Easy
New Beginnings
It had been over a year since the death of her youngest daughter, and Anna still had a hard time coping with it. For sixth months after the funeral, she barely got out of her bed, and her mother came over most mornings and afternoons to get her children on and off the bus. There is no feeling like losing a child, and it was hard to even fathom the thought of life without Lexi. She was always there, bright and early, smiling over breakfast, excited about the day ahead of her. She would greet strangers at the grocery store or on the street with a wave, and was more generous at five years old than most people are their entire life. Even when she was sick, she would always start off the day with a positive outlook, saying that she was going to beat cancer that day. She never got a chance to.
Anna couldn't stay in Buffalo any longer. There was no way that she could move on with her life there, and that was a fact that she was slowly realizing. Her family wasn't the problem. In fact, they were her saving grace when she was in such a dark place that she couldn't see any type of light. It had been her father that encouraged and talked to her about moving, and her mother, though sad to see her daughter move away, knew that it was best for her as well. So on September 25th, she woke up early at her parents home and got Jade and Kiara ready to board the plane to Chicago.
"I am going to miss you so much," Donna Kane cried, hugging her grandchildren in a bonecrushing fashion. She wasn't actually hurting them, but Anna knew that it was hard for her to let go. After all, she had seven years practically being a second mom to them. Then it was her turn for the bonecrushing hug. "I'll miss you, sweetie, but this is the right thing," she whispered in her ear, and Anna nodded. It was hard to say goodbye to her mother, especially for everything that she had done for her over the past three years. She choked back her tears and walked into her father's warm embrace. "Keep an eye on Patty, will ya?" Patrick Kane, Sr. murmured into her hair as he kissed the top of her head, and again she could only nod. "I'll miss you daddy," she squeaked out, knowing that of all the people in the past year, he was the one that helped her through the emotional mess of things. Tears glistened in his eyes as he bent down to hug his granddaughters as well, before they were called to board the plane. "Have a safe trip! Call us when you get there!" Donna's voice rang out just as they walked through the gate to get on the plane, and she could only smile. Parents never got any less protective.
She sat in between Jade and Kiara, one of which was bouncing in their seat with excitement. "This is gonna be so cool!" Jade squealed, as the plane began its descent down the runway. Kiara looked a little bit green, always being the more nervous of the two, and Anna squeezed her hand. "Mommy, I'm scared," she mumbled, as the plane moved faster and faster, and take-off was approaching more rapidly. "Don't be scared, baby, this is gonna be great I promise!" The reassuring words helped to calm the nerves in her daughter, however she herself was just as scared, but about what would happen when they landed. The plane took off in the air, and Jade practically jumped out of her seat in joy. Kiara gave a timid smile, and the grip on her mother's hand loosened a bit. "This is gonna be great," Anna repeated.
----
"Kaner! What has gotten into you today?" Jonathan Toews shouted, as he almost dropped a bar right onto his chest. Patrick was supposed to be spotting him, but he obviously had his head in the clouds. This hadn't been the first time today that number 88 was off in LaLa land, and now he was pissed. "Is something bothering you? Are you day dreaming about a girl you took back to your appartment last night? You might as well tell me since you almost killed me," Toews mumbled, not wanting to draw attention to the two of them, but there was a hint of anger in his voice. Patrick looked up at him almost guiltily, as if it was a secret someone had told him and he was in grade school. "Nothing is wrong, just a little tired," he stammered out, wanting to get as far away from his captain as he could. It was hard enough to keep a secret from Jonathan, but when he was angry there was nothing stopping him from getting what he wanted. Quickly, Patrick made his way through the sea of hockey players and over to Patrick Sharp, currently taking out his frustrations on the leg press.
"Hey, Sharpie, you okay man?" Patrick asked, and earned somewhat of a death glare from his teammate. Okay, so he wasn't much better than Toews, but could you blame him for being curious? Teammates were like family, and when something is eating away at a part of the family, everyone wanted to help out. "I'm fine, I guess. As fine as you can be when you're divorced," he spat, bitterly, as he pushed at least two hundred pounds away from his body using just his legs. It was impressive, to say the least, but Patrick knew that he could only press that much because he had adrenaline pumping through his veins. "Is Abby giving you a hard time?" He inquired, and Sharp let out a strangled laugh. "I haven't talked to Abby in six months, she wants nothing to do with me! And its not even my fault!" His tone changed from one of frustration to anguish. His life was crumbling around him, and he had to put on this mask for everyone else. Patrick knew that feeling all too well. "It'll get better man, trust me," he stated, patting his teammate on the back before heading back in the direction of the locker room. It was almost time.
