Sweet Caroline (Corey Crawford)

Bithday dinner

Caroline

Once the season was under way there was a lot of talk around the Blackhawks. They started the year with six straight wins and have yet to lose a game in regulation. They boys were talking about how important it was to start off on the right foot. And getting a point in every game they have played so far is definitely the right track.

The guys sit at 8-0-2 and are cruising at the top of the standings. No one was even close to touching them at this point. They weren't cocky about it either. They are actually really hard on themselves and how they were playing, meanwhile my job is to report about them and I have nothing but great things to say.

And although we were only 10 games into the season it was finally my birthday. I'm not one to celebrate myself but after losing half a season I realized I should be grateful for what's given to me. Not everyone gets to celebrate their birthdays so I should celebrate mine.

So I agree to go out to dinner with Corey and a bunch of the guys from the team and their significant other joined us. We decide to grab some pizza after the game which Corey did not start. The boys won with Emery backing them and earned their ninth win.

We arrive at local pizza joint that the boys love to go to after practices. It was late and the place was pretty much emptied by now. We all ordered drinks and some pizza and appetizers. This was mostly just for us to have a chance to hang out since we didn't get to do that for the past four months like we should have been. So we finally get to sit down and just talk for once.

"Who's this" I ask as Patrick walks in with a girl on his arm.

"That's Patrick" Corey says and I hit his shoulder. He laughs as I just shake my head. "And his girlfriend Amanda. They got together right before he left for Switzerland. He hasn't said much because he doesn't want to scare her but he said he was going to bring her out tonight to meet everyone" he explains and I nod.

I scoot over so there is more room and the girl sits next to me and Patrick on the other side of her.

"Hello, you must be Amanda" I smile.

"That's me! And you're the birthday girl, right" she asks.

"That would be me" I nod.

"It's nice to meet you. Patrick has said so many great things about you" she admits and I turn to Patrick.

"Is that so" I smirk.

"Don't flatter yourself, I didn't want to invite her to your birthday party and not know anything about you" he defends.

"You still said nice things" I tease.

"Because I couldn't say one bad thing about you if I tried" he claims.

"That's not true" I insist.

"Nope. He's pretty much right" Seab's chimes in.

"Yeah. We don't all agree on much, but that's a easy one" Duncan Kieth adds on.

"Do you guys always talk about me" I question.

"Not as much as he does" Jonny claims pointing to Corey and he turns red. He kicks Jonny under the table causing me to giggle, they were so mature yet so childish, it was crazy.

Eventually the food comes out and we dig in. I get to know Amanda better and it turns out she was really cool. She was a interior designer and has such great vision. She was from around here and was showing me what all she had done, I was impressed.

"So what is it you do" she wonders.

"Well I mainly write articles for nhl.com. I do Blackhawks games then league news. Either reporting something or putting up stats, whatever they need me to do. I just wrote a book about my dad that should be out this summer. I just finished it and sent it to my publisher to further work things out. And sometimes I help the goalies out on the ice during practices but that about it" I shrug.

"That's it? That's amazing" she claims and I smile.

"Thank you. I love what I do and who I do it with" I admit.

"I can tell. What's it like being around these guys all the time" she wonders.

"It's exhausting. They're like little kids trapped in grown men's bodies. But they're all great people. Each and every single one of them is something special and I'm honored I can work along side the best in the business" I explain.

"Well I'm happy you get to chase your dreams. Not a lot of girls can do what you are doing in this business and I'm glad it's you leading the way."

After we finish the food we all hang around and talk. The owner said to stay as long as we would like but I feel like he shouldn't have said that.

After a while Corey taps his wine glass with a fork he somehow finessed from someone. The table quiets down and we look to him.

"I would like to make a toast to the birthday girl" he claims and my eyes go wide. I hate when people talk about me, especially when it's praise.

"Oh no" I mumble.

"Oh yes" he assures me. "We are gathered here tonight for many occasions, but none bigger than to celebrate this amazing woman's birthday. And I know we all have to down play this like it isn't about her but for a few seconds it's going to be.

There is so many great things I could say about Caroline. I could spend all night just explaining how she is the reason this world goes round, but I won't do that. I want to... but I won't.

I just wanted everyone to know that I truly feel like the luckiest guy in the world. Every guy says that, especially when their girl is around, but I know you guys get what I'm saying.

Every day I spend with Caroline is the best day of my life. I am so excited to learn from her every chance I get and be on the receiving end of many of her beautiful life lessons or just simple conversations. I know we are all here to day because we love Caroline in some type of way, but I will never get tired of talking about how great she truly is.

I am so lucky to have her by my side through thick and thin. She is the strongest person I know and I love that I have someone like her to lean on. We all do, and that's one of the many things I love about her.

And as we sit here to celebrate her 28th birthday let me be one of the first to tell you that I'm so fucking proud of you" he says turning to me. "You're a gift to this world and I can't wait to see what the rest of your life holds" he claims.

I try to wipe the smile off my face but I can't, I just couldn't.

"That was so kind of you to say" I reply softly. I really didn't know what to say.

"Happy birthday baby."