Forever Chicago

It was mid-March. The Hawks were making a push for the playoffs, while I was tasked with doing the majority of our wedding planning alone.

Riley, Paige and I sat in the bridal shop as we attempted the impossible task of choosing bridesmaid dresses.

After almost two hours, and several phone calls to my bridesmaids still in Boston, we finally settled on a long, lilac, wrap top dress.

“You both look gorgeous!” I said as they stood in the mirror.

We left the bridal shop and parted as I started a short walk back to my apartment where Jonathan waited.

It was a chilly night for March as I walked along the street. It was little bit creepy, no one else was out abnormally.

I walked quickly, wanting to get out of the streets.

As I approached our apartment building, I noticed a strange figure moving towards me.

Thinking nothing of it I continued walking.

I got more nervous as the man approached closer and closer, as I made a grab for the front door of the apartment building, the man lunged at me throwing me to the ground, smashing me on the ground in the process, and knocking me unconscious.
…
I woke up the next morning in the hospital, I groggily looked around to see Jonathan sitting next to me. Worry filled his eyes.

“Kodie?!” he sprung up.

“What happened?” I spoke softly.

“Hey,” he said, “You, um, you got hit by some creep on the street but you’re okay now.”

He held tightly to my hand.

“Hey,” Riley came through the door clutching 6 month old Savannah, “You’re awake, jeez that’s a nasty bruise.”

“What?” I said sitting up.

I looked in the mirror to see a disgusting, dark, black bruise on my forehead.

I later learned that as I attempted to get into our apartment building the man had hit me over the head, attempting to steal my purse, he had failed, as a door man witnessed the whole event.

Jonathan and I left the hospital, as I was only left with a gross bruise and a slight concussion.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jonathan said as we sat on the couch.

“Jonathan, I’m fine, go to practice.” I laughed.

“Call me if you need anything, or you feel weird, or anything.” He said.

“Okay,” I laughed, “Go!” I said kissing him.

I found the incident to be more of a nuisance, than a scary event.

I picked up a wedding magazine. In three months I would be Mrs. Toews. I couldn’t wait.

None of the little family I had would attend the wedding. It made me a little sad, but I knew my mother would only show up to ask for money. My sisters would only want to flirt with Jon’s rich teammates for drug money. Sometimes it frustrated me that I didn’t have a normal family, but soon enough Jonathan and I would have our own family.

Just as I began setting the magazine down, my phone rang.

“You gettin married girl?” snarled through the phone.

“Yes mother.” I said.

“So, you payin for a wedding, but you can’t give ya motha a few dollas?” she said.

“I’m not going to enable your drug problem mother.” I said hanging up.

My mother had been calling more and more lately and she always wanted the same thing, money.Jonathan knew my mother had been calling me, but it was the playoffs again, and I didn’t want him to be focused on anything but hockey. Even if that meant putting our final wedding plans on hold.

Jonathan returned around six, Patrick barely ever came back to the apartment anymore, he spent almost all his free time at the apartment that became Paige’s, after Riley, Brandon, and Savannah moved into a larger apartment. He immediately noticed a look on my face.

“Your mom call?” he said sitting down next to me.

“Um, yeah.” I nodded, a little spaced out.

“Hey,” he said sitting next to me, “You okay?”

“Yeah” I shrugged, “She’s just annoying.”

“I know babe, I’m sorry.” He said.

“It’s not your fault,” I said cuddling into his chest, as his arms wrapped around me.

It felt like she would never stop calling until she got what she wanted.
…
The first round of the playoffs was in full swing, and Jonathan was off to Boston for the first game.

“Good luck!” I said kissing him.

The next few days were jammed with wedding appointments. Food tastings, hair and makeup trials, meetings with our wedding planner, and it sucked that I’d have to do it without Jonathan.

I headed out for the first appointment of the day, it was a cake tasting, Riley would meet me there.

Savannah squirmed and shrieked through the whole appointment. By the end all three of us were irritated.

As I headed home, the idea of eloping was beginning to look better and better. Ollie leaped at my feet as soon as I opened the door.

