The One Night That Changed My Life Forever

"Come on baby girl. Time for practice." I said as we made our way out of the apartment and to the car.
"Ready for your first official practice?" Pat asked as I settled down in the front seat.
"Yes! I'm so excited." That was the truth, it wasn't Bella that kept me up the night before. I was bouncing. Sure practicing with the guys was nothing new to me, but this time was different.
"I can tell. You are super energetic and you didn't even have your morning coffee." He said chuckling.
"It's a little obvious huh? And I never go without my morning coffee." I said laughing.
"Obvious yes, but understandable." He chuckled pulling into the player's parking lot in the back. "Where are we taking Bella?"
"The management guys are all here for your first practice so they wanted me to bring her up, then I think they will just pass her on to Ellie once they've had enough of her."
"Perfect. And you are sure about wearing these jerseys?"
"Hey not my idea but why not. Jonny really wants to rub it in Sharpie's face, plus I doubt anyone will even notice them. They aren't so bad." I stated as we walked into the UC. We made our side trip over to where the management staff were located.
"Stan!" I exclaimed as he came up to us smile on his face.
"I see you've brought the little munchkin. future Blackhawk star huh?"
"Yes, this is Miss Isabella."
"Well let me take her off your hands, I must say Kaner your kid lives up to my expectations." He said laughing.
"Thanks. Hand her off to Ellie once you guys have had your fun with her." Pat said laughing, and shaking his head at our GM and management staff all huddled around Bella. "Honestly lots of other guys on my team have kids, why is ours so special?"
"Just a few years ago you had a terrible reputation, and honestly most of Chicago didn't expect you to ever settle down. Hey! Don't get pouty with me I'm just stating the truth. What's done is done, and I don't care about the past because I've done some stupid shit in my life too I just did it half way across the world. My point being, it is a huge deal that you are dating, let alone have a kid. They want to meet her because they are proud of you. Who you were and who you are now is what they are seeing. You could have turned and walked away back in London, yet you chose to stay to work things out and to be a father to your daughter. Plus you are one of the stars here,why wouldn't they want to see your kid?" I said laughing.
"She is pretty irresistible just like her father." Pat said breaking out his cocky smirk.
"Yah, yah don't let it go to your head mister. We'll see who's cocky on the ice." I said in a challenging tone.
"You are so on. I'd love to see your rusty ass keep up with me." Pat said laughing and gently slapping my ass.
"Damn." I muttered, remembering the fact that I had been off skates for over a month. Definitely not the way to get ready for my future NHL season. I could see many workouts in the near future for this body.
"Jonny! Guess what? Guess what? Guess what?" I asked full of energy.
"Pat gave you too much coffee this morning? Seriously how do you have so much energy?"
"Nope." I said popping the 'p'. "It's my first official NHL practice!" I exclaimed.
"Yes it is." Jon said laughing.
"She's been like this all morning, barely any sleep." Pat chucked.
"Can't help it. Now lets get this show on the road." I said walking towards the dressing room. "Hola boys! Who's ready to kick ass this year?" I exclaimed entering the locker room. That got the intended result of a bunch of guys nodding and laughing.
"How about you? Ready for the NHL Rach?" Shaw asked with a grin.
"Ask me that in a couple weeks. Right now I'm afraid I might be a little rusty. Summer took it's toll on me." I said as Shaw laughed.
"You won't be the only one. I'm surprised we are still even remotely in shape. " He said laughing. "Too much food." He exclaimed sticking his belly out and rubbing it.
"Um yah. Alright Shawzy." I said shaking my head and finding my stall that was conveniently in-between Jonny and Pat. I had put my spandex on under my clothes so it wouldn't be as awkward changing in front of the guys.
"Alright let's get this straight boys. I, I am a girl and you are guys. I will be changing in amongst you so please limit the nudity…. well Pat can do what he pleases." That earned many chuckles, and a red faced Pat. "Anyways, don't get weird or whatever, and none of you have a chance so no looking." I said winking.
"Damn. She told us." Crow said chuckling. "You sure we don't have a shot?" He said winking.
"100 percent sure Crow." I said shaking my head as the guys laughed.
"I accept defeat." He said laughing and returning to putting on his equipment.
"Damn Peaks you've got your lady locked down if she isn't even giving us a second glance." Sharpie said laughing. "I mean look at this." He said motioning to his body.
"And all of that belongs to Abby." I said chuckling. "Plus Patty has given me things none of you can." I said winking.
"I'm sure we could. We aren't short in the money department either."
"Now boys, what made you think they were expensive?" I questioned.
"Don't know. Girls just like expensive shit." Shaw said.
"Just the girls you pick up." I said shaking my head.
"Haha. Funny."
