This Love is Ours

Chapter 37: Familiar Faces

{Jonathan}

I walk through the familiar streets of Downtown Chicago, to one of my favorite spots.

Millennium Park.

It's Thursday, September 15, about 3:00 in the afternoon.

The Blackhawks pre-season has started up again.

Training camp is finished, and the pre-season games are rolling in almost every other day.

The regular season doesn't start for another month or so, but this time of the year is always busy.

Patrick and Abigail got back from their honeymoon, about two weeks ago.

They both said it was amazing, and they had the time of their lives, which I'm glad about.

I'm pumped for the new NHL season.

It's going to be a good season, and I can already tell that.

There was a Hawks practice this morning, so after eating some lunch, I decided to head to Millennium Park for a few hours.

I clear my mind there.

All of my troubles seem to leave me, when I am there.

I'm not having too many troubles, at the moment.

The upcoming NHL season is looking bright, and I feel good.

My guilt for breaking up with Natalie just over a month ago hasn't faded.

I still see her every now and then, jogging, or around my street.

We talk, when we see each other.

We ask how either of us are doing, what we're up to nowadays...

But, it's not in the same way that we used to.

We've drifted, and I'm not going to lie about that.

Abigail and Natalie have grown extremely close, despite the fact that I'm not dating her anymore.

Therefore, I still see her a lot, because she hangs out with all the Blackhawks wives and girlfriends.

I miss her.

I do.

I miss talking to her, and I miss her company.

But, I still feel I'm not ready for a relationship with her.

I still feel that way.

But for the most part, I am happy.

I've been enjoying my time alone, and hanging out with the guys from the team a lot too.

Seeing them at Patrick's wedding after not seeing them for a little while was great.

They are my best friends, and that will never change.

The autumn leaves crunch underneath my feet, as I walk down the fairly busy streets of Downtown.

It's fall, and the orange leaves are falling from the trees throughout the city.

It's beautiful, really.

I reach Millennium Park, and stroll over to The Bean.

There are a bunch of people taking pictures and laughing excitedly around it.

I smile, as I continue past it, and begin strolling down the sidewalks of Millennium Park.

I walk for about twenty minutes, hands stuffed in my jean pockets, until I find a park bench to sit down on.