My Girl (Jonathan Toews)

42

Alexis

After the whole incident with my parents I try to throw myself into work. I do a lot of training and a lot of working out until I couldn't feel my legs. Training has always been how I vented my frustrations, it feels good to get it all out and something good come of it. But too much of a good thing isn't such a gold thing, so Frank decided to give me the day off. He kicks me out of the rink and tells me not to even think about my skates which were pretty much broken in now.

But it's obvious I've been avoiding anything that aren't Jon, my sister, or training. I've spent so much time in the rink that they're about to make me a key. Even when I don't have to be at the rink I am and I don't want to leave. I don't want to face the reality that waits for me outside of those walls.

"Hey ice princess" Frank starts as he comes out to the ice.

"I hate that nickname" I mumble as I make a pile of snow on the ice.

"Well you've been spending so much time out here I'm afraid that you really are some type of robot who knows nothing but figure skating" he accuses and I let out a sigh.

"You noticed I've been out here a lot huh" I ask and he nods.

"I wouldn't have kicked you out earlier if I didn't. And usually I won't say anything, usually I'm begging kids to put in some more time at the rink, but I'm a little worried about you" he admits.

"My knee is fine" I assure him.

"I'm not worried about your knee. I'm worried about your head" he claims as he leans against the boards. He crosses his arms over his chest as he waits for me to spill it.

"My head is in the game" I try but he shakes his head.

"You're head no where near here and that's what's so scary. You can get hurt at the rate you're going and then we start from square one again. You've spent all this time building yourself up and if you're not careful all it takes is one mistake for it all to come crashing down again.

All the great athletes face adversity. There's no avoiding it. But the difference between the great ones and the forgotten ones is how they handled it. Did they let it get to them or did they let it motivate them" he explains.

"I'm not mad at my parents anymore. I've forgiven them and I want to move on... I just don't know how" I explain.

"Well you're not getting anywhere if you lock yourself in here. Hiding in the rink and training to get your mind off of things outside of here doesn't solve any problems. It just pushes them back until they reappear again and stronger this time. I love to be the one to tell you this, but you're not getting any better by being in here more than you need to. What's going to make or break you wont be in here, it's out there and it will eat you up if you let it trap you inside this rink" he says.

"And what if I can't move on? What if I can't fix this" I whisper.

"You'll never know if you never try" he says and I let out a long sigh. He pulls me into a hug and squeezes me tight so I know he's got me. "I think you should take the day off. Like for real this time. Go be with Jon and talk to him about this" he suggests.

"I think you're right" I agree.

So I take off and change out of my skates and into normal shoes. The real hockey season started in a few days and Jon was at home resting up. It was a big night with the banner raising and getting their rings and all that cool stuff. So he was getting a place for his parents to stay and making sure we all had good spots for the special occasion.

I find him at the apartment sitting in the office slash Kimberly's homework room. I walk over and sit in his lap and he smiles up at me.

"Well this is a great surprise. I thought you were training" he claims as he wraps his arms around me. He nuzzles his face in my side and I playfully run my fingers through his growing hair.

"I did. But apparently what I should be working on isn't in the rink. It's out here" I claims.

"Are you still upset about your parents" he wonders and I sigh. He knew me too well.

"I don't know. For the longest time I thought my parents coming back would solve all the problems they created when they left. But it still feel awful" I sigh.

"Stop letting them get to you. They're not the ones going to the olympics, you are. They're not the ones raising Kimberly to be the best child ever, you are. No matter what you think you're 100% you and that's better than any thing they could have made you in to" he promises as he pulls me closer.

"I just want to be enough" I whisper.

"You're more than enough. I could ask for someone who has it all and you would still have more than them. Lexi you are the strongest person I know, you got your head on straight. Don't let it unscrew because you're scared. You're supposed to be scared, this isn't supposed to be easy. It's supposed to challenge you then when you fight through it and end up on the other side you can look back and see how it was worth it. It was always worth it" he claims.

"Are you going to be there with me" I wonder.

"Every step of the way baby" he promises.

After we talk it out we decide to do some things around the apartment. There was a lot going on with hockey starting and Halloween and the holidays coming up. We had a full schedule in front of us but it looked like a lot of fun.

Eventually we pick Kimberly up from school and she wanted to go to the park before we got home. So we find a park and she takes off to the swing. I agree to push her as Jon attended to his fans.

"Today in school my friend Katherine asked why I didn't have parents" she says randomly and I stop pushing her. I get her to a point where she wasn't swinging and I stand in front of her as she continues to kick her legs like she was still going.

"What did you say" I wonder.

"I said I don't need a mommy and daddy. I have the coolest sister in the world and her boyfriend is like a super star" she claims and I laugh. She still doesn't quite understand the concept of Jon being famous but that's okay. To her that's her best friend and that's all that matters.

"Do you still want mommy and daddy" I ask carefully.

"No... not really. I'm having a lot of fun with you and Jon. Plus you're skating again and I can't wait to watch you" she insists.

"You really means that" I smile.

"Really" she promises.