At the door way of the locker room stood Jonathan Toews, arms crossed, looking pissed.
"Look, Jonny, I know you're probably mad at me right now, but I really have some place I need to be," he said, voice slightly raised, as he tried to push past his Captain. No such luck. It was like trying to push your way through a brick wall. "Not until you tell me what's going on." Toews was not going to budge until he told him what was really going on, and the clock was ticking away. He was supposed to be at the airport in half an hour, and he still had to shower, change, and drive all the way there. "Alright, I'll tell you in the locker room, but hurry up because I need to leave." He pushed passed him and both boys made their way into the locker room. Immediatley Patrick grabbed for his shower stuff, but Toews was too quick. "Tell me," he declared, holding the shower bag close to himself. Time was ticking. "I have to pick up my sister and neices at the airport. They're coming to live with me for a while. Can I have my stuff back?" The sentence came out in a big jumbled mess, but he had told Jonny what he was going to do, and he snatched the shower bag out of his arms before he could formulate questions to ask.
By the time he had quickly scrubbed up, he had roughly twenty three minutes to get dressed and drive across Chicago to get to O'Hare airport. Unless he was planning on flying, there was no way he was going to get there on time. It took twenty-five minutes to get to the airport, and he had twenty to finish getting ready and get down to his car. Every thing was strewn across the floor next to his locker, and he scrambled to get everything into his duffle bag, all while trying to put on his shoes and socks and comb his hair. Needless to say, he lost his balance quite a few times, and fell over once. By fifteen minutes he was starting his car, and trying to begin the drive the O'Hare. The key word trying, because there was some jackass standing behind his car when he tried to reverse. That jackass happened to be Jonathan Toews. Again.
Jonny made his way around to the passenger side of the car and leisurely dropped into the seat. "What the hell are you doing here?" Patrick asked, but wasted no time trying to kick him out of the car. He was already late, and trying to get Jonny out of the car would take at least ten minutes. Rolling his eyes, Patrick backed out of his parking space and began the drive to the airport. "So, what's your sister like?" Jonny inquired, and Patrick almost bashed his head on the steering wheel. "What? Its a fair question?" He put his hands in the air as if offended by Patrick's reaction. Sighing, Patrick decided it was best to answer his question, otherwise he would just keep asking. "She's around five-foot-six, average weight, I guess. She's never been one of those super skinny girls. She likes food too much. She's got long, dark brown hair, curly like mine. Green eyes. She's got a really quick wit. She could tear you up one side and down another without you even knowing it. She's funny, and until recently, she always had a positive outlook on life. But then, she changed." Thinking about the way his sister used to be made him smile, but it was a sad one because he thought of the ways that she had changed. Anna was a broken woman, just trying to pick up the pieces.
----
O'Hare airport may have been an adventure for some people, but for a mother with two little girls, it was a nightmare. Anna practically had a death grip on both girls hands while she navigated through the masses of people. There were people of every culture here, most trying to do the same thing she was: get out. There was no easy way to make your way around O'Hare, and to try and actually follow where the signs were pointing to? Yeah, that was easier said than done. But, alas, she had to try and make her way to the baggage claim, where Patrick had assured her that he would be meeting them to take them to their new home. Patrick, however, was known to be late, and though their flight had gotten in about ten minutes after their scheduled time, she still expected to be waiting for at least five minutes. It was quite a surprise when she saw her little brother come bounding over to envelope her in a huge hug.
"Can't breathe," she squeaked out, trying her hardest to writhe out of his grasp. He planted a kiss on her cheek before scooping up the twins in each of his arms. "Uncle Patrick, you're pretty strong," Jade giggled, as he placed a kiss on her cheek, and then did the same to Kiara. "How was your flight?" He asked Anna, as she shrugged her shoulders. "Like any normal flight, I suppose. Jade will tell you it was the best thing in the whole world though," she teased, as her daughter stuck her tongue out at her. "I didn't like it that much," Kiara shuddered, reliving the fact that she had almost thrown up from anxiety. "It's alright, squirt, planes are nothing," Patrick grinned, ruffling her hair as she swatted his arm away. "Patty, you didn't say you would be bringing a friend," Anna murmured, catching sight of Jonathan Toews, who, coincidentally, was smiling lopsidedly at her. He looked like he felt pretty awkward, as he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. Pat smacked himself in the forehead, as if he forgot. "Oh yeah, that jackass is Jonathan Toews," he stated, looking back at his dark-haired friend. Anna had to stifle a giggle herself, and the girls were rolling at the bad word their uncle had just said. Perhaps Chicago wasn't going to be so bad after all.