I sighed as I sat on the couch with him; this wedding was going to be the death of me.
…
The next morning I headed to work, still exhausted from the previous day. After work was jammed with dress fittings, linen shopping, and of course the game. I was tired just thinking about it.

“Hey,” Riley said as I walked through the door, “How’s the wedding planning?”

“Exhausting.” I said, “How’s Savannah?”

“Almost crawling.” She said.

Around ten am, Camryn was in for her fifth treatment.

“Hi Kodie!” she smiled as I walked into the room.

“Hi Cam!” I said sitting as I began hooking her up to the machine.

For four hours I sat next to her, trying to console her as she wailed through her treatment.

I unhooked her from the machine.

“Is it going to get better?” Her mother asked, as Camryn skipped out of the room and down the hallway.

“The treatment will make her drowsy, eventually her hair will fall out, but it should significantly lessen her disease, I know it’s hard.” I said patting her shoulder.

“Thank you for everything Kodie.” She said.

“Of course.” I smiled with what little energy I had left.

As I left the hospital frantically scurrying to my dress fitting, I realized how negative I had been lately. I was lucky to be planning a beautiful wedding rather than praying for my child to survive. I had to focus on the positives in my life and realize there were a lot of them.

A small, blonde woman sewed me into my dress. I turned around to the mirror, this was real.
I was getting married and to the most amazing man in the world. A huge smile crossed my face. 3 more months.
…
The third period roared on. The Hawks were down by 4 goals, and unless we made a fast comeback, Boston would take the first game of the playoffs.

Abby Sharpy, Paige, Riley, Amanda Bickell and I watched as the final seconds ticked down.

The final horn sounded, and we had lost. We had been embarrassed actually at five to nothing. The camera zoomed into Jonathan’s saddened face, he smashed his stick off the
goal, snapping it in two.Abby, Paige, Riley, and Amanda looked to me. I felt my face get hot.

“I should get going,” I said as I got up off Abby’s couch.

“Are you sure?” Abby said.

“Yeah, I have to work in the morning.” I said, as I picked up my purse, “Thank you for having me though.”

“Of course.” Abby said, as we hugged and I headed to my car.

I sat on our bed thinking about tomorrow. Jonathan would come home, he’d be upset, and I would have to find a way to console him.
…
The next morning, I awoke early to wait for Jonathan.

I wasn’t looking forward to Jonathan being unhappy, I knew I needed a way to pull him out of
it. I walked over to my underwear draw. Digging to the very bottom I pulled out a new, nude lace bra. I replaced my worn, navy bra with the new one. I pulled a black, button down sundress on over it.

I shut the drawer as I heard the front door shut.

“Hi.” He said miserably as he plopped down on the couch.

“You’ll get it next time.” I said sitting next to him, he kept looking down.

“You know,” I said standing up in front of him, “This dress is new, do you like it?”

“Yeah.” He said not even looking up.

“And this is new too.” I said as I unbuttoned the top of my dress, “Oh you don’t like it.” I shrugged turning to walk away.

“Woah wait a minute.” Jonathan said grabbing my hand and pulling me onto his lap. He
kissed me deeply as I laughed.

The rest of my sundress found the floor, as Jonathan pulled my panties aside.

Jonathan fell back against the couch.

Slowly I began moving up and down, as Jonathan’s lips moved up at down my neck. Just as he came into me, we heard a knock at the door.

Frantically I pulled my sundress back on and began buttoning it back up, as Jonathan pulled up his pants, and went to answer it.

“Where’s my daughta?” I heard in a shrill voice at the front door.

Alarmed I joined Jonathan at the front door. I was horrified to see a small, shriveled, blonde woman, dressed in baggy sweats standing there.

“What are you doing here?” I said shocked.

“Well,” she said, “Didn’t you turn into a pretty little thing.”

“Get out of here mother.” I said.

“Now your motha came all the way from Boston to see you, is that any way to treat family?” she growled.

“You are not family.” I laughed, “I haven’t seen you in ten years.”

“You know I did try to get you back.” She said viciously.

“You sold me for drug money!” I yelled, “And now you come halfway across the country to ask me for money, and you’re not getting any.”

“You’re a selfish bitch.” She snarled slamming the front door behind her.

Notes

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