Bears

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February

*

The Chicago Bears finally made it to the Super Bowl. It's the first time in thirty years. And, with being the #1 hockey team in the NHL this season, the Hawks have been asked to make an appearance on the field with the team at Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

I'm currently dating Jonathan Toews, captain of the Chicago Blackhawks, the team I am head trainer for. My parents don't know, but the entire team, plus my best friend, who's dating Patrick Kane, and both my sisters, do know.

I've had to blackmail my sisters into not saying anything to my parents. I've told my youngest sister that I'd tell Mom and Dad that she's a weed dealer, and for my middle sister, I'd tell she's flunking out of senior year of college. I'm acting like I'm 15 years old, but I'm not ready to face the wrath of my father if I tell him I'm dating his star player and captain of the team. I'm going to tell him at the end of the season, if things are still going good with Jonathan.

~~~~~~~~~~

We're on the plane now, going into Atlanta. I'm sitting in between Jonathan and Corey, across the aisle from Patrick, Kayla, and my father. Jonathan and I hold hands between the seats, so my father couldn't see anything, though he looks like he's about to fall asleep. 

Both Jonathan and I have a book in our free hand laying over the seat tables in front of us. I have When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi. Jonathan has Wayne Gretzky's newest book, 99: Stories of the Game.

"Jonathan", I hear from a few rows in back of us. "Put your book away. You're not your girlfriend. Geez".

My eyes go wide, and the first thing I do is look over at Dad. I take a deep sigh of relief when I see he's fully asleep. Jonathan looks back at TVR, who had said it. "Trevor. Shut the hell up", Jonathan whisper yells back. "If you wake Q with your loud mouth, I will kill you myself".

The plane lands in Atlanta an hour later. Everyone gets on the bus to take us to the football field. The Super Bowl game is tonight, in just a few hours. "Okay, men", I hear after settling into my seat next to Jonathan at the front of the bus. It's Dad. "We have your football jerseys ready for you in locker room number five. It's the first locker room in the hallway where we'll be. Wives, you'll have the same jerseys as your husband, and employees, yours will be in the players lounge. We won't be going to the hotel until after the game tonight. Be prepared for a very long day".

The team all groans slightly. Dad sits down next to me. The bus drives off the tarmac and through the streets of Atlanta. The drive takes about half an hour, with today being the biggest day in Chicago Bears history, having not been in a super bowl since before Jonathan and I were born, and it being being the Super Bowl anyway, Atlanta is packed with football lovers.

"Everybody off the bus", my father yells as he stands from his seat next to me. I squeeze Jonathan's hand for a second as we walk down the bus aisle. He squeezes back, then lets go as I walk down the stairs in front of him.

The parking lot is filled with reporters and journalists waiting for the two teams to arrive at the stadium. Only few seem to care that the 'Hawks are here, which I don't see why they would, so we keep on our walk into the main doors and follow my father down a few hallways and into the locker room.

Inside, at each locker, hangs two or three jerseys in plastic bags. "CJ", Dad says to me. "Yours is with mine in here". He points to a locker in the far corner. I walk over and we each take our football jerseys from the bags. I slip mine over my navy blue Chicago Bears shirt.

Everyone puts on their jerseys, and a few change their own shirts for the jerseys. Kayla has her own with Patrick's name and number on the back, matching his jersey. "We're supposed to be out on the field in twenty minutes, so just sit tight", Mr. Bowman tells us from the doorway, in his usual dark grey suit, Rocky stands next to him. Everyone claps and we all sit around and wait. I sit over with Jonathan, Patrick, and Kayla.

Kayla and I tell the guys about a time when we were little and we had first met. We had still lived in St. John's, and both of us somehow got glue in each others hair and had to be sent home to wash it out. I think we were in kindergarten at the time, and weren't allowed glue the rest of the year. We got in trouble a lot those few years together in that school.

"Okay. Line up. Ladies, line up to the left of them. CJ", Mr. Bowman yells out specifically. "You're next to Jonathan. He picked you to go with him because you're our trainer".

Jonathan smiles at me and lines up at the front of the line. Duncan and Kelly Keith, and Brent and Dayna Seabrook line up close behind us, then the rest of the team.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this years top NHL team, from Chicago, the Blackhawks", the announcer echoes over the speakers of Georgia Dome. Mr. Bowman and Dad lead us through the large tunnel at the corner of the field where the Bears will enter later.

"Let's go 'Hawks", Jonathan yells beside me as he starts at a run out of the tunnel, the crowd inside the stadium erupts in cheers.

Jonathan instinctively grabs onto my hand and leads me with him in his run. The team runs out behind us. Dad and Mr. Bowman run up to Roger Goodell in the middle of the field. They shake hands as we all look around the stadium in disbelief, well, me anyway. I've never stood in front of 70,000 people before. The most was 20,000 at the UC.

I turn a 360, and look up at the top row of everybody, who seem so incredibly far away. The crowd continues to cheer as the team waves all around, my hand still locked into Jonathan's.

After the team waves, we stand there and look around as Dad and Mr. Bowman talk with John Fox, head coach of the Bears, Bill Belichick, head coach of the Patriots, and Roger Goodell, GM of the NFL.

I turn to Jonathan and grab his shoulder, pulling him down to my level. I whisper into his ear. "You have to let go to my hand. Dad will see".

Jonathan looks at me for a quick second, then whispers into my ear.

"I'm never letting you go".

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