----
"Viola! Welcome to my humble abode!" Patrick proclaimed, as he opened the door to his, well THEIR, appartment. Anna gasped, quietly, but gasped nonetheless. It was stunning! The kitchen was three times as big as her kitchen back home, and stocked with the most current and sleekest black appliances. Of coures, the fridge was mainly stocked with beer, but Anna would fix that soon enough. The dining room had a pure oak table, and was situated right next to the kitchen. The deep red color of the walls was actually quite nice, and she would have to complement her little brother on his color choice. The dining room was also where most of their moving boxes resided, and she groaned a bit as she saw them. There was so much to unpack. But for now, she was just going to take in her surroundings.
Moving through the dining room, she came to a rather large living room. The couches were black leather, and looked fairly expensive. She would have to tell the girls not to jump around on them. The carpet was a rich cream color, and she knew right away that their would be no drinks or food of any kind in the living room. If she knew anything it was that cream and seven-year-old girls did not mix well. Facing the couches, a giant flat screen TV was mounted on the wall, and a surround sound system was hooked up to the TV, speakers residing all around the room. There was a glass coffee table situated right in the middle, and that did not look kid friendly, but she bit her tongue. After all, this was supposed to be a bachelor pad, not a kid-friendly home. Everything was so beautiful. So expensive. Definitely not the ideal place for two children.
"I can show you to your rooms, if you like," Patty grinned, obviously impressed with his sister's reaction. He knew that he had mostly top-knotch items in his house, but he never expected her to be that taken aback. Then again, she had never visited his appartment before, whereas his mother, father and other siblings had. "Do we have to share a room?" Jade piped up, looking up at her uncle. "Unfortunately, you do, but trust me you'll love your room." He replied, which only made them more eager to see their room, and confused Anna. Shouldn't the room just be bare? It was just a spare room, so what was so special about it? "Come on," Patty grabbed her hand and pulled her along, "you're gonna love it."
When he arrived at the door with both Jade and Kiara's names plastered on it, he ordered them to close their eyes. Anna had to as well, but she peeked through her fingers just to catch a glimpse of what was so special. "No peeking," Patrick teased, as he covered her eyes with his hand. Opening the door slowly, he led everyone inside, including Jonny Toews, and told them all to open their eyes. There was a deafening squeal of delight from each girl, as they ran around the room, exploring everything. The room was composed of white bunk beds, built in to the wall, with a ladder leading up the top. The whole room was painted pink and purple, with butterflies everywhere. Each girl had their own desk, with a kid friendly laptop on each. They each had their own designated dresser, with their names painted on them, and the closet was split into two equal parts. Clothes were already spilling out of the closet, with at leas five pairs of new shoes for each of them. Hell, Anna wished that SHE had this room. "Patty, really, you shouldn't have," she grinned, knowing full well that she would never be able to pay him back for all this stuff. "Its for my nieces, and they mean the world to me," he replied, draping his arm leisurely around her. "Hey Jonny," he called, before leading Anna out of the room, "keep an eye on them won't you?" Of course he would. He was the stupid one that got himself into this mess.
"Patty, I hope you didn't do that much for my room," Anna stated, feeling a little anxious now that it was her turn. She felt that she needed to repay him in some way, and if her room was over the top how would she ever manage that? "Don't worry about it, okay? This is something for you to enjoy, to take you away from everything." Oh god. She felt like she was on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. She heard the door to her bedroom creak open, and that only made her more anxious to see what was in store for her. Closing the door behind him, Patrick removed his hand from her eyes and allowed her to open them. What she saw almost brought her to tears. The queen sized mattress, located in the front of the room, had a beautiful quilt laid out over the dark brown and cream colored comforter. The quilt was an array of different color and it was covered in pictures of her daughters from birth. In the middle, there was a picture of Lexi, dressed up in her purple and white Easter dress, holding a yellow daisy and smiling really big for the camera. After seeing that nothing else in the room mattered to her. Not the flat screen TV mounted on the wall opposite her bed. Not the bathroom that led off her room, or the giant dresser that sat underneath her TV. The pictures of her daughters that were put up all over the room earned at least a glance, but she was too enamored with the quilt to give them a second thought. "Oh, Patty," she cried, letting tears race down her cheeks. He walked over and embraced his sister, letting her cry into his shirt. "I think I'll be able to sleep more soundly knowing that she's right here with me."
