The Pursuit of Happiness (Patrick Kane)

|Fifty-One|

Kayleigh

One of the great honors of winning a national championship is going to the White House and meeting the president. He invites all championship teams from college to professional to the big house and they have a little presser and get to meet the man in charge. Patrick has already got to do so once and he had a good old time. Being one of the few predominant American players in a mostly Canadian sport he is a American hero of sorts. Especially considering he won it all last time around. He's got two rings and a Olympic silver medal and a Stanley cup winning goal and playoff mvp. And the best part is he's just getting started.

And since they won the cup once again earlier this year they get to go back again. Along with playing the Capitals they get to visit the White House and give the president another Blackhawks jersey to hang up. With Obama having studied and worked in Chicago for a good majority of his life he loved hosting the Hawks. And boy did the Hawks love coming too.

I get to tag along with Patrick to the White House this year and I couldn't be more excited. Just to see the president and hear what he had to say, well that was enough to make this grown up want to cry like a child.

"Have you practiced what you're going to say to the president" Jonathan teases as we sit in the bus. I send him a playful glare making him laugh.

"I have in fact. Because when I start saying stupid stuff people won't just let it go, I don't have that luxury" I smirk.

"I don't say stupid things" he defends.

"Sometimes" I try.

"Like when" he pouts.

"Well for one, when we were playing with the kids you said fuck about six times and your one word of advice was to them was try hard in school but if you're good at sports you don't need to try as hard" I start making Patrick start to snicker. "There was also the time you asked me why Childish Gambino and Donald Glover looked the same" I go on.

"How was I supposed to know they were the same person" he asks.

"If you don't know, keep your mouth shut. Which is my point exactly" I remind him.

"Well no one likes a know it all" he frowns.

"I do" Patrick cheers beside me making me smile. He was a mess, but he was my mess.

We get to the white house and I start taking as many pictures as possible. I've been around the white house many times before. We took school trips and family trips and sometimes I came out here just for fun. I would just stand here and watch as the helicopter takes off or maybe the first family walks their dogs. Just to have a glimpse into what makes this country unlike all the other ones.

Once we were inside I got so star struck. To see the paintings and pictures of the history hanging up gave me chills. I dreamed of being here when I was a little girl but I never thought I would actually be here.

"Are you gonna cry" Patrick teases.

"I might" I admit as he starts to chuckle.

"Well pull yourself together. The president is on his way" he claims.

"Is the First Lady going to be with him" I wonder.

"I'm not sure" he admits.

"I would love to meet her too. She does a lot of things of her own, a lot of them having to do with kids and helping people. She's a inspiration and the people back in Chicago worship her. I'm trying to accomplish a lot of things she wants to do and I'm honored to follow in her footsteps" I explain.

"Let's see if we can find her" he smiles.

We look around for a little before I hear a bunch of camera flashes. I turn around and see the First Lady walking into the room where everything was happening. I feel the air get sucked out of my lungs as she walks across the room. I looked up to her for so long I never really thought I would see her in real life.

"Michelle" Patrick yells out and I get frozen.

Did this man just first name basis yell at the First Lady?

But she turns around with the biggest smile on her face as Patrick waves her over. Her and her entourage walk over to us and I could feel my knees start to give out. She reaches us and pulls Patrick into a hug.

"Are you staying out of trouble" she asks him and he chuckles.

"Legally I don't think I can answer that" he smirks. He can be such a pain in the ass sometimes. Trust me, I know.

"I guess it's best if I don't know" she winks. "And who is this beautiful young lady you have with you" she asks as she turns to me and I thought I was gonna die right there.

"This incredible young woman is Kayleigh Kendrick. You might of heard of her. She works as the social worker for the city of Chicago. She's only worked there for a little but she's been doing some great things" Patrick explains making me blush.

"Oh we've heard of her, and we couldn't be more excited to have you helping out the city we love so dearly" she says turning to me.

"It is such a honor to meet you" I start.

"The honor is all mine" she smiles.

We sit and talk for a while and I have to admit, this was one of the coolest experience since my life. She was so down to earth and has such great ideas to help so many people. From the start this was all I wanted to do, to help. And now I'm getting ideas from the most important woman in the nation.

"You're a bright young lady. Maybe one day you'll be a good First Lady" she teases.

"Well that would mean Patrick here is president and I don't think there is any help I can provide for the nation at that point" I giggle.

"So you guys are serious then" she asks.

I turn to Patrick who wraps his arm around me and I just smile. "I like to think we are" I admit.

"In that case I want to be invited to the wedding" she insists.

"Will do" I promise.

Eventually she leaves and I use all the time I had to take it all in. I don't know if I'll ever experience something like that again. Growing up so close to the capital I've always been around greatness, but to meet it face to face is nothing less than inspiring.

"So" Patrick asks me.

"Since when we're you all friends" I ask him as he laughs. He just shrugs as he turns to me.

"I don't know. She asked for a picture with me the first time I was here and we kinda just hung out. I haven't seen her since then but she told me I had to win again and come back" he explains.

"You're quite the man aren't you" I accuse as he smiles.

"I try" he laughs.