Pat’s Point of View

So right now I’m sitting at the kitchen table waiting for Nat and Erica to come out of Erica’s room. Like when I was little I was never allowed in when they were having their girl time but whatever because I’m going to be able to marry the girl of my dreams soon, I don’t care when, but it warms my heart that I know it’s going to happen. I want it to take place in the summer considering that’s when all the best memories have been, but then again this is her wedding, not mine, so that means that I’m going to let her decide the rest of the wedding, or Erica decide the wedding because well, Erica’s a way better party planner than me.

It’s almost that time of year again where I need to leave Buffalo and head to Chicago to start training for the season again. And I’m still a little worried about Natalie. I know for a fact now that we are completely and totally in love and now engaged but I’m worried about what happened those 5 + years ago. She walked out on me because she said she was homesick. What happens if that happens again? Am I going to lose her again to some other ex boyfriend that she has? So I’m kinda pushing that off to the very last minute to give her more time here.

But after waiting about an hour here spinning a quarter on the table they came back down to the kitchen, “So? What’s going on?” I asked the two of them who were standing there giggling like a couple of teenagers. “Well, the wedding is going to be scheduled for next summer. Well actually, more precisely August 8th of next summer.” Erica said proudly. Then it hit me, “Oh! I got it, 8/8 as in 88 as in Patrick Kane, me? That’s very clever you two.” I said shaking a finger at them. But they stood there in silence or a bit, “Yeah, sure that’s exactly what we did.” Erica said trailing off before Natalie started laughing. “Pat do you think everything always has to connect back to you?” Nat said still laughing. I shrugged my shoulders feeling a little conceited, “Well actually this time it does connect back to you.” “Yeah, we got you good.” Erica added. I rolled my eyes at them, “So can I please hang out with my fiancé now?” Erica practically pushed her over into my arms, “Yep, this is way better.” Natalie said with a smile.

<3<3<3<3<3


We took a walk around the neighborhood like we used to when we were little, except we didn’t stop by every one of our friends’ houses to see if they were home to place with us. Hand in hand we walked down the sidewalk playing black car, white car. Natalie counts how many white cars there are and I get the black cars. And once you think about it that’s basically our personalities, complete opposites. Natalie is more down to earth, really nice, kind to everyone, responsible, caring, and not to mention so beautiful. And then there’s me; who is irresponsible at times, big headed, and of course a big partier. Natalie rarely went to parties with me to begin with. Like after we won the Stanley cup we were all going to go out to the clubs and all the bars in Chicago parading the cup around, but Natalie went home like a good girl and slept. But she keeps me in control when I don’t even think I’m going out of control.

Take the cab driver event for instance, Natalie told me that I shouldn’t go out that night considering that we were going to head out to Chicago the next day for a little tourism because that entire time she was in Chicago she never got to be a tourist, so I was going to be nice and take her to millennium park to see the bean and those faces at that pond and shit, you know? But I told her that I would be fine for the next day so I went out any way. My cousin James and I went out to some club for our last night together in buffalo and of course we got wasted and Natalie sent me a text telling me to call her when we were leaving so she could come pick James and me up but when we did leave it was 3am so I didn’t want to bother her so we took a cab and the rest is history. I felt really bad after that, especially after the countless interviews and this stupid incident following me everywhere I go. It hurt to even look at Natalie during those when still she was supporting me even though that could’ve ended differently. She missed her tourist day in Chicago. She was still with me, but she was forced to follow me around to do countless interviews and crap about what happened. She still supported me; every time I looked at her before going on stage she would give me a weak smile even though I knew that she hated every minute of that. And now looking at her now I’m happy that she’s that supportive of me.

She finally brought me out of my thoughts with a squeeze of her hand in mine, “Penny for your thoughts?” She smiled which always made her blue eyes seem brighter. I laughed and kissed her on the top of her head, “I was just thinking about us.” Her eyes went wide, “You’re not having second thoughts about the w—,” “No, no Nat, there is no doubt in my mind that we aren’t going to get married next year. It was just I can’t believe that we’re finally together,” I brought her left hand up to my lips and kissed the ring, “and engaged.” We continued our walk talking about us and our past memories. We stopped at the park in the middle of the neighborhood and I pushed her on the swings. I started to push her as high as she would go and she would start laughing being afraid of heights. She’d turn her head back at me with her blonde hair flowing through the wind.

Then I flashed back to another memory. We were 10 and it was basically a year after she had moved in to the neighborhood, she and her best friend Lily had ditched her for one of the popular girls, and I was taking a bike ride with some of my friends and we were riding by the park when I had heard her crying. The 4 of us stopped, which included Tyler at the time. He got off his bike and was going to go over to her and comfort her, but I stopped him. “No Ty, I got this one. You guys go ahead; I’ll see you back at Matt’s house.” I went over and sat down on the swing beside her as they left to continue their ride.

