Change (Patrick Kane)

63: Rumors

A few weeks later, Patrick was heading down to Notre Dame for training camp. All the guys were staying at a hotel so it would just be me in the apartment.

I called Natalie over and we decided to go shopping. I grabbed my purse and left to meet her on Michigan Avenue. We went into a few stores but I didn't buy much. Later, I found a cute summer dress and some wedges that went with it.

While we were sitting down for lunch waiting for our food, Natalie asked me a question. "So what do you think of all these rumors about Patrick?"

I cocked my head to the side in confusion. "What are you talking about?" I hadn't heard any rumors, but Natalie was always the first to hear about anything so it must've been new information.

"I heard that some girl from Buffalo is claiming that he... well, you know," she trailed off.

"That he what?" I asked. I wasn't following.

Natalie leaned in closer. "She's claiming that Pat raped her while you guys were in Buffalo."

I let out a small gasp and leaned back in my seat. "What?"

Nat nodded. "I know, right?"

I shook my head. "Well that's definitely not true. Pat would never do something like that. Plus, I was with him every night."

"Ooo, every night eh?" Natalie wiggled her eyebrows.

I slapped her arm. "Shut up, you know what I meant. Anyways, this girl is probably just trying to have her ten seconds of fame."

"Yeah, I guess. Rumors are never true. Remember that one rumor last year that Jonathan was sleeping with another girl? She was actually just his cousin." She shuddered. "Rumors are annoying."

---

A few days later, I was still thinking about what Natalie had told me. I even found some articles on it. A lot of people were talking about the rumor but I didn't believe it. I shuddered just thinking of what could happen to Pat's career if it was true.

My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden wave of nausea. I jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom, making it just in time to empty my stomach into the toilet. I flushed and coughed.

I didn't think I was going to throw up again so I brushed my teeth and drank some water. I didn't feel sick so it must've been something bad I ate. After all, I did have Chinese food last night; it was probably just the food not sitting well with my stomach.

As I was tidying up the apartment, a weird thought occurred to me. I had missed my period. Usually this wasn't an issue for me but I was two days late. That made me a little nervous but I shook it off. There was no way I was pregnant. Patrick and I were always safe and it was only two days so I wasn't that worried.

I got sick for the next two days before I decided to tell Natalie. I called her over and told her what had been happening.

"You don't think you're pregnant, do you?" She wondered with wide eyes.

I shrugged. "I don't think so."

Natalie shifted on the couch. "Well do you make sure Patrick always uses a condom?"

I felt my cheeks begin to heat up at her straightforward question. "Of course!" I then remembered that about a month ago we had gone out to a bar and gotten drunk. I don't remember much but I remember getting an Uber back to our apartment. "Wait, there might've been one time we forgot," I confessed.

"Knew it!" she exclaimed. "We had better get some tests just to be sure." Natalie stood up. "I'll go pick them up and you can make us lunch," she smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, just go."

I finished making a sandwich for each of us and waited for Natalie to get back. I was starting to get more nervous now. What would I do if I was pregnant?

My thoughts were interrupted by Natalie walking through the door. "Got 'em!" She yelled as she took her shoes off. "Go take three so we can be sure," she instructed and handed me the bag.

I took the three tests and set a timer on my phone so I knew when they would be done. I walked back into the kitchen and sat with Natalie until the five minutes were up.

After what felt like an hour, my phone went off. I wanted to see if I was pregnant, but at the same time I was scared of what I'd find.

"Are you going to look?" Natalie's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I cleared my throat. "Yeah, sorry."

I got up and walked to the bathroom. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I counted to three in my head before snapping my eyes open and looking at the tests.

Positive, positive, and... Positive.

I was pregnant.

I felt a wave of relief wash over me now that I knew. I yelled for Natalie to come in the bathroom and told her.

"That's great!" She exclaimed and hugged me. "Wait, you are going to keep it, right?"

"Of course I am." I couldn't have an abortion. Plus, I've always wanted to have a family. "I just don't know how I'm going to tell Pat. I mean he comes home next week."

Natalie shrugged. "We'll think of something. In the mean time, let's go out to celebrate!"

"Sure, just no alcohol," I reminded her with a grin. "There's a baby inside me."

---

Patrick was coming home in a few days and I still didn't know how to tell him I was pregnant. Hell, it still hasn't even sank in that I was pregnant yet. We skyped or called each other every day but I didn't tell him. I figured it would be better to tell him in person. I didn't know if I should get a baby-sized something, like a jersey or a teddy bear, or just come straight out and tell him. Why did this have to be so difficult?

I spent the rest of the day just relaxing. I worked a little bit but there wasn't much to do since it was still the offseason. Perks of working for a professional sports team, I guess.

I decided to make a collage of Pat's top moments from the NHL. I was pretty bored and why not do something nice for him? Maybe I could have it framed and give it to him for his birthday or something.

I began looking up pictures of him online. First I looked up the day he was drafted to Chicago. I looked up other huge moments in his life like him celebrating his first NHL goal, when he scored the game-winner in triple OT to win the Stanley Cup, and when he won the Conn Smythe. I also decided to include some pictures of him with me and with his family too. I made sure to put a nice one of him and his grandpa since I knew how close they were. I could go on and on about all of Patrick's achievements.

I also made a doctors appointment to have just a general checkup on the baby. I did a little bit of wedding planning and brainstorming ideas like the color scheme or what flowers I wanted. I began to realize how much I had to do, especially with the regular season coming up so soon.

I took a hot shower to try to lower my stress a bit. I felt productive today, but the one thing I needed to get done, wasn't- I don't know how to tell Patrick, or even my family, that I'm pregnant.

---

wooowww she's pregnant!!

I'm so excited for playoffs but im also preparing myself. like im trying to get as much sleep as i can before i have to stay up till 1 in the morning watching the game go into double overtime only for andrew shaw to head the puck in but it doesn't count and i have to wait for krugerto come in clutch in triple overtime

that header goal is still one of my favorite playoff moments, that was so sick

gotta love the mutt❤️

on a completely unrelated note, I think im gonna have one more chapter of this book left! i already have it written but now i just need to see how im going to write the epilogue.

so ya only one (official) chapter left! im gonna miss writing this book😢 thanks for all your support!!