"It's true. Not all girls are gold digging sluts." I said shrugging. "Things don't have to be expensive to be beautiful and meaningful…anyways lets get this practice going." I said laughing and grabbing my stick.
"So how was Buffalo? What did you get up to?" Crow asked.
"Well, let's see. We hung out with the family. Pat and some of his boys went swimming. I hung out with the girls. There was a lot of sleeping involved, and meeting a lot of new people.
"Swimming? Oh!" Pat's eyes widened. "Right ya. Swimming. Sorry if they were a pain in the ass." Pat said as Jon laughed and the guys just looked at us like we were lunatics.
"Nah. At one point I wasn't too fond of them. Ask Jonny I wouldn't stop complaining. Now they've worked their way back into my good graces." I said winking, as the two of them continued to laugh.
"Nice Jersey." Jon said laughing.
"Hmmm, yah thanks Jon. I'm loving it." I said shaking my head. "Remind me, who got them made again?"
"I don't get it." Shawzy exclaimed.
"Oh you will." Jon exclaimed smirking as he left the room for the ice rink. "Especially you Sharpie." Jon called back.
"Why me?" Sharpie questioned. Pat and I looked between each other shook our heads and laughed.
"Oblivious." Pat exclaimed.
"I think you are spelling out your age or something. #2 and #3. I don't know." He said confused.
"Uhh no. Good try though Sharpie. Give it to the end practice, you'll figure it out. If not Abby can help you out." I said laughing and making my way alongside Pat onto the ice.
"Ughhhh. How does she know? And why me?"
"Man Abby's right. You just aren't as sharp these days." I laughed as we skated over to Q.
"Atleast I got enough sleep, how are you even functioning?"
"I adapted. I haven't been sleeping much lately, plus its my first official practice!" Sharpie harassed me a little more throughout practice. It was nice to get back on skates again, and to just feel free. I had seen Ellie chatting with the management crew, but I hadn't seen where they went as practice came to a close. Probably they would come to find us.
"Saader who's the kid?" Shawzy asked. I looked up and saw El talking to Abby, with Bella in her arms.
"No clue." He said seeming awfully confused. The two continued their conversation to the locker room, and soon it was just Jon, Sharpie, Pat and I left on the ice. El came down to the bench to give Bella a closer view of the ice.
"Hey Bella Bear!" Jonny exclaimed. "Time to learn what ice feels like." He said laughing and taking his gloves off before holding her and skating around in little circles.
"Bella. As in the Bella you kept ditching me to babysit for?" Sharpie asked.
"That would be the one." Jonny said laughing.
"You on nanny duty or something? You brought the kid to practice?"
"Me? No way man. I don't do nannying. Auntie El was babysitting her today." He said.
"I can't take too much credit on that one. Stan had her practically the entire practice." El said.
"Jonny bring your god-daughter over here." Q said skating up to the group. "Haha cute jersey. I can see she will grow up just fine." Q said chuckling.
"Yo Sharpie, want to meet my God-daughter?" Jonny asked.
"I already did. AND OH MY GOD I FINALLY GET IT! Auntie El, you're the Godfather, YOU" he said pointing at me "haven't been sleeping, my wife freaking out at dinner the other night. HOLY CRAP! HOW THE HELL DID I MISS IT? I GET THE JERSEYS NOW!" He exclaimed. "Damn. This is a joke isn't it." He said shaking his head and rolling his eyes as he skated off the ice. "You guys got me good. Very funny." He said laughing as he left the ice.
"Really?" I asked Pat. "He thought it was a joke?"
"I have no idea, it would have been good payback though now that I think of it. Maybe we can chuck her in his room at 5 o'clock when she's crying to get him back for the early morning room service stunt.
"Well I'll see you guys tomorrow. Family skate at the UC remember. Oh and she's a cutie. Congrats you guys." Q said skating off the ice, not before patting both of our backs.
"Damn. I completely spaced on the whole family skate. I guess I'll be skating solo." I said laughing.
"Nah, we've got a little family of our own." Pat chuckled. "Plus Sharpie will be in there talking about how we apparently 'pranked' him, so it'll be fun." Pat said winking. "Plus my sisters will be making an appearance."
"Damn. This will be eventful. I think all the wives know though, so the jokes on the single guys and well Sharpie because I don't think Abby's telling him any time soon.
"Do my eyes deceive me or does little Peeks here have a kid of his own?" Duncan came over to where we were huddled by the bench.
"Damn. Dayna wasn't lying!" Brent exclaimed joining the group.
"So why does Sharpie think you guys are pulling a prank on him?" Duncan asked.
"We have no clue, I think he's gone crazy." Abby said shaking her head. "It took me five seconds to figure it out, and he made it through an entire dinner without even batting an eyelash.
"Well I just wanted to come and see if the rumour mill was accurate. Congrats you goof." Duncan said ruffling Pat's hair. "We expect a nice little story telling night in the near future." He said looking between the two of us, before heading back out the way he came.
