Better Together (Patrick Kane)

58| Chapter One

Danielle

Chapter one

In order to know me you have to know who my parents were. How they are and how I got here. There's a lot that goes into being a Bowman and for me, this is how it all started.

My father is David Andrew Bowman, born April 20th 1968 to Suella and Scotty Bowman. Second child but first boy. He was born in the city of Quebec in Canada, a few miles outside of Verdun where my grandfather was born. Growing up he was a quiet boy, always followed the rules and always fought for what he believed was right. Very head strong but always seemed to listen to his heart above all.

My grandpa had only been coaching for one year and wouldn't win his first cup for another five after my dad was born. But my dad was still pretty into the hockey scene, he got dragged to all the games and watched my grandpa lift the cup five times with the Canadians before he was even a teenager. He loved being a part of the hockey scene and the passion ran deep in his blood. He had a pretty good childhood, the Bowman's are a close family and he gets his ideals from them. Always appreciated what family brings and having such a faithful support system. It allowed him to grow into a very strong man any father would be proud of, and his was.

When he was in high school he got interested in the army. There always seemed to be a war to be fought somewhere and after the Vietnam war he didn't want to see them end so tragically. He wanted to be big and strong like his dad, but instead of fighting on the ice he wanted to be on land. My dad wasn't really cut out for hockey, he loved it but he was kind of awkward on the ice. So he enlisted instead, as soon as he turned 18 he was sent off to camp and trained to fight in the war. It was 1986 and things were kind of calm but there was always a fight that needed to be fought. He was your typical soldier, tall and lean. Short blonde hair and bright green eyes. He was sent to Missouri for basics and spent a better part of a year out there.

There he met my mother, Rachel Anne Wilson. She was a English teacher for a grade school down there, just 18 years old and already touching the lives of children. She was ahead of her time with her writings and ability to dissect books, any school would have been lucky to have her. So wise beyond her years and passionate about spreading her love for literature. She looked kind of like a young Cher, long black hair that was usually braided down her back with bangs and deep brown eyes. She was easy on the ears and easy on the eyes. My dad claims all the boys were after her and it was easy to see why. I would have killed to know her at that time.

My parents first met when my dad visited the school she worked at to give a speech about the army. He was at the top of his class and was head and shoulders above everyone else no matter the age difference. But you couldn't tell because he treated everyone with the upmost admiration and mutual respect. He was intelligent beyond measure when it came to warfare and was the youngest commanding officer. He hadn't even been shipped out yet and he was already being called one of the greatest to be a part of any war the United States had been a part of.

He was invited to talk to the kids about why he did what he did and it was kind of fate how it all happened. He walked into her classroom and stopped in the doorway. He sent my mom a kind smile and she sends one back. They stared at each other for a little before he became unfrozen and was able to move again. He took his place in the front of the class but his eyes never left my mom. He couldn't focus on anything that wasn't her. He always tells me that he felt like getting down on one knee right there. That he didn't even know her name but he wanted everything to do with her. It really was love at first sight as they say. After he spoke with the kids they went off to lunch and he asked my mom out. She said no at first but my father was persistent. Her mouth said no but her eyes said yes. He knew a good thing when he sees it and he couldn't let her get away.