Anna couldn't stay in Buffalo any longer. There was no way that she could move on with her life there, and that was a fact that she was slowly realizing. Her family wasn't the problem. In fact, they were her saving grace when she was in such a dark place that she couldn't see any type of light. It had been her father that encouraged and talked to her about moving, and her mother, though sad to see her daughter move away, knew that it was best for her as well. So on September 25th, she woke up early at her parents home and got Jade and Kiara ready to board the plane to Chicago.
"I am going to miss you so much," Donna Kane cried, hugging her grandchildren in a bonecrushing fashion. She wasn't actually hurting them, but Anna knew that it was hard for her to let go. After all, she had seven years practically being a second mom to them. Then it was her turn for the bonecrushing hug. "I'll miss you, sweetie, but this is the right thing," she whispered in her ear, and Anna nodded. It was hard to say goodbye to her mother, especially for everything that she had done for her over the past three years. She choked back her tears and walked into her father's warm embrace. "Keep an eye on Patty, will ya?" Patrick Kane, Sr. murmured into her hair as he kissed the top of her head, and again she could only nod. "I'll miss you daddy," she squeaked out, knowing that of all the people in the past year, he was the one that helped her through the emotional mess of things. Tears glistened in his eyes as he bent down to hug his granddaughters as well, before they were called to board the plane. "Have a safe trip! Call us when you get there!" Donna's voice rang out just as they walked through the gate to get on the plane, and she could only smile. Parents never got any less protective.
She sat in between Jade and Kiara, one of which was bouncing in their seat with excitement. "This is gonna be so cool!" Jade squealed, as the plane began its descent down the runway. Kiara looked a little bit green, always being the more nervous of the two, and Anna squeezed her hand. "Mommy, I'm scared," she mumbled, as the plane moved faster and faster, and take-off was approaching more rapidly. "Don't be scared, baby, this is gonna be great I promise!" The reassuring words helped to calm the nerves in her daughter, however she herself was just as scared, but about what would happen when they landed. The plane took off in the air, and Jade practically jumped out of her seat in joy. Kiara gave a timid smile, and the grip on her mother's hand loosened a bit. "This is gonna be great," Anna repeated.
----
"Kaner! What has gotten into you today?" Jonathan Toews shouted, as he almost dropped a bar right onto his chest. Patrick was supposed to be spotting him, but he obviously had his head in the clouds. This hadn't been the first time today that number 88 was off in LaLa land, and now he was pissed. "Is something bothering you? Are you day dreaming about a girl you took back to your appartment last night? You might as well tell me since you almost killed me," Toews mumbled, not wanting to draw attention to the two of them, but there was a hint of anger in his voice. Patrick looked up at him almost guiltily, as if it was a secret someone had told him and he was in grade school. "Nothing is wrong, just a little tired," he stammered out, wanting to get as far away from his captain as he could. It was hard enough to keep a secret from Jonathan, but when he was angry there was nothing stopping him from getting what he wanted. Quickly, Patrick made his way through the sea of hockey players and over to Patrick Sharp, currently taking out his frustrations on the leg press.
"Hey, Sharpie, you okay man?" Patrick asked, and earned somewhat of a death glare from his teammate. Okay, so he wasn't much better than Toews, but could you blame him for being curious? Teammates were like family, and when something is eating away at a part of the family, everyone wanted to help out. "I'm fine, I guess. As fine as you can be when you're divorced," he spat, bitterly, as he pushed at least two hundred pounds away from his body using just his legs. It was impressive, to say the least, but Patrick knew that he could only press that much because he had adrenaline pumping through his veins. "Is Abby giving you a hard time?" He inquired, and Sharp let out a strangled laugh. "I haven't talked to Abby in six months, she wants nothing to do with me! And its not even my fault!" His tone changed from one of frustration to anguish. His life was crumbling around him, and he had to put on this mask for everyone else. Patrick knew that feeling all too well. "It'll get better man, trust me," he stated, patting his teammate on the back before heading back in the direction of the locker room. It was almost time.
At the door way of the locker room stood Jonathan Toews, arms crossed, looking pissed.
