Better Together (Patrick Kane)

46| Being A Bowman

Patrick

After handling the flames in six games in the first round we move in to play the Canucks in the second round of the playoffs. They were a bit tougher but we still had a 3-2 series lead and could go to the conference finals with one more win.

Before today's game I was going to hang out with my sisters while Danny took her last final for this semester. We walk around Michigan avenue looking at different stores and end up in a jewelry store. They look at necklaces and rings and bracelets and other feminine things that I had no interest in. I trail behind slowly as they look around before Erica grabs my wrist and pulls me to a glass case without any explanation.

"Pat you have to look at this ring" she squeals pointing to a single ring sitting all by itself. It was beautiful, I have to admit.

"Why are you showing me this" I ask.

"God you're clueless, it's for Danny" Jackie says and my eyes go wide.

"You think I should buy a engagement ring" I ask. I never really talked to them about marrying Danny, but I'm happy they were on board with that.

"Well yeah, you don't have to use it yet. But it would suck if you wanted it but didn't have it" she explains.

"So what? I'm supposed to buy this incredibly beautiful ring and hide it until I feel it's right to ask her to marry me" I ask. 

"Well yeah, even you can't mess that up" Jessica says and I glare at her.

"Okay, so how do you think I should purpose" I wonder.

"I don't know, something really romantic. You guys have been through so much and share so much in common it shouldn't be too hard" Erica claims.

"I think you're over estimating my romantisim" I admit.

"Stop bluffing, Danny told us you read romantic novels" Jessica says calling me out and I roll my eyes.

"Fine, I have a idea" I admit.

"Spill" Erica threatens.

"Well she always said she wanted to travel. To see the world for everything that it is. To grow as a person while seeing the prettiest sights there is to offer. Her life has always been so complicated that she couldn't go anywhere so I wanted to give her a vacation. No hockey or school or media asking about her family. Just her and I lazing around in open waters somewhere. I want to find a private beach where we can be alone and no one can bother us. We can watch the sun set over the water and I'll tell her it's the second most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. When she asks what the first one is I'll happily tell her that it's her. That its always going to be her. Then when she turns to me I'll have to ring out. I'll tell her that this ring means so much more than just her and I. It was the love her parents share, it's what we went through to get to that moment. It is not about where we have been but about where we are going. And hopefully she will say yes" I laugh.

"Patrick... that is beautiful" Jessica smiles.

"Yeah, you have to get the ring" Erica claims.

"I can't" I admit.

"Why not" she pouts.

"I just can't" I defend.

"You already have one... don't you" Jackie asks and I smile.

"I do" I admit and they all go wide eyed.

"What the hell! Why didn't you say anything" Jessica pouts.

"Because Jess, you guys talk all the time and I didn't want anyone to slip up" I admit.

"Have a little faith" Erica laughs.

"I do, I'm telling now aren't I" I laugh along.

"Yeah, only because we would have made you buy another ring if you didn't" Jackie laughs.

"True. But I'm happy you guys know because I hate keeping secrets from you guys" I admit.

"So, when is all this happening" Erica asks.

"Sometime in the summer hopefully, as long as there no more life altering problems that pop up. It really depends on how this season ends and how busy we are in August. But that's what I had planned" I explain.

"Well don't fuck it up, we all have a lot riding in this" Jessica claims.

"Like what" I ask.

"First of all we get Danny to be a part of the family which we all secretly, and some not so secretly, wanted all along. We get another sister to shop with and ask funny questions about you. We get to go to a wedding that is promising to be a fairy tale, among other things" Erica explains.

"Well what about me" I wonder.

"Yeah, you're pretty good too" she smirks and I hit her shoulder.

They go back to the hotel to change for the game and I go to my apartment to pick up my things. I find Danny sitting there staring at her computer taping a pen on the desk like she does when she's stressed about something.

"What are you looking at" I wonder.

"My grades" she says softly. I know her grades couldn't be bad so I'm not sure why she seemed so stressed.

"How'd you do this semester" I ask.

"I have a 4.0" she says and I smile. She looks at me and couldn't help but light up. I was so fucking proud of her.

"Baby that's awesome! Why do you seem so upset then" I wonder.

"My English professor liked my final so much he wants it to get published. He wants me to talk to one of his friends about writing a book about it" she explains and my eyes go big.

"A book? Dan that's amazing, why would you be sad about that" I ask.

"I'm not I guess. I'm honored that he thinks I'm talented enough to be a book writer and he thinks what I wrote is worthy of such a accomplishment. It's just, that paper was hard enough to write. How am I supposed to write a book" she wonders.

"What's was the paper about?"

"Its was about my life. About what it's like to be born into hockey royalty and how I got sucked into it. It was about the wins and loses of being the granddaughter of the winningest coach in NHL history and niece to the future of hockey and daughter of the bravest man in modern warfare history without your mother there to support you. It was about how cancer isn't contagious but spreads to everyone involved with the person. Really it's about me and I'm not sure I'm worth all of this" she sighs.

"Of course you are. Not a word on those pages would be a wasted because everything you have been through is something worth remembering. The good and the bad, the ups and the downs. I already am captivated by your story and I know many others will be too" I say sitting in her lap.

"I don't even know where I would start" she admits.

"Where do you feel like your life started" I ask.

"Before I was born, that's kind of the thing about being a bowman" she laughs.

"Being a bowman, I like it" I say and she smiles.

"It's pretty nice" she admits.

"So are you going to do it" I ask.

"Are you going to give me something worth writing about" she questions. I look down as her lips pull up into a perfect smile.

"I'm going to give you being a Bowman plus one."