The Burden Of Love (Jonathan Toews)

Enough .68

Jonathan

It comes time for the preliminary games against some of the countries we're not so used to going against. The way they broke the teams up for this tournament was by diving us into three groups and who can get the most points in the prelims within those groups to see who plays who. Thankfully for us our group was without team USA. I wasn't quite ready to have to listen to Patrick running his mouth anyway. So we warm up with teams like Norway, work on line combinations and what time on ice should look like.

So I sit in my stall between Subban and Keith as we undress after the game. We talk about what to work on before the next game and what went well. This was a good group of guys and I had a feeling they would do well.

"So what's your plans once you get out of here" Subban asks.

"I'm gonna go see my girlfriend. I dragged her here and left her with the kids might as well try and help her out" I joke.

"Listen to you. Girlfriend, kids, who is this man" Subban asks.

"Not the same guy you roomed with four years ago in Vancouver" I admit.

"Who would have thought the same guy who was making me do push-ups the night before the gold medal game would be out on the town" he teases.

"What can I say? If I'm gonna make her my wife I gotta treat her right" I shrug.

My side of the room falls dead quiet as everyone's eyes turn to me. It took me but a few seconds to realize what I said before my eyes nearly pop out of my head.

"Excuse me" Duncan asks.

"Shit" I mumble just shaking my head. Now I've done it.

"Jonny boy care to explain yourself" he tries.

"What's there to explain at this point? We live together, we have gone through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows and no matter what she was right there next to me. I know it seems quick but I love her and I don't want to spend a extra second without her" I defend.

"Don't you feel like you're moving too fast" he wonders.

"I think the worst feeling in the world is not feeling like you're enough. Not fast enough, not smart enough, not being enough. But when I'm with her I feel like I'm enough and nothing else gets that feeling. Why shouldn't I take a chance on that" I ask.

"Damn, you're serious" Subban notices.

"I got the ring here with me and everything" I admit.

Suddenly there's a punch on my arm as Kieth smiles like an idiot. "Look at you. A real family man" he says.

"What can I say? I've seen the light and I'm not going back" I joke.

Finally they stop grilling me and I head a little outside of the Olympic villages where friends family and fans stay. I let myself up to Emilia's room which was in full blown chaos right now. Ken was running around in his underwear and Jasmine was in the kitchen clearing out smoke from something on the stove.

"Kenneth Jerry Toews put on your pants now" Emmy yells and he stops. A smile comes on his face and he takes off again. Emilia might be a miracle worker but no miracles can control a kid.

"Emmy the smoke isn't going away" Jas calls out.

"Even if you put out the flames you still have to deal with the smoke" Ken yells before jumping onto the counter in the kitchen. What the hell did I just walk into?

"Should I come back" I ask as I point to the door. The chaos stops as everyone's head whips their head towards me.

"Dad" the kids cheer as they run over to me. Ken wraps his arms around my leg as Jasmine's arms go around my waist. I hug them back making sure they know how happy I am to see them.

"What's goin on in here" I ask.

"Ken is on a pants strike and Jasmine wanted to make you dinner. One was a success and one wasn't. I'll let you take a crazy guess of which one was which" Emilia laughs.

"Alright let's get situated then we can have dinner" I nod.

After much bargaining I got Ken to put pants on, all it cost me was my team Canada jersey. We help Jasmine clean up the kitchen and make sure she didn't burn the salmon this time. It's a tricky meat to make but it tastes oh so good. Finally we sit down at the table in the kitchen and get to eating. The kids ask about the game and I tell them everything. Emilia smiled up at me the whole time.

After dinner I tuck Kenny in and Jasmine reads him a bedtime story just like the good old days. We pray together before I leave them be. I find Emmy in the kitchen and help her wash the dishes. She scrubs and I rinse and dry. Like everything else with us we work together well and should be done in no time.

"You even make washing dishes sexy" I try as she raises her eyebrow at me.

"Are you trying to sexy talk me while washing dishes" she accuses.

"I... I guess I am. Man the guys were right" I chuckle.

"They were right about what" she wonders.

"You got me all kinds of whipped" I admit.

"I do not" she scoffs.

"Yes... you do. But I'm okay with that. Call me simp or whipped or whatever. As long as I can call you mine I don't care" I admit.

"Okay maybe you are" she smirks and I laugh.

"And that's okay. You make me feel like I'm good enough to be here, a part of this family, and they can call me what they want. Doesn't bother me much. I just want a chance to love you" I say softly.

"You'll have every chance you take" she promises.

We finish up with the dishes and even though I couldn't stay I still craw into bed with her. I miss the feeling of her in my arms. I'm rooming with Jamie Ben which has been fun. But he's not as cuddly as Emmy is.

"Jon you do know that you're good enough to be here, to be a part of this, right" she asks.

"I used to not think so. Used to think I didn't belong. But when I look around now I know I do belong. I have a place on this team, at the Olympics, and here with you" I insist.

"Good" she smiles.