"Look, Jonny, I know you're probably mad at me right now, but I really have some place I need to be," he said, voice slightly raised, as he tried to push past his Captain. No such luck. It was like trying to push your way through a brick wall. "Not until you tell me what's going on." Toews was not going to budge until he told him what was really going on, and the clock was ticking away. He was supposed to be at the airport in half an hour, and he still had to shower, change, and drive all the way there. "Alright, I'll tell you in the locker room, but hurry up because I need to leave." He pushed passed him and both boys made their way into the locker room. Immediatley Patrick grabbed for his shower stuff, but Toews was too quick. "Tell me," he declared, holding the shower bag close to himself. Time was ticking. "I have to pick up my sister and neices at the airport. They're coming to live with me for a while. Can I have my stuff back?" The sentence came out in a big jumbled mess, but he had told Jonny what he was going to do, and he snatched the shower bag out of his arms before he could formulate questions to ask.
By the time he had quickly scrubbed up, he had roughly twenty three minutes to get dressed and drive across Chicago to get to O'Hare airport. Unless he was planning on flying, there was no way he was going to get there on time. It took twenty-five minutes to get to the airport, and he had twenty to finish getting ready and get down to his car. Every thing was strewn across the floor next to his locker, and he scrambled to get everything into his duffle bag, all while trying to put on his shoes and socks and comb his hair. Needless to say, he lost his balance quite a few times, and fell over once. By fifteen minutes he was starting his car, and trying to begin the drive the O'Hare. The key word trying, because there was some jackass standing behind his car when he tried to reverse. That jackass happened to be Jonathan Toews. Again.
Jonny made his way around to the passenger side of the car and leisurely dropped into the seat. "What the hell are you doing here?" Patrick asked, but wasted no time trying to kick him out of the car. He was already late, and trying to get Jonny out of the car would take at least ten minutes. Rolling his eyes, Patrick backed out of his parking space and began the drive to the airport. "So, what's your sister like?" Jonny inquired, and Patrick almost bashed his head on the steering wheel. "What? Its a fair question?" He put his hands in the air as if offended by Patrick's reaction. Sighing, Patrick decided it was best to answer his question, otherwise he would just keep asking. "She's around five-foot-six, average weight, I guess. She's never been one of those super skinny girls. She likes food too much. She's got long, dark brown hair, curly like mine. Green eyes. She's got a really quick wit. She could tear you up one side and down another without you even knowing it. She's funny, and until recently, she always had a positive outlook on life. But then, she changed." Thinking about the way his sister used to be made him smile, but it was a sad one because he thought of the ways that she had changed. Anna was a broken woman, just trying to pick up the pieces.
----
O'Hare airport may have been an adventure for some people, but for a mother with two little girls, it was a nightmare. Anna practically had a death grip on both girls hands while she navigated through the masses of people. There were people of every culture here, most trying to do the same thing she was: get out. There was no easy way to make your way around O'Hare, and to try and actually follow where the signs were pointing to? Yeah, that was easier said than done. But, alas, she had to try and make her way to the baggage claim, where Patrick had assured her that he would be meeting them to take them to their new home. Patrick, however, was known to be late, and though their flight had gotten in about ten minutes after their scheduled time, she still expected to be waiting for at least five minutes. It was quite a surprise when she saw her little brother come bounding over to envelope her in a huge hug.
"Can't breathe," she squeaked out, trying her hardest to writhe out of his grasp. He planted a kiss on her cheek before scooping up the twins in each of his arms. "Uncle Patrick, you're pretty strong," Jade giggled, as he placed a kiss on her cheek, and then did the same to Kiara. "How was your flight?" He asked Anna, as she shrugged her shoulders. "Like any normal flight, I suppose. Jade will tell you it was the best thing in the whole world though," she teased, as her daughter stuck her tongue out at her. "I didn't like it that much," Kiara shuddered, reliving the fact that she had almost thrown up from anxiety. "It's alright, squirt, planes are nothing," Patrick grinned, ruffling her hair as she swatted his arm away. "Patty, you didn't say you would be bringing a friend," Anna murmured, catching sight of Jonathan Toews, who, coincidentally, was smiling lopsidedly at her. He looked like he felt pretty awkward, as he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. Pat smacked himself in the forehead, as if he forgot. "Oh yeah, that jackass is Jonathan Toews," he stated, looking back at his dark-haired friend. Anna had to stifle a giggle herself, and the girls were rolling at the bad word their uncle had just said. Perhaps Chicago wasn't going to be so bad after all.
