God Bless The Broken Road (Jonathan Toews)

Happy Anniversary

Jonathan

A lot can happen in one year. You can have a kid, win the best trophy in hockey, practically adopt another kid, make memories that will last a lifetime, learn lessons that I will keep forever, and do all of that alongside the woman I love the most. All that and more has happened since I married Maisie a year ago today, and although it's been nearly five years together I fall more in love with her every day.

I roll over in bed and start to run my fingers through her impossibly soft hair. She starts to stir and her long eye lashes separate showing off her incredibly blue eyes. She smiles as she cups my cheek and we just stare at each other.

"Happy anniversary" she says in her adorable morning voice.

"Happy anniversary" I say back as I pull her close. She buries her face into my chest and her arms wrap around me tightly, the best feeling in the world really. 

"Do we have to get up yet" She mumbles.

"Not yet" I whisper while running my fingers through her hair once again. There's a loud crash outside of the room and she starts to laugh.

"Why are you laughing" I ask. I swear she never gets upset.

"Because I know that sound could be from our kid who likes to try every sport possible, sometimes all at once. Then it could be the new one who likes to watch master chef and just dropped a pan. Or it could be the silly one who can walk on her own but would rather hang onto stuff that falls like curtains or a table cloth. It might just be our dog who likes to give personalized wake up calls every once in a while. And I'm not sure why it would be Mason but nothing shocks me anymore" she laughs.

"Okay, that is pretty funny" I admit. We change and leave the room and immediately fall into a fit of laughter. Everly was siting on the island in a diaper covered in flour smacking her stomach so a cloud of flour rose every time she hit it. Jackson was holding Dagger who was also covered in flour and left little paw prints all over the furniture. Sam had pancake batter in a pan and another pan was turned over on the floor. The kitchen was all white and the kids froze when we came out of our room.

"What the hell is going on here" I laugh.

"Well, Sam wanted to do something for your anniversary so I suggested we make you guys breakfast. We've watched mom make pancakes a hundred times before and she makes it look so simple. But man... I don't even think we were close" he admits. Maisie starts cracking up and I couldn't but help but to too.

"Please don't be mad" Sam begs.

"We're not mad. This is incredibly sweet of you guys, we love it" Maisie says picking up Everly. She tried to brush her off but not much happens.

"How about we all get cleaned up then have IHOP for breakfast" I suggest. They seemed pretty excited about that and got to cleaning quickly. After breakfast we chill in the pool and reminisce on these past few days. Everything was set in fast motion and I would love for it to slow down. I'm trying to take it all in but it's flying by so quickly. I'm only 25 and have achieved so much in my life. But all of it I've done with a special person by my side. Someone who I am no one without. She's special in the sense that I need here even if she doesn't think I do. I really really do. I need her cooking that tastes like its fresh out of Chicago cut, I need her touch, her voice always telling me what to do. We might have been married for only a year, but she makes a lifetime of difference.

Nicole and Michael come over to take care of the kids for the night so we can go out. I had a special dinner ready for us and I couldn't wait. She comes out of our room in a two piece white lace summer outfits and white wedges. Unless I watched her give birth I would have never guessed she was a mom. Her long black hair pencil straight and no make up, perfect as always. I smile brightly to myself as she walks over to me. I remember how insecure she used to be, always worried that I didn't like how she looked or was trying too hard. And while I think she looks a little too good for my liking, I love that she finally saw what I saw. Just indescribable and a absurd amount of beauty.

"Ready to go" I ask holding out my arm. She wraps her small fingers around my arm and gives me a killer smile.

"Ready Freddy" she replies. With that I take her to our special location. I had a dinner for two set out on the beach. There was romantic lights and a live band around it. We walk over and I pull her chair out for her to sit in. I sit across from here and she just stares at me.

"Did you do this or did someone help plan it" she wonders and I gasp.

"Do you really think I'm incapable of thinking up of such a great anniversary dinner" I asks and she rolls her eyes.

"Give me a break, our kids nearly turned our kitchen into a pancake this morning. Not exactly sure what to expect anymore" She giggles.

"For your information I did plan this. The band has a list of my favorite songs from the iPod you gave me for my birthday, for dinner were having you're favorite Italian beef and cheese fries and for dessert you get a ice cream aaaaand me" I smirk pointing to myself.

"Pretty good Mr. Toews. I think you're getting the hang of this husband thing" she teases with a wink.

"Anything for my amazing wife" I smile back. We eat dinner and share many laughs like always. We reflect on what we've been through so far and I realize just how great we have it. There's not a person in this world I would rather be having this dinner with right now. After dinner we dance while the band plays behind us. We sway back and fourth in the warm sand as the sun sets behind us.

"This sunset is beautiful, but it has nothing on you" I mention.

"That was so cheesy" she chuckles.

"Yeah, but cheese is great" I say and she looks up at me.

"That is very true" she admits. The music slows down and the chords of Bless the Broken Road starts. She holds me tighter and I pull her closer. She starts to sing along and I recall the first time I heard this song.

"I still remember the first time I heard this song. It was the day after we met and you needed someone to watch Jackson. I agreed partially to get closer to you and partially because I knew Jackson was a special kid. Something told me, even though I've never watched kid before and I knew you for just hours, to go for it because something would come out of it. You came home and made us sit down for a 10 pm dinner. I was so confused, but then you asked how everyone's day was and for the first time someone talked to me like I was a real human I wasn't Captain Serious or Mr. Canada or Rookie, I was Jonathan Toews and it felt great. You were just 20 years old and I knew so little about you, but man were you something else. So young and so brilliant, so passionate. Then I went to tell you good night and hopefully ask you out on a date and I got stuck. I heard you singing this song and I felt like the world stopped turning. The air was sucked out of my lungs and every thing I thought I knew flew out of my head. Your voice, those lyrics, they touched me. I knew you weren't just singing that song, you were living it. I went home just hoping your broken road led to me. That it was me you wanted and needed. That you would love. And now here we are, a year after we danced our first dance to that song on a beach on the tail end of another championship and I can say that song still means as much to me now as it did the first day I heard it" I admit. She presses her lips to mine and suddenly I felt everything she did. All her emotions and feelings were seeping through her lips and onto mine and I was frozen in my place. All her kisses were nice, but this was next level.

"I love you so much" she whispers as soon as we break apart.

"I love you too baby."