The Greatest Assist (Patrick Kane)

68| Keeping Up

Patrick

It has only been a month since we bought the land for the house and we were already moving in furniture. Some of that was a little tricky, like getting the cal king bed up in the master bedroom on the second floor. But the movers do a good job and help us bring everything in without busting any frames. Even Jon came and lended a hand in getting the furniture inside while Chelsea and Lizzie work on decorating the living room. That place had what it needed and now it was time for aranging, something that Chelsea was way better at than me. So I stuck to the heavy lifting and making sure the right things get to the right place.

"Why did you guys order so much shit? It's just the two of you" Jon reminds me as he sets the dresser down in the master bedroom.

"We're building a future. We might not need it now but we might need it later. It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it" I shrug.

"I guess. But this is a complete turn around from your apartment. I don't even think you bought a lightbulb for that place in the two years you were there" he accuses.

"I didn't really want to be there in the first place. I mean, I wanted to be here in Chicago with this team, but I would have rather been in a bar or the gym or on the ice than at home. My first year with Stan made it felt like I never left home then the last two years in that apartment I have never felt more lonely. I guess I really had that place for when we get home late from away games or there was nothing else better to do" I explain.

"So you're telling me you went from avoiding your own apartment to building a home with someone that you had only been dating a few weeks at the time" he asks.

"Pretty much" I admit. "But when it comes to Chelsea things are always different. They always have been. Ever since she came into my life I wanted to do better, to be better. She got me to care about myself again and to stop caring about what others thought of me. She opened my eyes and showed me what I was missing while I was throwing myself a pity party inside a bar. There was so much to this city I had never seen before because I didn't care much about learning about it. But she changed me like she always planned to do, she just didn't expect to change this much either" I explain.

"Well I'm happy for you" he starts and I smile. "I know I've given you a hard time, especially when it came to the way you acted off the ice. But I'm really truly happy for you."

"Thanks Jon. Just trying to keep up with you" I wink.

"What do you mean" he gasps. 

"I know you moved in with Lizzie. I can't recall a time she was at the apparent and you weren't" I accuse.

"I helped her move in and I just want to make sure she's comfortable there and she's doing good" he defends.

"You asked me to go get the mail from your apartment the other day and bring it over" I remind him and he laughs.

"Alright, so I overstayed a little. Sue me" he laughs.

"I'm just saying that I moved in with Chelsea when I knew her for months before hand. You and Lizzie have been dating for a week before you stayed over. If anything I am trying to keep up with you" I tease.

"I can't help it! She's so... real. And I can't help but want her to like it here, to make sure she wants to stay so she can be with me" he shrugs.

"That's real love my boy. Enjoy it as much as you can" I insist.

"I am" he smiles.

We finish unloading everything in their rightful rooms before Jon and I start to construct the big things like the bed frames and dressers, real men's work. There were some guys who stayed around to help us out so it really didn't take too long for it all to be set up where we wanted everything to go.

Chelsea did really good with making the house look whole. The walls were all different shades of blue and had gold designs on it. The spare had a gold stripe around the room and the master bedroom had this awesome pattern that matched the bed spread. The master was defiantly my favorite place in the house, she made it so we wouldn't have to leave there very much and I was hoping we could spend the rest of this break together, just her and I.

Eventually we go downstairs where Chelsea and Lizzie had finished setting up the dining room, kitchen and living room and was starting on some dinner. I inhale deeply as I smile to myself, I'm home.

I walk into the kitchen and wrap my arms around Chelsea. I kiss her cheek and I feel her smile under my lips. "I was starting to think you boys got lost up there" she teases.

"Nope. Just wanted to make sure everything was perfect" I mumble into her ear. She rests her hand on my arm that sat around and I smile when I see her promise ring sitting there. I wonder what it would look like with a wedding ring there instead. 

"How have you been Princess" I ask her instead of saying something I would instantly regret.

"The same as when you asked me 20 minutes ago" she laughs.

"I'm being a bit much, aren't I" I ask.

"A little, bit I think it's kind of cute. We aren't going to have a lot of moments like this, building our future where for once we have control of it. I like the fact that you want to make sure I'm happy with this all and I promise you, I am" she assures me.

"Are you sure there isn't anything else you could want for the house? Because I can get it. If you don't like what we did upstairs we can arranged it" I insist.

"Patches" she says as she grabs my face so I had to look her in the eyes. "I'm sure what you did was perfect. I'm going to love it no matter what because you did it."

I softly press my lips to hers before I smile. "I love you, so much" I whisper.

"I love you too" she smiles.