Shadows (Patrick Kane)

(46) By My Side

Patrick

The Chicago Blackhawks organization is one of the best. They make some of the most money in the NHL and they give away some of the most money too. They take good care of us, many players love coming here and hate leaving. And with two championships and three conference finals in four seasons what's not too love? This city is beautiful any time of the year but Christmas... Christmas time was my favorite.

And as a little holiday treat they shut down the United Center, provide us with some food and let us and our families skate. The kids get to go around with dad, see what he does for a living. It makes for some cute Instagram posts for the wives and girlfriends too.

Usually best friends don't make it out to the family skates. That's because hockey players tend to settle down very fast and keep their circle small. Life moves quick here in the national league, and it's a hard thing to do it on your own. Relationships are something the guys often time cherish because this game can be unforgiving but a wife or a girlfriend is.

So bringing Sophia to an event like this is a bit of a reach. Everyone knew we were friends but it doesn't stop speculation. Especially since we don't act like we're just friends. But it means a lot that she joins me today, we can skate around and mess with the kids and I can show her what she sees almost every day from a different point of view. She might not be family in the sense of a ring or blood but by heart she is a part of my family and this Blackhawks family and she belongs there with me.

I pick her up and we head to the United Center. Before we eat and hang out we pull on some skates and do a few laps. The cameras were already out in full force which made me unsettled. Even in a time for family they were here and I just know they will find some way to twist this.

"What are you thinking so hard about" Sophia asks as she runs her shoulder into mine.

"You" I admit as she starts to smile.

"Oh" she says softly. "What about me?"

"I know you don't want people to think we're together and there are cameras all over today. I just want to protect you. Make sure no one gets the wrong idea" I explain.

Without a word her hand reaches out and grabs mine. She pulls me across the ice so I was next to her while she smiles up at me. I keep the ends of my lips from pulling tight for a whole second before I smile like a idiot. Her other hand wraps around my arm and I get this warm feeling inside. I rest my head on top of hers as we skate in time with each other. It was a beautiful moment, but I'm not quite sure what it means.

"I thought you didn't want people thinking we were together" I say softly.

"I don't want to spend my time with anyone else. That much is true. It's not that I want people to think I don't associate with you. I'm not embarrassed of you and I don't want people to think I don't want to be around you. Being by your side is my favorite place to be. But no matter what we do they're gonna talk. No matter what I say people will always say that I just hang out with you because you're cute and famous. But I don't care what they or the media thinks. I care what you think" she insists.

"I'm not sure what to think when it comes to you more times than not. All I know is that you're the only person in this world who makes me feel like I'm worth something and I want you by my side" I admit.

"And that's where I will be" she smiles.

We skate around for a while and I find my favorite kiddo in the whole world. Sharpy had a little girl last year and another in 2011 and I adore his kids. They call me uncle Patrick and I've been helping them learn to skate every chance I get. I go over to Patrick's house for dinner sometimes and I even get to sit next to Maddy and Sadie. I loved them and I love being able to watch the girls grow up. I would love to one day have kids of my own, maybe a beautiful little girl who thinks I'm her world. That would be nice.

"Uncle Patrick" the oldest yells as her dad pushes her over to us. She stumbles as she skates into my legs.

"Look at you almost staking on your own" I say as I pick her up. Sophia stays by my side as Maddie looks between us. She smiles her toothy smile before her eyes get stuck on Sophie. Trust me, I get it.

"Patty is that your girlfriend" she asks me.

"No. But she is my best friend. She works here too" I tell her.

"You play hockey" she gasps as she turns to Soph.

"I wish I did! I just talk about it" Sophia explains.

"Well that's still fun" Maddie claims.

"That it is" Sophia smiles.

I set her back down and Sophie offers to take her around a few times. Sharpys wife still had their little one Sadie in her arms and she went around with Sophia and Maddie while I hung out with Sharpy. You would think we would be tired of each other, especially since I have been following this poor man around since 2007. But he was my hockey dad. Maybe not the best one but he has bigger and better things to worry about than me. A wife and two young girls, that's a handful. But he always included me in his life and I appreciate what all he does for me.

"I can't believe Sophia is still around and you haven't made a move on her yet. Are you sick" he asks me as I laugh.

"No. I just don't want to over complicate things. Her and I... it's like Gretzky and Messier. Like peanut butter and jelly. The stars and the sky. I don't want things to change because they're good. This is the happiest I've been in a long long time and it's because she's my best friend" I explain.

"You know Abby is my best friend too. We started out a lot like you and Sophie did. But it didn't take us this long to realize we were meant for more than friendship" he claims.

"That's you guys though" I remind him.

"You can stand here and tell me you have no intentions of being with this girl beyond a playful friendship" he accuses.

"Well... no. I can't. But I also can't tell you anything will come out of these feelings we've developed. We're happy, I'm not messing that up because I think I love her" I defend.

The moment I say that I realize I wasn't supposed to say that out loud. I feel my body go heavy once I realized the only person I should have told that to was her but it slipped out.

"Patrick" he starts. I knew I was in for it when he used my first name.

"I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that" I whisper.

"The fact that it slipped out means you've thought about this. A lot. And if that's true, if you really are in love with this girl she deserves to know. Maybe nothing changes, maybe everything does. I do know that she will be by your side as you figure it out" he claims.

"I know. I just... I can't tell her. She already told me she was scared to fall in love with me. And not the me part but the dealing with love. She didn't have a lot of that around growing up and the concept scares her. It scares me too. But it doesn't prevent love from coming, just makes it more difficult once it's here" I sigh.

"You guys will figure it out. I have faith in you. And I have money on you guys getting together before the season ends" he admits as I roll my eyes. Typical.