Waiting for Superman

I woke up the next morning, sore all over.
My head was clouded but the events of last night slowly came back to me. Patrick had brought me to the edge not just once or twice but three times.
I slid out of the bed careful not to wake Patrick. My hips ached and I could barely walk. It was a good kind of sore.

I walked into the kitchen and assembled a waffle breakfast.

"Good morning beautiful" Patrick said emerging from the bedroom, and hugging my waist.
"Morning" I said kissing him and handing him a plate of waffles.

We ate leaning over the island in the kitchen, after Patrick placed his dish in the sink, turned back and smiled.

"Whaaaat?" I said looking back at him.

"You're preeeetty." he said, hugging me from behind me,lifting me up.

"ahhhh" I laughed.

There was a knock at the door before Jonathan Toews and Andrew Shaw stumbled into the kitchen.

"How did they know?" Patrick said loosening his grip around my hips.

I served them both a plate.

"We are like dogs," Shawzie started, "we smell food, we show up."

"He's kinda right." Tazer added.

We laughed, I kissed Patrick and then went into the bathroom in our bedroom to get ready for work.

When I emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later in a navy tank top blouse, white capris, and flat sandals. Tazer, Shawzie, and Pat were all lied out the couch watching NHL network.

Patrick got up, met me at the door, he kissed me and said, "See ya, " before kissing me again. "Bye" I said, closing the door behind me.
...
"MaCauley!" my editor yelled, into the press room as soon as I walked into work. "My office now" he shouted. I figured I would be getting scolded for being about 15 minutes late. I didn't care, the extra kiss with Patrick was worth it.

"ooooooh," Dylan mouthed beside me. Dylan had been filling in for Julie while she was on maternity leave. To be honest, Dylan was more girl the Julie and I put together.

I dropped my purse, coffee and writing folder off at my desk, and headed for Mr. Bowman's office.

"Ms. MaCauley, my co editors and I were thoroughly impressed with your article on the Blackhawks. You portrayed the team in a new light and we're proud of your work."

"Thank you sir." I said having no idea what was coming at me next.

"I got a call last night from the Boston Globe" he started, "There editor saw some of your work on line."

I nodded confused as to where this was going.

"The Boston Globe is offering you a full time, sports columnists position, you'd be at every Boston game, it would be a lot of out of office work.The salary is very good, and i'm sure you would fit in nicely there, I know your not a typical 'Chicagoan'" He said with air quotes.

My eyes were huge. I couldn't believe it. My dream job. In my hometown.

"Mr.Bowman, I uh" I stuttered sitting there in disbelief.

"I know," he said its a lot to take in. "Talk it over with Patrick, but i'll need an answer by Friday."

Oh, shit Patrick, in the midst of everything, I hadn't even though about how this would affect our relationship, I couldn't take a job halfway across the country and still be a good girlfriend.

"Thank you Mr. Bowman." We shook hands and I returned to my desk.

"Girl, you look stressed." Dylan said turning to me.

I propped my head up on my arm, "I got a job offer in Boston." I said.

"What?!" Dylan shouted flailing his arms, "Thats amazing, why so glum then?"

"I can't take it!" I said looking at Dylan.

"Are you crazy?! Why not?" he really hadn't caught on.

"What about Patrick, were finally settled into Chicago, and now i'm supposed to just get up and leave?"

"Ohhhh no," Dylan said putting his hands over his mouth. There was a long silence. "Well just talk it over with Pat," he said, "I'm sure he'll be understanding.

I spent most of the rest of the day, thinking about what would happen if I did go to Boston. Boston had fans of every sport, their would be material to focus on in every season.
Lately, Chicago had become based around the Hawks, which was great. But the quest for the cup wasn't looking too promising this year, and once the season ended I would be out of ideas. I loved Chicago, but Boston was my home. I had to force myself to come to terms with the fact that I was somewhat homesick. I missed my family, my little apartment, and my friends.

But did I love Patrick more? I thought back to all the early mornings we had spent in bed together, the date nights we had spent walking around beautiful Chicago, and how Patrick had introduced me to a whole new world behind the face of the national hockey league.

But I also thought about the uncertainty, hockey was an unpredictable job. Patrick could be traded away at a seconds notice. He could suffer a career ending injury and be done and then what?

I also thought about how Patrick had cheated on me. Hockey meant road trips, road trips meant nights alone. Was I really willing not to take this opportunity to stay with a guy? It didn't sound like me at all.
...

I walked into the apartment to find Patrick, Jonathan, and Andrew flopped across the living room couches.
"Hey Kyls." Patrick said,

"Hi" I said saying nothing else I went straight to the bedroom, changed into shorts and a tank top and sat down on the bed. I picked the picture of Patrick and I off the night stand. It was from the summer we first met, on a Cape Cod beach. Patrick in his navy bathing suit and backwards hat, and me in a mint green bikini, I set it down on the nightstand.

"Kyls?" Patrick said opening the door. "Everthing alright?"

"Yea," I said getting up to hug him. "Great."

Notes