My Girl (Jonathan Toews)

23

Alexis

After I left New York Kimberly and I went to Minnesota with Jon for two games before we came back home and they won the series in just five games, the one loss only coming in a over time game in Minnesota. After starting the regular season without losing a game in regulation it was only fitting that it happened this way.

So now they're going to take on the Detroit Red Wings in a matchup of historic proportions. After this season the Wings will no longer be in the central division meaning for the first time since.. well ever... the Red Wings and the Hawks will not be in the same division. So this was the ode to the great rivalry we've been able to experience for decades.

And while there was that whole situation going on I had a situation of my own. I have been being blown up with calls about doing interviews and pictures for any certain magazine and talking about my journey back into the mainstream skating scene. But I was focused on supporting Jonny and his quest for the cup at the moment so I told them all to wait until it's closer to the time of the Olympics before I give any type of media attention.

"I don't get it. Why do I have to go to school and you guys don't" Kimberly asks as we wait for the bus with her.

"Because we did our time" Jonny laughs.

"But I want to hang out with you guys all day" she pouts.

"It's almost summertime kiddo. A few more days and you're free" I remind her.

"Fine" she huffs as the bus pulls up. We get her in a seat and send her on her way before heading back to the apartment.

"You got training to do" Jon wonders and I let out a sigh.

"Yeah. But it's nothing too much, with the summer almost here there isn't much for me to do in the figure skating world. I got a lot of making up to do but I'm in the best shape of my life right now. Then I'll pick it up with the training in October or November again" I explain.

"Are you excited" he asks and I chuckle.

"A little bit" I tease.

"I'm so proud of you" he says and I smile big. 

"Thanks. Maybe you can show me a thing or two about winning a gold medal too" I say.

"I don't think you need any advice from me" he insists.

"Maybe not, but I do love the sound of your voice" I admit.

"Oh great, you were being cute and now I forgot what I was going to say" he admits.

"It's a super power" I tease.

"Well since I have nothing to do today can I come watch you practice" he wonders.

"Sure. But I gotta talk to that athletic trainer beforehand" I explain and his eyes go wide.

"What? Why? Are you okay" he rapid fires and I giggle.

"I'm fine. There's just swelling in my knee so I need to see if I should start up physical therapy again just in case or if I just need to ice it more" I explain and he lets out a sigh.

"Oh thank god" he admits and I shake my head. At least I know that nothing can happen to me because he'll be the first person to fix it for me.

I grab my ice skates and head on over to the ice arena. I let myself into the athletic training office and find the athletic trainer. I hop onto a table and he takes a look.

"How long has it been swelling like this" he asks as he tries to find my kneecap in all the fluid.

"About a week. It flared up right before nationals but it didn't bother me. But now I'm down from my high from last week and it's defiantly not comfortable" I admit.

"Do you have any limitations in range of motion" he wonders.

"No, it still works just fine. I don't have pain and it's not giving out or clicking or anything. It's just a lot of pressure in there" I admit.

"Have you ever had your knee scoped or drained" he wonders.

"No. I don't even know what that means" I admit.

"It's when someone goes in and cleans up all the debris and reduced the swelling in someone's knee after they had the type of serious surgery you had" he explains.

"How long would I be out" I wonder.

"A week" he says and I scoff.

"Oh! I thought you were going to say another year" I admit and he shakes his head.

"Not at all. It'll just reduce the pressure you're feeling and help prevent any further damage to the cartilage in there" he explains.

"Alright. I think I'll get the scope done and I'll take a little break" I say.

"That's sounds like a good plan to me. Do you need me to find you a orthopedic doctor" he asks.

"That would be great" I admit.

He goes to find someone who could get me all fixed up quickly and Jon appears by my side. He runs his finger down my scar across my knee as he looks at my leg.

"That's a nasty scar" he admits.

"It was a pretty nasty injury" I remind him.

"How did you get through it" he questions.

"Kimmy" I admit. "She was my hope, my want to be better. I was absolutely crushed when I got hurt, the first month or so after surgery you can't do anything. You're in a knee brace that doesn't bend, it's literally called a immobilizer. And the only time you can take it off is to put your leg in this machine that moves it so my leg wouldn't go stiff. She was barley three when this all happened and she took care of me. She brought me food and drinks and pain medication when I couldn't stand it anymore. She was my everything" I admit.

"Did it hurt" he wonders.

"It hurt like hell. Physical therapy was awful, to not be able to do simple things was so frustrating. To have to build yourself up to do things you never thought twice to do before, it was terrible" I admit.

"But if you got better why did you quit" he asks and I sigh.

"Because figure skating was now the source of my pain, not my happiness. I was stuck on the couch watching the Olympics listening to how they could have used someone like me out there. They mentioned me at least five times every time the woman's figure skating was going and three times during other sports. I let my nation down, I let my parents down, and I let myself down. When you fall from as high as I was... there's no way you can get back up. Not the way I was doing it at least. So I retired, I didn't want to get that high again, I didn't think I could get that high again. I didn't want to get hurt again and I didn't want to be hurt again so I quit. I was done. I gave up on my dreams and pissed away everything my parents worked so hard for. No wonder they left" I sigh.

"They didn't leave because you weren't strong enough, they left because they weren't. They gave up on you instead of doing what Kimberly did, and that was never stop believing in you. She knew you could do it, you just needed to show yourself" he reminds me.

"I needed you" I say and he stops looking at my scar. He turns to me with the biggest smile on his face as he moves closer to me.

"You didn't need me to do anything. I wasn't there when you got back on the ice, that was all you" he reminds me.

"And I couldn't have gotten there without you."