"Damn! Dayna was right!" Seabs said still taken aback.
"You want to hold her?"" Jon asked offering the baby.
"Damn! She was right! And there ain't no way in hell this kid is getting anywhere near my little one!" He exclaimed trying to be serious.
"But why not Brent she's a cutie." I said pouting.
"Nope."
"Life works in mysterious ways Mr. Seabrook." I chuckled.
"Yah. Somehow you ended up with him!" He said laughing.
"No complaints here."
"Thank goodness it was you he knocked up! I couldn't stand that Megan chick." Brent whispered in my ear. I laughed softly.
"Haha, alright." I said rolling my eyes. "But could you imagine?"
"Imagine what?" El asked.
"Little Megan and Kaner babies running around." Brent said laughing.
"Ughhh. Hell no!" She said shaking her head in disgust. "I don't like her."
"Guys enough ragging on the poor girl she isn't even here anymore. The baby thing was funny though." I said laughing.
"So you and Kaner actually have a kid huh?"
"Looks that way." I said smiling softly, receiving a small chuckle on Brent's part.
"How have you been getting along?"
"So far alright. She's been good. But I'm only a few weeks in. I get the whole work thing when it comes to taking care of kids full time."
"Uggh I know what ya mean. The first few months are hell. Appreciate the sleep."
"The sleep, and these road trips! It's different when both of us play, and for the same team. Atleast Dayna could stay home, I can't. Though Stan's been generous when it comes to her coming with us, but its either she comes or she stays with someone else. "
"Yah, that sucks. But if she tags along you will have her except during the games.
"But do I want to bring my kid up on the road like that? Plus she's still in the friggin crying stage, I can't have that keeping everyone awake." I said laughing.
"Haha that stage is never-ending, and you'll just get stuck in a room a couple floors down." He said laughing.
"Haha isolation on my first ever road trip." I said laughing and winking.
"Nahh we'll chuck Peeks in there." He chuckled.
"Awww thanks. Otherwise known as Pat will sleep, and I will still be on my own." I said shaking my head.
"I swear that kid sleeps half his life away."
"I think he's making up for the lost sleep in his early twenties."
"Haha probably. He barely slept. Glad that phase is over though, it got tiring fast." Brent said shaking his head.
"Yup, James is continuing the phase up in Buffalo. He has too much fun for being older than Pat."
"Haha you met James. Those two used to get into so much trouble, they were a good time though." He said handing me Bella as she started fussing.
"I was up there as well. I just had a different country to enjoy. Then I mellowed down quite a bit." I said chuckling.
"You sure held your own at the club last weekend."
"So I heard," I said winking. "Anyways she isn't going to sleep much longer so we'd better get moving." I said laughing. "You're coming to the family skate tomorrow right? "
"Yah. Your fam coming down?"
"No! I completely spaced and forgot about the whole damn thing!" I exclaimed.
"Well you've had a lot on your plate, it's understandable. Anyways Dayna looks ready to go, so congrats Rach. If you need any help don't hesitate to call. See ya tomorrow."
"Yup. Later Seabs."
"YO Jonny, Kaner see you guys tomorrow. Take care of the girls." He said winking before running back up to Dayna, giving her a quick kiss and making their way back out of the arena.
"Sleep time!" I exclaimed as we took off our equipment.
"Shower time." Jonny replied. We were out of the dressing room no longer than thirty minutes later. We had taken turns with the showers, having either Pat or I with Bella.
"Ughh Rach she's not happy!" Pat said handing her back to me in the parking garage elevator.
"Haha no she is not." I said taking the crying baby. "I think someone's hungry. But I can't do anything about that until we make it to the apartment so there's no point in crying." I said laughing. "Eh it was worth a shot." I said laughing as she continued to cry. "You realize people are going to recognize us right?" I said motioning to our Hawks attire, and crying baby.
"Oh well, there can't be too many people. Plus they are going to find out eventually."
"Look we made it to the lobby before picking up people." I said laughing. "Hey guys." I said recognizing the older couple from a couple nights ago.
"Not so disguised today are we?" They asked.
"No but we should be." I said.
"You must be pretty popular around town huh?"
"He is, and well no one knows about the kid. It'd be nice to keep it that way, but I'm starting to realize how hard that is going to be." I said laughing softly. "Especially with this little attention magnet. Pretty much every girl anywhere close to our age hates me, so he gets the positive popularity and me the negative side of it."
"So we've lived next to a famous hockey player and didn't even know it. Our kids and grand kids would be so disappointed in us, " The man said shaking his head and laughing before shaking our hands.The lady obviously saw me flinch and stress up as the elevator dinged signalling the arrival of new passengers as she held her arms out to take Bella for our last two floor ascent.
