It was another rainy day in Chicago and although there were a million things that had to be done by the time the day was over, Maddy found herself curled up in a blanket on her couch with her laptop perched on her lap. She used the weather as an excuse to lounge around and take a much-needed break from her hectic schedule and, most importantly, from wedding plans.

She had dreaded every bit of the planning process and was sick of staring at the bridal magazines her sister had dropped off yesterday and forced to her read. Instead, she busied herself with catching up on the latest episodes of her favorite show that she had missed and eventually ended up going through all of the photos she had stored on her computer.

Laughter frequently filled the condo as she sifted through pictures from her pre-teen and high school years. Her mood shifted when she stumbled upon more recent photos that seemed to document her current relationship in chronological order. A love struck look slowly washed over her face as she glanced through her engagement photos. Of course, she had no idea they were being taken at the time, but as she looked through them she felt as though they were taken just yesterday.

There must have been over three hundred pictures alone of Patrick holding her close and getting down on one knee. Her favorite one, though, was taken after the photographer made himself known, where he had goaded the two to hold each other and smile for the camera. They were mostly just to show off her ring, but the story of each individual photo told so much more than that. Each were a tiny capsule of time in which Pat had murmured sweet nothings into her ear and repeated an ‘I love you’ every chance he could.

Standing there on the sands of Maui, barefoot next to the man she loved more than anything in the word, newly engaged no less, was the happiest moment in her life. The twinkle in her eye as she looked up at Pat was just a little bit brighter than normal and her smile was the biggest it had ever been.

While the photos brought her back to a moment of pure bliss, reality slowly put her back in her place. The overwhelming feeling of happiness that emanated from the two within the photos seemed almost foreign to her these days. Rarely was Pat ever home for more than a few hours at a time anymore to make her smile like she had in the photographs.

It’s just a phase.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she dragged the picture onto her desktop. She made an executive decision that it would be a great photograph to include in the wedding invitations. Not that Pat would mind much, seeing as he hadn’t given much input on the wedding since the planning had started.

Noticing that it was nearing seven o’clock, she turned on the TV and flipped to the channel the game would be on. The perfect distraction. She listened to the pre-game announcements as she made a quick dinner for herself and by the time she was done and settled on the couch again, the puck had dropped.

The boys were playing the Dallas Stars and it was a rather uneventful game to watch. No fights, very few penalties, and only one goal. Of course, the Blackhawks were victorious on account of no one other than her fiancée. Credited with the only goal of the game, he charmed his way through several interviews and after the TV station returned to regular programing she decided to watch something else.

She waited up for Pat to get home, hoping that she would be able to congratulate him on the win. As it neared midnight, however, she realized that it was another night he would be crawling into bed late. She turned all of the lights off within the condo, only leaving the hallway near the door dimly lit, before going to bed.

Maddy lied in bed for a while, lost in her thoughts about what her future would hold, what their future together would hold. It was nearing three in the morning and she was finally on the borderline of consciousness and unconsciousness when she heard the door to the condo open and close. She heard keys being tossed haphazardly onto the kitchen counter and it didn’t take very long for her to hear his stumbling footsteps near their bedroom. She shut her eyes tight, pretending she was asleep, as he entered the room. The zipper to his pants was quickly undone and the bed soon shifted under his weight as he slid in beside her. In moments, his arm was strewn across her stomach and he scooted himself closer to her. The distinct smell of alcohol wafted into her nostrils as his breathing became heavier and she couldn’t help but get the feeling of wanting to cry.

Another night at the bar. The third time this week.

It was nothing new to her.

He was most likely out with the boys, chasing the final days of his youth. What started out as a beer or two probably turned into shots that were egged on by his teammates. At least that’s what she tried to tell herself.

Or maybe this time he wasn’t even out with the guys at all.

She wasn’t sure what his nights consisted of anymore; she just knew that she was no longer a part of them.

Notes

Disclaimer: I am in no way insinuating that Patrick Kane has a drinking problem in real life. I came up with this idea for a story and my imagination just sort of ran with it.

Bare with me as I get the ball rolling on this. I'm trying to get quite a few chapters done before I go back to college and start classes again next week!

Hopefully you all will enjoy reading it just as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

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xoxo