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I sat on my couch with a photo album sitting in my lap. I hadn't looked through it a long time, but I was really missing her. I opened the cover and was faced with a photo of us from draft day. She was tying my tie for me and I was watching her with a smile on my face as she attempted to teach me how to do it on my own. I was too busy trying to memorize every detail of her face to pay attention to her instructions. I regret it now, as I still don't know how to tie a tie.
I flipped the page where she had written me a note. My fingers brushed over the words as if it would bring us closer together.
Dear Matthew,
If you're reading this right now it means you're probably missing me a little extra. I miss you too. It won't be long before we see each other, I promise. If you think it's not coming fast enough, keep working hard at hockey, it'll make the time seem to go faster.
Just know I love you and I'll be here waiting for you every time you come home.
I don't don't really know what else to put here, I only had the first paragraph planned out. If I could talk to you I would know exactly what to say, but since I'm sitting on the couch in my living room writing this, I have absolutely no clue. I guess I really have only a few things I want to say; I love you far more than you know, I miss you more than you think I do, and I watch all of your games while I do my homework. Oh, who am I shitting? I won't get a damn thing done. No person that I know could do homework while watching hockey. Especially me.
I was told to try and fill the page, but I barely made half a page. I think that's an accomplishment. Good luck babe! I'll be cheering you on every game and I'll watch as many as I can. I love you, Matt. Never forget that. - Love, Y/N
P.S. I wrote this note like this because I know it will make you laugh. Don't feel bad. I'll either cry or laugh, or maybe both, when I read yours. Okay, I'll probably cry and laugh when I read yours. On a serious note, I hope you read this when you miss me and think that just because were over 1700 miles apart I'm not thinking about you. I am, I'm always thinking about you.
She was right, I did laugh, but I also cried. Somehow she always knew the right words to say, even if she thought she didn't. It was unbelievable how much I missed her. A huge part of me was missing and I wouldn't be complete until I had her in my arms.
I turned the page and looked at the very first picture of us together. It was way back from freshman year and some of our friends decided to set us up. At the time I wished they hadn't, but now I thank God everyday that they did.
We were sitting next to each other at lunch and I had my arm thrown on the back of her chair, playing with the ends of her hair, but only the two of us knew that, as our friends explained their plan to get us together. I smiled at the memory and wiped away my tears.
I looked through the rest of the pictures. In that album was every single picture that had ever been taken of us. And every single one of them was of us when we were happy. It didn't show all the shed tears and moments of pain. It didn't show all of phone calls and skype calls we had shared. Although those moments were missing, anyone who looked through the photographs could tell what kind of love we shared.
My phone began ringing in my pocket so I pulled it out and looked at the caller I.D. I answered the call and pressed my phone to my ear. "Hey, baby girl."
"Hey, Matt." She whispered.
"What's wrong." I asked. She sounded upset, almost like she had been crying.
"Nothing. I'm just tired and I can't sleep and I miss you and I really wanted to hear your voice." I could tell she was so stressed out just from the tone of her voice and I wanted more than anything to be there and hold her in my arms until all her stress melted away.
"Do you want me to talk to you until you fall asleep?" I asked, putting the album on the coffee table.
"Please." I put my phone on speaker and laid down on the couch then put my phone on my chest.
"What do you want me to talk about?"? I asked.
"I don't care, anything you want." She replied quietly.
"Okay, so, I just finished looking through the photo album when you called. Do you remember the picture of us on draft day, right after they called my name and you were the first person I hugged?"
"Yes." I could see the smile appear on her lips.
"That's my favorite picture of us. You've been here every step of the way and I can't thank you enough for being my motivation. I know it's hard, baby girl, but I want you to know that everything I do is for us, for our future, because we're damn sure going to have one."
"Matthew, you're supposed to be trying to get me to fall asleep, not trying to make me cry." I didn't even hear her sniffle or anything, but I could tell that she was going to soon if I kept talking like that.
"Sorry."
"Just keep going." I thought for a second before finding the right story to tell.
"I don't know if you remember it or not, but when you first met my family Taryn asked you if you were her sister. You laughed and told her no, but when you weren't listening, I told her maybe one day you could be. You know, everyone loves you and already considers you part of the family. My mom even jokes with me and calles you Y/N Tkachuk. One day I promise to make that happen." She was asleep before I finished, but I wanted to say it anyway. "I love you, baby girl." I told her before hanging up, a soft smile resting on my face.