----
"Viola! Welcome to my humble abode!" Patrick proclaimed, as he opened the door to his, well THEIR, appartment. Anna gasped, quietly, but gasped nonetheless. It was stunning! The kitchen was three times as big as her kitchen back home, and stocked with the most current and sleekest black appliances. Of coures, the fridge was mainly stocked with beer, but Anna would fix that soon enough. The dining room had a pure oak table, and was situated right next to the kitchen. The deep red color of the walls was actually quite nice, and she would have to complement her little brother on his color choice. The dining room was also where most of their moving boxes resided, and she groaned a bit as she saw them. There was so much to unpack. But for now, she was just going to take in her surroundings.
Moving through the dining room, she came to a rather large living room. The couches were black leather, and looked fairly expensive. She would have to tell the girls not to jump around on them. The carpet was a rich cream color, and she knew right away that their would be no drinks or food of any kind in the living room. If she knew anything it was that cream and seven-year-old girls did not mix well. Facing the couches, a giant flat screen TV was mounted on the wall, and a surround sound system was hooked up to the TV, speakers residing all around the room. There was a glass coffee table situated right in the middle, and that did not look kid friendly, but she bit her tongue. After all, this was supposed to be a bachelor pad, not a kid-friendly home. Everything was so beautiful. So expensive. Definitely not the ideal place for two children.
"I can show you to your rooms, if you like," Patty grinned, obviously impressed with his sister's reaction. He knew that he had mostly top-knotch items in his house, but he never expected her to be that taken aback. Then again, she had never visited his appartment before, whereas his mother, father and other siblings had. "Do we have to share a room?" Jade piped up, looking up at her uncle. "Unfortunately, you do, but trust me you'll love your room." He replied, which only made them more eager to see their room, and confused Anna. Shouldn't the room just be bare? It was just a spare room, so what was so special about it? "Come on," Patty grabbed her hand and pulled her along, "you're gonna love it."
When he arrived at the door with both Jade and Kiara's names plastered on it, he ordered them to close their eyes. Anna had to as well, but she peeked through her fingers just to catch a glimpse of what was so special. "No peeking," Patrick teased, as he covered her eyes with his hand. Opening the door slowly, he led everyone inside, including Jonny Toews, and told them all to open their eyes. There was a deafening squeal of delight from each girl, as they ran around the room, exploring everything. The room was composed of white bunk beds, built in to the wall, with a ladder leading up the top. The whole room was painted pink and purple, with butterflies everywhere. Each girl had their own desk, with a kid friendly laptop on each. They each had their own designated dresser, with their names painted on them, and the closet was split into two equal parts. Clothes were already spilling out of the closet, with at leas five pairs of new shoes for each of them. Hell, Anna wished that SHE had this room. "Patty, really, you shouldn't have," she grinned, knowing full well that she would never be able to pay him back for all this stuff. "Its for my nieces, and they mean the world to me," he replied, draping his arm leisurely around her. "Hey Jonny," he called, before leading Anna out of the room, "keep an eye on them won't you?" Of course he would. He was the stupid one that got himself into this mess.
"Patty, I hope you didn't do that much for my room," Anna stated, feeling a little anxious now that it was her turn. She felt that she needed to repay him in some way, and if her room was over the top how would she ever manage that? "Don't worry about it, okay? This is something for you to enjoy, to take you away from everything." Oh god. She felt like she was on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. She heard the door to her bedroom creak open, and that only made her more anxious to see what was in store for her. Closing the door behind him, Patrick removed his hand from her eyes and allowed her to open them. What she saw almost brought her to tears. The queen sized mattress, located in the front of the room, had a beautiful quilt laid out over the dark brown and cream colored comforter. The quilt was an array of different color and it was covered in pictures of her daughters from birth. In the middle, there was a picture of Lexi, dressed up in her purple and white Easter dress, holding a yellow daisy and smiling really big for the camera. After seeing that nothing else in the room mattered to her. Not the flat screen TV mounted on the wall opposite her bed. Not the bathroom that led off her room, or the giant dresser that sat underneath her TV. The pictures of her daughters that were put up all over the room earned at least a glance, but she was too enamored with the quilt to give them a second thought. "Oh, Patty," she cried, letting tears race down her cheeks. He walked over and embraced his sister, letting her cry into his shirt. "I think I'll be able to sleep more soundly knowing that she's right here with me."
Thanks! I plan on continuing :)
2/17/13