“Natalie?” I asked in a soft voice. She looked up a little startled to see me seeing her face was buried into her hands and her hair covered her tears from everyone. “Pat, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be with your friends today?” I started to swing back and forth a little, “I was, and we passed by you and i had to stop.” She wiped her tears on her pink power puff girl sweatshirt and smiled up at me, “So what happened?” I asked her knowing that only her other best friend could make her cry like that. Her eyes were red and puffy when she looked at me, “Well Lily and I were supposed to hang out today like I told you yesterday, and we decided to meet here like an hour ago and she never showed.” She said with her emotions taking over in the end. I stood up and bent down and hugged her, I hugged her until the tears stopped flowing and she finally calmed down and hugged me back. She thanked me and I smiled at her and walked behind her hiding behind a tree. “Pat?” She asked, “Where’d you go?” I watched her shrug her shoulders and start swinging again. Then I rushed up behind her and started pushing her from behind; higher and higher as she gripped to the chains of the swing. “Patrick! I knew you didn’t leave me!” She laughed. Then I saw that smile that got engraved into my memory since then.

And it was the exact smile I saw today with her, about 18 years later. Alright so now here’s the time. I can’t put it off; she would get so mad at me if I did that. “Natalie,” “hmm,” she hummed looking up at me as we continued our walk passed Mr. Johnson’s yard. (Oh funny story about that but I’ll tell you later) “So the preseason is coming in a few months,” “uh huh,” “And I’m going to need to head back to Chicago soon,” “yep,” “And I was wondering if you were still going to come with me?” She rolled her eyes, “Was this all you were worrying about this entire time?” I nodded my head sheepishly and she responded by hitting me in the arm. “Patrick Kane of course I was going to come back to Chicago with you, do you really think I could spend an entire summer alone with my parents when I know my fiancée is in the windy city with a bunch of puck sluts?” I shrugged my shoulders, how was I supposed to respond to that! “Hey I just didn’t know after what happened last time you came to Chicago and then left twice within a couple months.” Her face turned a light shade of pink. I knew, she knew that what she did was a mistake but look at us now holding hands and sitting on the park bench watching the sun drop down behind the horizon of houses. She laid her head on the crook of my neck, it was a perfect fit. There were no worries right now, silently I watched as her eyes closed as she fell asleep. I fell asleep a few minutes later but was soon shaken awake by the same girl who fell asleep first. “Pat wake up it’s like midnight, come on our folks will probably think we got murdered or something.” She pulled my dead weight up and slung her arm around my waist as I did with her shoulder as we walked home; past the park, past countless houses, and of course past Mr. Johnson’s house again. And speaking of him I have a story to share about him.

Okay so for Natalie’s 16th birthday on May 31st her mom let her throw this huge birthday party for all of our friends. And of course Lily took over and invited way to many people as usual and we had a scavenger hunt planned so she goes and gets our team together which included myself, Lily, Tyler, and Natalie all going on this scavenger hunt. Well apparently no one liked that idea so they decided they were just going to go ding dong ditch every house they saw. Then they got to Mr. Johnson’s door. And I mean if you live in this neighborhood you know that Mr. Johnson is an old man who doesn’t take any shit from anyone, and if you’re a stupid teenager that adds to how much he hates you. But of course half the kids that went did not know that. So they went and ding dong ditched his house. Well let’s just say Natalie and I showed up at the wrong time because when we were far behind trying to find everyone Mr. Johnson came outside with his shot gun screaming, “You stupid teenagers, you’re going to pay for this!” Our eyes went wide as we ran for our lives as he came outside and got in his truck and followed us around the entire subdivision. But thankfully his truck broke down on the corner of Pine and Savannah so we made a run for it back home where everyone already was. And let’s just say they laughed at us when they saw us so out of breath.

As we passed the house I asked her if she remembered that story, “Well yeah it was my 16th birthday party wasn’t it? And Lily had us play spin the bottle right after that too. And I looked so attractive for that too.” She rolled her eyes as we made our way back to the house under the stars. “So you are going back to Chicago with me aren’t you?” She nodded her head, “And you’re not going to leave me again are you?” She let out a deep sigh and rolled her eyes before shaking her head no. “Okay then, we’ve got a month left in Buffalo before we gotta go back to Chiiiiiiii-Towwwnnn!” As you can imagine I emphasized the Chi in Chi town in a very high pitched voice, and of course she hit me for that.

Oh Natalie, I love you.