Shadows (Patrick Kane)

(6) A Friend With Benifits

Patrick

The regular season comes to a close and we start with playoff hockey. We are awarded the St. Louis Blues in the first round and our journey to repeating as champions was finally in motion. And with the post season being underway that usually means my parents will be coming to town. They haven't missed a big game game yet and I was excited for them to be around soon, even if they smother me.

So I call my mom and see when they'll start their drive since my dad won't fly. She answers pretty quickly as I lay down on my bed knowing this phone call will be hours long.

"When will you guys be here" I wonder after we get past the formals.

"At least by the beginning of the second round. We're hoping by the end of this round but finding a hotel right now is hard" she explains.

"I get it. I'm just really excited for you guys to be in town" I insist.

"Really" she asks like she doesn't believe me.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be" I question.

"I don't know, you tell me. Ever since the beginning of this year you've been so, off. And I get it, you miss your grandpa, we miss him too. His house sits here right next to us empty and without you following him around home just doesn't feel like home anymore. But it's been months since he passed and you barley talk to us. We came with you to Sochi and you were almost unrecognizable. It was the biggest stage in the world and you didn't even leave Olympic village. You wouldn't return phone calls or come home when you had the time. I wasn't sure what to expect from you when it came time for the playoffs" she accuses.

"I was hurting mom, I don't know what to tell you" I defend.

"And you're not now? That's why you're finally calling" she counters.

"I'm still hurting. And part of me will always be hurting" I try to explain. "But I do want to be better. That is a good place to start."

"It's a girl, isn't it" she accuses and I gasp.

"Seriously? Have you no faith" I question.

"The only time you get soft like this is when there's a girl. And it hasn't been a girl since you were a rookie and you fell in love with the first girl who wore your jersey and smiled your way. So who is she" she questions. I hate how well she knew me. But she did spend the whole lockout with me in Switzerland and before this year started and at that time we were as close as a mother and son can be. But I lost my way and I lost my way to her along the way. I'm just trying to find my way back.

"Her name is Sophia Elway. She's John Elways daughter but she doesn't like to talk about it. Her dad is a huge figure in this kind of business but she doesn't want to be his daughter, she wants to be her own person. Status like his and mine doesn't matter to her. She's pretty sensitive with things like that but she's the most fun I've found in a person. She drinks like one of the guys and looks like one of the models. Simply beautiful and strong minded. She's cool" I ramble.

"So you guys just mess around and call it a relationship" she scolds.

"She's not what she seems mom" I try.

"Patrick I have had enough of having to meet your little fuck buddies only to find out they wanted money or fame or something shallow like that" she reminds me.

"She's not some fuck Buddy. It's more like a... like a friend with benefits" I try.

"Is that supposed to make me feel any better" she asks me and I sigh.

"I don't know mom, I don't know what to say. I have feelings for this girl I know I shouldn't have. We have talked at lengths about how her and I are better off as friends and I truly believe that, but I'm not quite sure any of that matter at the end of the day. I have thoughts of her that will stay in my mind and will never escape it. I know that this girl isn't the answer to all my problems but she isn't trying to be. 

She is the only thing in my life right now that makes sense. She's the only one I trust with anything and she trusts me too. The one person that no matter what I know she will make me happy. She can't bring grandpa back and she can't make me play better hockey, but she gives me what nothing else is right now" I defend.

"You can't just use her" she reminds me.

"I'm not using her. We rely on each other. We feed off of each other and maybe it's not a healthy relationship. Maybe we are everything everyone accuses us of. But she makes me happy and I make her happy and that's not wrong" I insist.

My mom lets out a long sigh and I know she was done arguing with me. For now at least. "Be careful" she warns.

"I am Momma, I promise" I say.

We talk for a little bit more but she had to go. So I hang up and decide to start getting my things together for the post season. We were heading to St. Louis for the first round so it was going to be a short flight. I didn't need much to keep me preoccupied. As long as I have my phone and some games I'll be good to go.

I decide to flip through the magazine I had laying around and I stop. I find a picture of Sophia modeling a outfit for one of the local businesses and I freeze. She looked absolutely amazing, stunning, just like a model. And I flip the page and she was on the other side in a dress now and I pause for a moment. I've never seen her in anything before today but she did say she had a modeling job here. I guess she wasn't lying.

I secretly rip the page out and stuff it in my bag. A little something to put a smile on my face while I'm away. I suppose that's very "teenager hides girls nude poster under his bed" of me but hey, whatever gets us through. I decide to call her and see what she's up to.

"What's up buttercup" she answers as I laugh at her. She was quirky, that's for sure.

"I told my mom about you so I guess we're pretty serious now" I joke.

"Did you tell her that I'm fun to be around and that if I was a restaurant I would get five stars" she teases as I roll my eyes.

"Didn't get to it" I laugh.

"Ah. Next time" she says.

"So what are you doing" I wonder as I lean against my headboard.

"I'm watching real housewives trying to figure out who I need to fuck to be on this show" she claims.

"Are you serious" I ask.

"Absolutely not" she giggles making me shake my head. "But I am trying to figure out how this passes for entertainment. You're telling me that people out there are doing actual hard work and interesting things but aren't getting any attention so I have to go with Amy to get liposuction" she asks.

"We live in a weird world" I admit.

"You can say that again. If I ever end up in something like this please, stop me" she begs.

"I'll do my best" I promise.