Amazing Grace (Jonathan Toews)

Happy Anniversary

Gracie

It's been a while since the wives and future wives of the team had met up again. I have to admit, I missed them.

In my past life, if that's what I can call it, I had a lot of "friends". You know, those girls who are nice to you and go behind your back and talk about you. As a kid I thought they would be like me and my mom since all the guys were just like my daddy. But we never really fit in. The little girls would always ask me why my hair looked bigger than theirs, the older ones told me to get a perm so it looked more "normal". I never did get along with those girls. I was unnaturally nice to everyone so I never said anything, but they will get what's coming to them. I never did want to talk about hair and nails and matching purses. I didn't care about who was dating who and who's Dad met who. None of that stuff was important to me. I wanted to talk about what was happening about our world, I wanted to not just talk about the weather but experience it.

And that's why I'm more than thankful for the friends I have now. I would be nothing without them and last season would have a been a compete shit show without people like Abby and Veronica and the rest of the girls.

So I threw a little party at the new house while all the guys got under way with their first practice of the preseason. I made some food and drinks and organized the living room so it didn't look like we just moved in.

Eventually everyone comes over and starts to talk around. We talk about what we did with our day with the cup and everything else since then. Abby and Sharpy had a little wedding over the summer and Jonathan and I was so happy for them.

"How was your summer" Dayna asks me.

"It was awesome. We traveled around the world and we had such an amazing time. Jon is such a caring soul, everywhere he went he was asking about the environment and a bunch of questions about sustainability. It was cute how he wasn't just there to take the culture and leave, he really wanted to become a part of he community and share his love for nature" I explain.

"Well now I feel like I've been traveling wrong" Abby laughs.

"You're not. That's just how Jonathan does things. Everything has a deeper meaning and very rarely will someone be willing to get their hands dirty to dig around. He loves getting his hands dirty" I laugh.

"I hope my husband talks about me like that" she claims and I laugh.

"Hey, we've been together for a year. And for the most part I wouldn't change a single detail about our time together. Not when we had to sneak around or when I left my parents house and had to stay with him and Patrick. I can stand here and look around and honestly say that this is where I belong" I insist.

"Awww" Veronica coos. She wraps me in a hug and I smile big.

"I'm serious. I love you guys" I say.

"We love you too! Come here" Abby says demanding that everyone comes in for a group hug. I stand there as all my friends hug me and I couldn't help but smile. This is exactly what I wanted all this time, friends who want to see me happy. Not want to have more than me or be happier than me. It was no contest around them, we leave that up to the boys. Instead we comfort each other and through our crazy schedules we find time to be there for one another.

Eventually we all end up drinking some and eating finger foods. I stick to water and hosting until there was a knock on the door. I excuse myself to answer it and I go to the door. I open it and see Jonathan standing there with the biggest bouquet of purple lilacs. They looked like the ones in the garden at the church my mom always had.

I smile big as he pushes them towards me without a word. I grab them and he moves inside.

"Happy anniversary" he says and I giggle.

"Happy anniversary" I reply.

"There's something else in there for you" he tells me.

I find a envelope in the flowers and pull it out. I set the flowers in the kitchen and open it up. I pull out a card and read what was on the front of it.

"Dear Gracie,

A year ago today I woke up not knowing that I was going to meet the woman who was going to change my whole world. It was in the last place I expect with a person I thought only existed in my dreams. But you were real and so much better than anything I would ever ask for. I fell in love with you almost instantly and I knew it. I hated myself for falling so quickly, so easily. But you quickly reassured me that the feeling was mutual. You broke so many rules and defied everything you knew just to be with me. You fought your father for someone you barley even knew yet. Somehow you saw in me what I had been searching for the longest time. And you showed it to me and I found myself in you.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Even though it's only been a year it feels like a lifetime. I can't imagine living this life without you and I can happily say I found my forever. And it's you."

I look up to Jon with tears in my eyes. God I'm so emotional. I quickly pull him into a kiss and I feel him smile.

"I love you so much" I insist.

"I love you too baby."