"Oh my gosh, you're Patrick Kane!" Can we get a picture?" He obliged. "We love you so much! I can't believe we actually met you. Like oh my gosh dream come true." The girls gushed.
"Thanks for being fans, guys." He said flashing one of his signature smiles.
"So it really is true they drafted you onto the team?" One girl directed at me.
"Yup." I replied with a smile, not getting one in return. I knew what was running through the girls minds. It wouldn't only be them either. I knew I had a lot to prove, showing that I didn't get drafted because I was dating Pat. They asked for my signature anyways so I signed a couple quick autographs before we had made it up to our desired floor. The girls had gotten off the floor earlier, though if it were up to them they would have never left Patrick's sight.
"See. Famous." I said laughing taking Bella back as we exited the elevator. The couple chuckled, bid us goodbye and we entered our respective apartments. "Ugh stop crying." I exclaimed setting down my purse and proceeding to feed my daughter. "See all better, now you can stop crying so mommy and daddy can have a nice little nap." I said touching the tip of her nose, before burping her and then rocking her to sleep.
"You're a natural." Pat said hugging me from behind and resting his head on my shoulder.
"Thanks. Somedays I'm not so sure. I just want to be a good mom." I said leaning back into his embrace.
"You will be." He whispered kissing the back of my head. "We created that huh?"
"She's beautiful." I said smiling at my sleeping daughter.
"She had a pretty good gene pool." Pat said chuckling.
"Yah her daddy's a cutie." I winked.
"And her momma's a dime." He said lightly tapping my butt.
"And he has a way with women. Something about that smile that makes the girls swoon."
"What this smile?" Pat asked flashing his toothy grin and adding a wink.
"That's the one." I said laughing.
"Well did it work?"
"I don't know. I'm not that type of girl Patrick." I said winking.
"What if I do this?" he asked moving towards my neck, and adding an 'I love you'.
"My goodness." I exclaimed. "That just might work." I said laughing before giving him a quick kiss and putting Bella down for her nap. Pat picked up right where he left off, and a couple hours later I was forced to get up and take care of a fussy Isabella.
"Damn you are sexy in my shirt." Pat came out in a pair of sweats after taking a shower.
"You look better without it." I said winking, before returning back to cooking some supper.
"I'll take her. You can grab a quick shower." Pat said.
"Perfect." I said chucking the lasagne into the oven and setting the timer. "Love ya." I said giving him a quick kiss, before handing off Bella and heading to the shower. Fifteen minutes later I was back down in the kitchen in another one of Pat's shirts and a pair of boy short underwear. The lasagne still had another twenty minutes to cook, so I found Pat and Bella watching sports on the couch.
"Hey." Pat said making a space for me to curl in beside him. We stayed this way, channel surfing for about half an hour before we heard a knock on the door. I got up to see who it was.
"Oh my goodness! I haven't seen you in forever." I said hugging Amanda.
"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" She said with a worried look on her face as she studied my outfit.
"Nah, we are just watching TV." I said laughing.
"Hey Patrick." She said sticking her head in to wave at him.
"Come on in." I said laughing. "I thought Jonny said you couldn't make it down for another week or so?"
"Well I finished up with work a week early, so I figured why not surprise him."
"He will be ecstatic!" I exclaimed. "I missed you." I said laughing and giving her another hug. "Im guessing you came for a place to crash huh?"
"Well you are my best friend in Chicago, and with this being a last minute surprise I hoped you could house me for a night. I'll be at Jonny's tomorrow." She said winking.
"Can she stay Patty?" I said pouting.
"Of course." He said shaking his head. "Be forewarned your sleep might be frequently interrupted." He said laughing.
"My gosh! I almost forgot. Jon said something about being a Godfather. Let me see her!" Amanda exclaimed.
"But she's watching sports with daddy." Pat said pouting.
"Ughh whatever she can do that for the next 18 years." Amanda said laughing as Pat outstretched Bella too her. The lasagne was out of the oven and cool enough to eat as Amanda made herself at home. We had a quick dinner, got Bella ready for bed and headed off to bed to get some much needed sleep for the next day ahead of us. Pat originally had 2 guest bedrooms the smaller of the two was the one we had converted so Amanda took the regular guest room to sleep in. I set my alarm and snuggled into Pat under the covers.
"So you looking forward to tomorrow?" Pat asked.
"I wish my family could be there, but yah it will be fun to skate Bella around." I said smiling.
"It's going to be a great day." Pat said returning the smile before putting his head back down on the pillow, closing his eyes and pulling me in.
"Night Pat." I said smiling, knowing that he was right. Tomorrow would be a great day, my family or not.
"Night." He said into my back, before we both fell asleep.

Notes

Lemme know whatcha think xoxoxo Jordan