Better Together (Patrick Kane)

51| This Is My Story

Danielle

"The national hockey league is home to the hardest hits, the best skills, and some of the smartest people in all of sports. It's a nice little community, sure it doesn't have a following like the NFL or MLB but that's okay. Hockey isn't for the weak hearted or the casual fan. It's for the die hards who like to see the players score sick goals then punch some guy in the face. It's for the people who spend two hundred dollars on a jersey just to hang it up on a wall. It's for kids who watch their favorite player and deem that they want to grow up to be just like them.

And behind the players are the coaches and front office guys. The coaches job is just as important as the players. You have to have the right line combinations, know who is on the ice for the other team and which line to counter with. You have to be able to see things that no one else can see. Know your players, how to push them and when to stop. Then there's the front office guys that make trades and signings. You have to have your eyes everywhere; the ohl, ahl, college teams, other professional teams. You have to know what your team needs and what you're willing to give up to get him. Whether it's a big contract or giving up some prospects, it's important to be able to do these things. Your franchise kind of depends on it.

Being born into the Bowman family is like being born into the Jackson five. Now it's not that intense, my father had never made me do something I wasn't ready for and my talents aren't being used for monetary gain. But I went to my first hockey game when I was a few weeks old and have been to more NHL game than some of these players in the league. I used to run around my uncles office at the United center stick handling waiting for him to come out of a meeting or practice defense with my grandpa at Christmas.

My grandpa is the biggest figure in recent hockey memory and will go down as one of, if not the, greatest NHL coach of all time. Thanks to him my last name is already on the cup nine cups and he has amassed well over a thousand wins during the season not to mention the playoffs. He knows how to run a team, how to coach and still be a really great guy. And most importantly, he loves to win more than anything. Hell, he even named my uncle after the cup. And before I even took my first steps I was a part of the family business thanks to him.

Then there's my father, David Bowman, the most decorated veteran of the afghan war. Has more Purple Hearts than he has fingers on a hand. He had the record for most medals of honor with five and has spent well over a decade fighting in various wars. He can defuse a bomb in seconds and has saved countless lives. People are honored to fight with him, to follow him into action and come back knowing that they did their best. He's also one of the nicest dudes you will ever meet, that's what made him so good at what he does. He wasn't just fighting, he was serving his country.

But he was also running. Running away from the pain that was losing his wife, the only woman he ever fell in love with. My mom was an amazing woman, it sucks I only had ten years with her and I don't remember most of them. But I remember her soft voice singing me to sleep every night. I remember how much she sacrificed to be with my dad. He wasn't around much but when he was here it was a great feeling. It was life and they lived hard. That's why losing her was the most painful thing that has ever happened to him. She got breast cancer and passed away soon after she was diagnosed, but she was strong the whole time.

The thing about us Bowman's is that we cherish family more than anything. My grandpa missed a press conference to see me be born. When my uncle started his battle with cancer everyone was there for him, even when we were being super over protective and annoying. And when my mom had her own battle with cancer, our family once again proved why it was most important. And when she passed it was them who took me in. They gave me food and shelter and plenty of love. I got a experience behind my wildest dreams with my uncle and his family, such a beautiful family.

What it means to be a Bowman is more than just hockey. It's the scary kind of love where you feel like you would do anything for each other. It's supporting each other through and through. It's the little things like having a family night through the vigorous hockey schedule so just for a hour we can be normal. It's taking kids in and helping them out, even if you didn't have to. It's stuff like that that makes being a Bowman all the while.

As for me, I'm Danielle Marie Bowman. Born August 10th 1988 to David and Cassandra Bowman. I lived in Missouri up until I was eight then moved to Chicago so my mom could get treatments. I have been through a lot in my life, and a lot of things I had no control over. I think that's what makes this story so hard for me to tell. But it's a important one to tell, because people watch the games and don't think about what happens behind the scenes. How turning down a trade can change a franchise or how a 19 year old girl who has dreams of getting into the family business can help a team win a Stanley cup.

I hope by the time I finish this book I'll be a better person. I get to dig up some family history, go through old photos and remember the simpler times. I hope that I can finally let go of some burdens, maybe realize some feelings I didn't know was there. But most of all I hope this book provides hope. Hope that family really is all you need. Hope that maybe this organization can end a 49 year championship drought. And hope that I can prove that love is stronger than everything.

This is my story about being a Bowman."

I hand the papers over to my professor and his publisher friend and they read over it. A few minutes later the guy sets the papers on the desk in front of him and turns to me.

"I'm impressed. Not only do you have a interesting story, but you know how to tell it" he says.

"Thank you" I sigh. That was a load off.

"If you would like, I would love to hear the rest of your story. No need to rush, I know your story is still going. But I would like to hear your thoughts" he says.

"I would be honored to write you a book" I admit.

We talk a little more before he lets me go. Basically I was to write down what happens over the next little while and see what happens. I can make it as cheesy as I would like which made me feel better.

I get back to the hotel I was staying in and fall onto the bed. I let out a laugh sigh as I close my eyes. It's about to be a long year or two.

A few seconds later I feel a body fall on top of me and let out a load groan.

"Patrick, please stop squashing me" I huff.

"Well since you said please" he says rolling off. He pulls me into his chest and I cuddle in. "How was your meeting" he asks and I smile.

"It went well, they seemed really interested. The next time I see them I should have a book ready and that's when all the real fun starts" I explain.

"Are you still going to be a Bowman by the next time you see them" he asks.

"I will always be a Bowman through and through. But I wouldn't mind writing Danielle Kane on the cover" I admit.

"Really" he asks.

"Well yeah. Being a Kane is just as cool as being a Bowman" I insist.

"I haven't done anything to make my name yet" he claims.

"At one time in my grandpas life the word Bowman was too whispered. Now it's on the Stanley cup nine times" I remind him.

"So you do want to take my last name? Because I wasn't sure..." he trails off. I press my lips to his and he rolls me on top of him. His fingers get tangled in my hair as my hips roll into his. "You never answered my question" he mumbles on my skin.

"There's nothing I want more than to be Danielle Kane" I whisper.