The Burden Of Love (Jonathan Toews)

Lucky. 10

Emilia

It's the end of February and we were getting close to spring break. I wasn't really planning on going anywhere but plans seem to be changing with the weather. I had to plan for a five year old now and lord knows all the warm places this time of the year are packed. And in times of inspiration I often times turn to people I trust.

So I call up Jonathan and we decide to go to a bowling alley. Kenneth has never gone and Jonny wanted to throw a few balls to cut lose so it was a win win. We meet in a cosmic bowling alley down town before grabbing our shoes and bowling balls. We get all set up as I try to figure out what's going on with my life.

"When is your spring break" Jonny wonders as I go through all the dates I had saved in my brain.

"We do parent teacher conferences the 10th and 11th then the have a week and a half off. We return the 22nd" I tell him.

"How would you feel about going to some hockey cities? We have four different games in different places during that time and we can explore them all. You said you traveled a lot on your breaks and I would love to see some different places through your eyes. Then I can have you and Kenny stay in the same hotels and when I'm not working or at team meals then we can go on adventures. Just the three of us" he suggests.

"You don't think that's just going to be a distraction" I wonder.

"You're a distraction while I'm here and obviously the team and I are doing just fine. I think it would be a lot of fun to have you both on the road. For my hockey and my non hockey life to cross for a while. We can find things for your classroom in each part of those country, you can share what we did and tell the kids how different the cities are and how we're all still connected" he suggests.

"Where would we be going" I ask.

"We have Columbus, Dallas, Denver and Anaheim. So a Midwest city, a southern one, one to the west and one on the coast. We can do a bunch of different things before we have to be back" he admits.

"Alright. Say we do come. How do you explain to your friends where you're going all the time" I challenge.

"I tell them that I'm going to be wherever I need to be" he claims.

"Where's that" I wonder.

"Wherever you are" he claims and I smile. How cute?

We start to bowl and figure out the details of our spring break. I always adored traveling and now I get to do it with people I cared about. I know this will be different than what I'm used to but different isn't bad. It's exciting and I couldn't wait to see the world in new eyes.

Kenneth comes over to us and crawls in Jonny's lap. No one was here really because it's 11am on a Sunday where most people were in church. It was nice to get out and do something fun not worried about school or hockey. Granted Jonny has nothing to worry about when it comes to his team. They were untouchable at this point, have yet to lose in regulation. But you could never tell when you hang with him like this. He was just someone in my life I adored with my whole heart.

"So what would you do if you didn't teach" Jonny wonders. We were just asking questions as Kenneth takes all the turns for us.

"I always had a fixation with farming, I would love to live on a farm. Grow and cook my own food, find ways to help people who can't always find good food to get food on their tables. It would be cool to build a self sustaining business and share with the world all the good things I can make" I admit.

"Of course you would" he teases.

"And you wouldn't be doing that either" I accuse.

"It's a great idea. But if I wasn't a hockey player I would be a hockey coach" he claims as I roll my eyes.

"You're love for this sport is unmatched" I giggle.

"I don't know. I have a feeling pretty soon it will meet its match" he smirks. I fight off a smile for a whole second before it spreads across my face.

"Why do you insist on making me feel like my stomach is ran by butterflies" I accuse.

"I am a man who is vocal about his passions. I don't stay quite when it comes to what it is I admire. Even when people don't get it like when I go on a rant about trying to eat organic to the hockey players or when I stay a hour after practice to work with the rookies. I have a voice and not a lot of people do so I use it. And what better is a voice used for than voicing their passions" he asks.

"I'm a passion of yours" I question. I would be lying if I said someone has said that to me.

"You are. I'm passionate about growing our relationship. About learning about you so I know what you like and don't like. Seeing how much we are alike and all the things that make you special. I know a lot of people are scared to open up but with you I know that when I open my doors for you, you'll come in and take care of me. You don't judge me or hold me to these insane standards because of what people say about me. You see me for me and you're passion for me is the same for mine for you" he explains.

I rest my head on his shoulder as his fingers lace through mine. I hold him tight as the smile says on my face.

"Are all hockey players this charming" I ask him.

"Absolutely not" he laughs. "Even I was not one for words when I first came up. Usually hockey players don't use words to pick up girls, it's their skills and their rugged good looks" he explains.

"So what happens once the girl had seen a hundred games and wakes up to the rugged good looking man for a year? How do they build a relationship from there" I wonder.

"In my experience they don't. The relationship falls apart once one side realizes that they have nothing in common or that they want different things" he says.

"And I'm different" I counter.

"Always was" he smiles. "You have passion, more than I've seen in another person. And you have a lot of the same passions as I do. We can grow off of each other and with each other. Not a lot of people can say that" he claims.

"Well I guess were pretty lucky, because we have each other" I say.

"I guess we are" he agrees.