My Girl (Jonathan Toews)

56

Jonathan

After the apartment was decorated and the snow starts to fall into the city it was obvious that winter time was upon us. There was Christmas cheer at every corner and people just seemed to be happier in general.

But I was a little down because Alexis was out in New York for a skating competition and I was back at our home we made together without her. It felt weird to be here and her not be around making this place seem brighter. Usually it's the either way around, she's here and I'm not, I just hated how this place felt more like a house a not a home when she was gone. I don't get how she does this all the time but I'm gonna make sure she doesn't feel as bad as I do now.

Luckily for me Kimberly stayed behind. Alexis doesn't want her missing any more school until the Olympics and her doctors want to keep her close by to make sure she's healthy enough to go to the Olympics in the first place. So her and I were going to be alone for two while days and I won't lie, I'm a little nervous. This is the first time it's been just her and I, there's never been a time when I watched over her and Alexis wasn't just a few steps away in case something went wrong. I knew I could do this but the last thing I needed was for Kimberly to get sick and I not know what to do again.

"Hey Jonny" she asks as she catches me spacing out on the couch.

"Hey kiddo. What's up" I wonder as I pull her onto my lap.

"What can I get sissy for Christmas" she wonders and my eyes go wide. I haven't even thought about Christmas presents and Christmas was in like 3 weeks. I guess that got away from me with making sure I could go on without Alexis here to help me.

"Oh man, I don't know. What do you think she would like" I wonder trying to get a idea myself too.

"A new car" she cheers and I laugh.

"Think a little bit smaller" I say. We don't have enough parking spots at the condo for another car.

"Hmmm" she mumbles as she taps her chin. "Can we get her some Russian stuff for the Olympics" she questions.

"An Olympic care package would be very handy" I admit.

"Okay, lets go! Come on Blue" she calls as she jumps out my lap.

Sometimes I wish I was 8 again. Life seems so.. simple. Say what you want then bam... you get it.

So we grab my wallet and the dog and we head to the store. Blue was now a certified and trained service dog and can help with Kimberly's asthma attacks and she does a damn good job of protecting her too. It sucks that people assume pit bulls are just aggressive, she wouldn't hurt a squirrel unless Kimmy told her to. She was so sweet and such a great best friend. I don't know if we got lucky with her or I was so oblivious to how great it is to have a dog friend. But I'm happy she's with us.

As we walk through the store I see why Alexis usually leaves her sister home when she's getting groceries. Every time I look down she has something new in her hand and then it goes into the basket before she grabs something new. I was tempted to put her in the basket and go down the middle of the isle so she wouldn't rack up my bill.

"Why would your sister need a Polaroid camera when she has a digital one" I ask as points it out. "Those things went out of style years ago."

"What's a Polaroid camera" she asks as she looks at me weird. "I thought this was a water gun" she insists and I shake my head. I need to get her out more apparently.

"No. Thats a camera takes pictures then instantly prints them out" I explain and she gasps.

"Why did they ever go out of style" she asks.

"I don't know. You can't retake pictures and you run out of film quickly. If it's blurry you can't fix it and you'll lose the pictures easily. Times change and people change with them. We lose interest, lose desire to be the way we used to be and we want to be the way we are now" I shrug.

"But this captures memories that no matter how much time passes, Lexi will always want to see. And we can't change them, they'll be just like she remembers. Even if it can't go to the computer it can go in her purse so every time she looks for something then she can smile at the pictures" Kimberly explains. I stop pushing the cart around as she hangs on to the side. I look at her as she stares at me with those big blue eyes.

"How are you so smart. You're just 8" I shake my head.

"I'm almost nine" she cheers and I smile.

"No. You're eight forever" I claim.

"Why does everyone tell me that" she questions as she lets out a exhausted sigh.

"Although people change, some things we want to keep them the same forever" I explain.

"I'm never gonna leave you Jonny" she promises and I smile.

"You are. You're gonna get old and you're gonna rule the world, I just know it. But I'll always be here for you kiddo. Forever" I insist.

I put the camera in the cart and we get some film so we can take as many pictures as we can in Sochi. We get her a Russian translation book and some other things she can use there. We buy her a new suitcase to use and decide to put everything Kimberly got for her in there.

"What are you getting Alexis" she wonders and I sigh.

"I'm not sure. I already got her a ring" I say.

"You're getting married" Kimberly squeals as she jumps up and down and I laugh.

"No no. Not yet. This ring is a different type of special" I explain. I also got Kimmy one for Christmas but isn't real gold like Alexis' and I got like 5 of them because I know she's gonna loose at least 3. But that was the only Christmas thing I had done and that was done when I got Alexis her ring a while back.

"Oh. Then give her... a baby" she claims and I nearly choke.

"I can't just give her a baby" I defend.

"Why not" she questions oh so innocently.

"It just doesn't work that way. You're gonna have to trust me on this one" I beg.

"Fine. You can get her something else" she sighs.

We start to head to the checkout to purchase all the stuff that Kimberly got for her sister. It was at least 300 dollars worth of stuff and I had no regrets.

"You know, Sissy always gets me stuff for Christmas but this is the first time I can get her something" she explains.

"Looks like you made up for the last 8 years" I tease.

"I wish I could show her how much I really really love her" she claims.

"Trust me... she knows."