The Greatest Assist (Patrick Kane)

54| Staying Put

Patrick

Usually in the off season I head back to Buffalo to relax, be with friends and family and to try be somewhat of a normal twenty something year old. Buffalo is where all my buddies who I would go drink with and hang around with resided, not the kind of crowd you want your kid with but they were a lot of fun. You couldn't take that from them. But where there was fun there was being irresponsible and getting into trouble when I could have easily avoided it. Trouble that followed me back here and messed with my life way beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

Buffalo will always be home, wherever my family is that's where home is. But for the betterment of me and moving towards a future I want to be a part of I needed to stay here in Chicago in the off season. This is where my heart is at right now and I can't leave, not yet at least. There's still unfinished business that needs to be tended to.

"Are you going to at least come visit" my mom cries into the phone. She always broke me down but I was insistent in staying this time around.

"Of course I am. I promised Chelsea that I would show her around the city and have her come meet grandpa. She's got her own skates so we can go to the rink I grew up in and my sisters can brother her then" I tease.

"You promise you'll come out for at least a few days" she asks.

"I promise momma. I just need to handle some things out here and make sure everything is all good before I start planning trips" I defend.

"Is everything okay" she wonders.

I just smile as I let out a smile. "It's great, actually. Just a little bit confusing" I try.

"This is about Chelsea, isn't it" she accuses.

"How on earth did you know that" I shake my head.

"I can tell in your voice when you're talking about her. Like a Love sick teenage boy who never talks about her by name but is always talking about her" she says.

"Well you're right, I am. And nothing is wrong, we just have a lot to talk about but neither of us really knows how. She's scared to open up about this after what happened with her last boyfriend and I don't know the first thing about love and what to do with it. We're a pretty messy duo right now but we make it work" I shrug.

"All the more reason to lock it down" she tells me.

"That's easier said than done" I defend.

"It is. But when it comes to you guys I believe it will all work itself out in the end" she claims.

We talk a little while more before she lets me talk to my dad. I gave him the same lecture about my decision to stay in Chicago and why but without all the sappy talk I had with mom. Eventually they let me go and I head on over to Chelsea's place. I offered to help Lizzie get into her own apartment and set some stuff up there. She was so close to being out of her wheelchair and into the real world, it was cool to see her come so far in not a lot of time. But Chelsea has that effect on people.

When I get there I find Jonny and Lizzie grabbing a few boxes and moving them to the door. I look around for Chels but I don't see her which is weird considering this is her place. "Where's my Princess" I ask.

"She's out on the patio a little too close to the railings if you ask" Lizzie shakes her head. That girl had no fear of heights and I wasn't sure if that's a good or a bad thing.

But I go out on the patio where I find Chelsea leaning against the railing just looking out over the city. I don't think she was looking at any one thing specific, just out.

"Hey there pretty little thing" I start as she turns to me. The smile on her face was huge as she realized it was me.

"Hey Patrick" she replies as she turns back to the city. I lean on the rail next to her and I join her in her gazing.

"What are you thinking so hard about out here" I wonder.

"A little bit of everything really. Just trying to figure out where my life goes next" she admits.

"Where do you want it to go" I question.

"I'm not so sure anymore. I thought I had it all planned out. I would spend a year here with you then move on to someone else and change their life too. I would do this every year for 40 years and all of the sudden I've changed 40 peoples lives for the better. I've impacted 40 personalities that influence millions and before I knew it everyone was trying to become better people.

But now I can't possibly imagine working with anyone else anywhere else. I feel like I am wanted here with you. But I'm not sure you feel that same way" she admits.

"How couldn't I" I challenge.

"I don't know. I can't just assume things based off of what I want to happen. If it was up to me I would stay here forever and be with you but that's not my fate or destiny or whatever you want to call it. I don't know what it is and that's why it's so hard for me to plan things for my future. What do I know" she sighs.

"You know a hell of a lot more than other people. And you know that you have the power to control your life. You taught me that. So why don't you look at your future and try to place some things so the rest can work itself out" I try.

"That depends on a lot of things" she claims.

"Like what" I question.

"You. Are you staying or you going back home? Am I supposed to follow you around until something happens and one of us gets hurt" she questions.

"Why does someone always have to get hurt" I pout.

"That's how these kind of things turn out in my experience" she defends.

"What we have is unlike anything either of us has ever experienced. That's why we never know what to do. But when it comes to the near future I've decided to stay here in Chicago... with you" I say.

"Me" she gasps.

"Yes you. Why is that so hard to believe" I question.

"You could have any girl in the world... why me? Why would I believe that out of everyone you would want to chose to be with me for the rest of your life" she asks.

"Because it has always been you" I try. "There was no future for me until you came along, and now I can't think you of a future I want to be in without you in it. I was planning to play hockey until I got kicked out or couldn't play no more then move back home and piss whatever is left of my life away there. But now I see that you are everything I want and need in a person and I can't let you go. I love you so much and I'm willing to stay and fight for that.

You know... if you're up to it" I shrug.

"Of course I would be up to it. I really like you and although I'm scared to be with you... I'm even more scared that I'm not" she says softly.

I smirk as I walk on over to her. I softly grab her face before pulling her into a kiss. Her long hair whipping around in the wind but we didn't mind. If you ask me this moment is perfect.

"We should go help my sister" she whispered on my lips.

"Okay. One more kiss though" I insist. I crash her lips onto mine and in that moment I knew that I had made the right decision.