The Greatest Assist (Patrick Kane)

66| Checking Up

Patrick

Now that the hard work on the house was done it was time for Chelsea to take over. She understood the math and the way the flooring had to go in and the tiles in the kitchen and the bathroom walls and what all needed to be painted what color.

So while she took care of that I decided to drop in on Lizzie and Jon to see how they're doing. My off ice workouts were starting to ramp up so I wanted to see what Jon was doing and make sure Lizzie is doing well. We usually have dinner together at least once a week and she's been off and running with her prosthetic leg. She was talking about wanting to run the Chicago marathon and doing some sled hockey too. Something to keep her preoccupied.

So I let myself into their place and find them cuddled up on the couch. I wedge myself between them making them both let out a long groan.

"Someone tell Chelsea her puppy got out" Jon mumbles.

"Jokes on you, she sent me here to check up on you guys" I smirk.

"Typical" Lizzie scoffs.

"Soo... how are we doing today" I ask trying to start up a conversation.

"We were great... until you showed up" Jon shuns.

"My presence is a gift" I gasp.

"Sure. When you're wearing a hockey jersey" he mumbles.

"Jon, can you go get make me some chicken nuggets for lunch" Lizzie asks obviously just trying to get us away from each other. She, like Chelsea, didn't appreciate the banter because it lasted too long and happened too often.

"Anything" he smiles becoming almost a different person.

He gives her a kiss before taking off to the kitchen for a while. I turn to Lizzie who just shakes her head.

"I swear he loves you" she laughs.

"It's a tough love" I assure her.  "So, how have you been. I feel like we haven't seen you in forever" I admit.

"It's been like five days" she giggles.

"That's forever for someone who lives a few floors down from us" I accuse.

She looks at her hands in her lap as she just shrugs. For a moment she looked exactly like her sister in the way she was acting. It was scary.

"Some days are better than others. Just gotta go moment by moment, make the best of the situation I'm in. It's been hard with my parents finding out, like I didn't feel bad enough about this already. Now they think I'm some kind of poison infecting her family because I decided to stay in Chicago too. But I see what my sister means, leaving this place seems impossible now. I've spent the last 8 years of my life fighting in a war I didn't belong in. But I stayed because it was all I knew, and I knew being there was easier than being in LA.

But if I knew a place like this existed, where what I did is celebrated and me losing a leg isn't something kind of disadvantage then I would have came here right after the accident instead of staying there too afraid to come home" she explains.

"Well I'm happy you're here and that you're staying. Chelsea is so excited to have you back in her life and I'm happy to have a chance to get to know you. Chels has said nothing but the greatest things about you, she loves you a lot" I insist.

She just smiles as she lets out a soft sigh. "I know she does. And she will do a lot of silly things to prove it, like send you to check up on me even though she did yesterday" she shakes her head.

"She protects everything she loves, and even the things she just likes. She's stronger than she knows, I just hope she will never know what it takes to have to be that strong" I sigh.

"You worry about her" she asks.

"Not in the way she worried about you, but yeah, I do. I know she's strong, and I know she is capable of doing whatever it is she puts her mind to. But I'm scared that she has these high expectations of me and that I will let her down" I explain.

"You can't let that get to you Patrick. I've see her fall in love once before and the first time she was devastated. I'm talking called me crying every night even if I didn't have my phone. I'm talking her already severe eating disorder getting to the point that she's went days without eating. I've seen all the bad things that loving someone has done to her.

And now I see her as she loves you and I know that's the best version of my sister out there. You make her happy not because you're perfect but because you're not. So stop trying to be, she doesn't want a perfect man. She wants a man who is perfect for her. And you are" she promises.

"Now I see where she got her charm and wits from" I tease. Because it sure as hell wasnt her parents.

"She's taught me as much as I have taught her, if not more" she insists.

"She's got a way with words, that's for sure" I chuckle.

"Is that what got you hooked" she wonders.

"No, not at all. The moment I first laid eyes on her I knew she was the one. Then it was the moment I thought I couldn't have her around anymore. as soon as I thought that I let the best thing I've ever got to call my friend through my fingers I knew I couldn't live without her" I whisper.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you guys. I know that was bad, Jon told me about it" she admits.

"I'm just happy she turned out okay. That you guys got to reunite and we all live together... for the next few weeks at least" I say.

"How is the house coming along" she wonders.

"It's a lot" I admit. "But this was her dream and it's turning into mine. I'm happy we get to do this together."

"So what are you doing here bothering us then" she smirks.

"She's taking over flooring and painting and I have less artistic bones in my body than a newborn baby" I explain as she laughs at me.

"Fair enough. And even if Jon doesn't say it we really appreciate you checking up on us. He would never admit it but times have been hard on the both of us and your guys' support means the world" she claims.

"Has he been good to you" I ask like the big brother I am.

"He's been the best part of my life" she smiles big. She has this sparkle in her eye, like when Chelsea talks about me.

"You love him, don't you" I accuse. Her cheeks turn red as her eyes go anywhere but mine.

"Maybe" she says.

"It's okay to admit that you feel love" I assure her.

"I know that, but it's a hard concept for me. Love is something we didn't have a lot of growing up. Us kids were pitted against each other and our parents only showed affection when we complied. Like love is something we have to earn, not something that happens naturally.

Then I get to the army where whenever we got attached to something or someone it would a get blown up. Besides my sister love was pretty much avoiding me.

Then he comes along and now I'm head over heels and I can't stop the spinning" she admits.

"Don't try to stop it" I insist. "Because that's one of the best feelings in the world."

"It is, isn't it"  she asks.