This Love is Ours

Chapter 65: Brothers

{Jonathan}

I pull into a parking spot in the parking lot of The Windy City Night Bar.

This bar is a Blackhawks favorite.

If you were to come here on pretty much any night, you're almost guaranteed to see a Hawks player.

Tonight, however, there will be more than just one Hawks player.

It's Saturday, April 29, about 8:00 in the evening.

It's my twenty-ninth birthday today, and the guys have invited me out to the bar for a guy's night out, in honor of the date.

I take the keys out of the ignition, looking up at the bar in front of me, and simply waiting for a few moments before I get out of my car.

I smile, running a hand through my hair.

The 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs have started, and have been going on for a few weeks now.

The Blackhawks played the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, and we were able to sweep my hometown team in the series.

Because we swept the Jets, we have a little bit of time off before the second round starts, as we are waiting for our next opponent, which will either be the Blues or the Stars.

As usual, playoffs have been stressing me out.

Thankfully, round one was a fairly easy round, but the rest of the playoffs aren't going to be like that.

This is a hard year, with tough competition, and we are the defending champions.

With that, I open my car door, getting out, and closing it behind me.

I make my way across the parking lot, and towards the bar.

As I get closer, the loud music coming from inside the bar grows progressively louder.

I step onto the curb that begins the sidewalk towards the bar, and smile as I remember the limos pulling up here after our Stanley Cup victory in both 2014 and 2016.

I remember Ally smiling up at me as I stepped out of the limo with Lord Stanley in my arms.

She looked so beautiful that night, and I remember thinking to myself how lucky I am to have her.

Smiling, I continue walking towards the bar.

I reach the entrance of the bar, and make my way inside. Since it is a Saturday night, it's fairly busy in here, and the air is dense and warm.

I know this place like the back of my hand.

Expertly, I make my way through the busy crowds, dodging a few drunks as they limp across the floor, clearly intoxicated, and towards the bar stools at the end of the building.

The bar stools are the Hawks' favorite place to all meet up, before the evening truly begins.

As I make my way across the floor, I hear a couple girls gasp from right beside me.

"Oh my God, is that Jonathan Toews?" One girl gasps.

I continue walking, although I can still clearly hear them.

"Oh my God, it is! Holy fuck he has a nice ass." The other one says, laughing.

I laugh, shaking my head, when I finally make it to the bar stools.

Sure enough, I find Kaner, Sharpie, Saader, and Shawzy all sitting on the bar stools.

I head over to them, hitting Sharpie on the back lightly.