves it and she’s happy that she’s getting the fairy-tale wedding that she’s always wanted, but then there are times where she just wants to elope so she wouldn’t have to deal with all of this.
Hockey is only making it worse, because they’re not doing too good and it doesn’t help that after a loss, Eric is always disappointed.
Jess is disappointed too, but it’s completely different for him. She knows that he takes each of the losses, personally because he’s the captain and all the responsibility seems to fall on his shoulders.
Although tonight they’ve won against Colorado, Eric has decided to go out with the guys while Jess goes back to the house and gets back to planning.
She already knows what the colors are going to be. She wants red and white, because granted it’s close to their team colors, but she knows how much Eric likes the color, red.
She’s talking about the flowers on the phone with Sid when she hears their front door open. “I’ll call you back, Sid,” Jess mumbles into the phone, hanging up and then walks out towards their front door, ready to punch whoever is waiting there for her.
Before Jess could react, she heard Eric in the other room. When she walked in, she was surprised seeing him, doing their laundry. Usually, she was the one who did all of the laundry and this was just strange to her.
“Hey baby,” he said, walking over, his lips pressing against her temple.
“You’re doing laundry,” she said and he just laughed.
“Yeah. I was thinking since you’ve been dealing with all of this wedding planning that I could help around the house a little bit more,” Eric responded, shyly.
Jess smiled to herself as she leaned forward, kissing him.
“I love you so much, Eric Staal,” she said.
“I love you so much Jess Staal,” he said and Eric couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he saw how her eyes lit up.
“I think I’ll marry you,” he said to her as she pushed him.
“You better,” was all Jess said before disappearing back into living room to continue planning.
5. Physical Touch: This language isn’t all about the bedroom. A person whose primary language is Physical Touch is, not surprisingly, very touchy. Hugs, pats on the back, holding hands, and thoughtful touches on the arm, shoulder, or face—they can all be ways to show excitement, concern, care, and love. Physical presence and accessibility are crucial, while neglect or abuse can be unforgivable and destructive
In the game against the Maple Leafs, the Hurricanes got crushed. The coach doesn’t even yell at them, but gives them all a glance that shows that he is clearly disappointed. It was so bad that Jess thought Eric might actually flip out after the game. He doesn’t though and everyone sulks back to the locker room and changes before going back to the hotel.
Jess knows what to do though. She knows how Eric likes to be alone after the games, analyzing everything so instead of going back to the room, she walks around with Elias, looking around before they find a burger king.
Jess just gets a burger while Elias gets a meal and also extra fries and chicken nuggets. Elias has just finished eating and Jess gets Eric’s order to go and their walk back to the hotel starts.
The walk at first is crisp and refreshing, but now it’s so cold that they all but race back to their rooms.
Jess uses her key and unlocks the door, seeing Eric sitting on the bed with his eyes glued to the tv, no doubt watching the highlights of tonight’s game.
“Hey babe. I brought you something,” Jess says, holding up the bag and trying to cheer Eric up a little bit.
He weakly smiles and she hands him the bag as she starts to take off her jacket and jeans, slipping into a pair of shorts and one of Eric’s old jerseys.
She’s just finished changing when she feels Eric’s arms wrap around her. She leans back against him, feeling the warmth of his body.
She turns around, wrapping her arms around him as if to assure him that the loss is okay. She knows that right now, it won’t mean much but she can feel him relax under her touch.
“Can we go lay on the bed?” Eric asks her as Jess nods her head.
She walks over, lying down on the bed as Eric puts his head against her chest. She can tell how disappointed he is and she starts to run her hand through his hair how he likes.
“Jess, are you disappointed in me?” Eric says and Jess nearly falls off the bed.
“Eric, why would you say something like that?” Jess asks him.
“Well, I clearly haven’t been doing a very good job at being a captain since we failed so miserably which is a reflection on me. Maybe I should tell coach that I don’t want this responsibility, because my team can’t even win with me as captain,” Eric says before Jess stops him.
“That’s not true, Eric. Please don’t beat yourself up about this,” Jess says, laying her hand on his shoulder for a second before moving her hand down to intertwine with his.
“I wouldn’t want to marry anyone else, less alone, hold hands with anyone but you, Eric,” Jess says to him and squeezes his hand.
“Are you really not disappointed in me?” Eric asked her again.
“Of course not. I have nothing to be disappointed about,” Jess reassured him.
Eric leaned up, pressing his lips against hers.
“Marry me, Jess Skinner?” Eric asked.
“I already am, Eric Staal,” Jess replied.
“I know but I never get tired of asking,” Eric said.
“You’re such a dork. Let’s go to bed,” Jess told him as they did their usual nighttime routines as Jess leaned over, shutting the light off and Eric came behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and bringing her back down to him.
Jess shuffled around in his arms before finally getting comfortable, her head pressed right against his chest, over his heart.
“You know I love you, right?” Jess whispers to him.
“Back at ya, kid”