The Pursuit of Happiness (Patrick Kane)

|Twenty-Two|

Patrick

We take care of the Wild in five short games before welcoming the Red Wings into town for the second round of the playoffs. And I wouldn't really call that a warm welcome. These two teams haven't liked each other for the longest time and that's not going to change. What was changing was that after this season the Red Wings were moving to a different division so we won't see each other as much. This is one of the last series we will have unless we meet in the finals some day. You could feel the animosity and the want for the Red Wings to knock us out. They would love to be the ones to pull off the upset but our destiny is already made for us. Hopefully it ends with us moving on and them the ones to go home.

And with such a series going on my family decides to come into town. They'll stay depending on how long we go for which I hope means that they'll be here for a while.

Not too surprisingly a lot of thier visit here was to see Kayleigh, and I don't blame them. Though I am a little surprised that my sisters are willing to welcome another girl to this family, it isn't a surprise that Kayleigh is the girl to be welcomed. The only type of people who don't like her are the ones intimidated by her, jealous of her or don't want to understand her. Luckily my family took a liking to her from day one when we were just friends. They know that I love her, they know what she's done for me and inadvertently for them. My sisters text her all the time and she has even helped Jess with some of her schooling. We all know how lucky we are to have her in our lives and how much it would suck if she wasn't here.

So as we prepare to take on the Red Wings Kayleigh was getting her new job lined up. And any free time she had she was with my family making dinner or hanging out, anything really. Today she was joining my family at the United center as we do a few little media things. The NHL wanted to look into the lives of players and if that's true then she is a part of it. So she puts her hiring process on pause for a few hours to be with me.

"I will never get tired of coming here" she admits as we all walk into the United center. I smile to myself because she would have never stepped foot in here if it wasn't for me, but now she loves it and it made my heart happy that she did.

"Maybe you can get the Blackhawks to help out and do some things with you once you start working. They love doing charitable things and helping out the community" I suggest.

"I'll have to look into that" she smiles up at me.

"I'm sorry, but I refuse to believe this is my brother" Jackie teases from behind me.

"Yeah, seriously. Since when did you have good ideas" Erica chimes in.

"Since I opened my eyes a little, you should try it" I joke.

"Alright you guys, knock it off" my mom begs. "It's too early to start this bickering."

"It's like noon" I laugh.

"It's always too early" she argues.

We get to the media room where they have some food out and a place for interviews. The questions were for me but I have my family with me so they can get their perspective too.

We all get miced up and fill up the two couches. I have my dad on one side of me and Kayleigh on the other. I rest my hand on her thigh as she placed her hand on top of mine. I squeeze her leg as we wait for the interview to start.

The conversation starts at the beginning with my dad training me and my mom making sure I still got to be a kid. Being gifted and working hard is two different things, but there is no reason we can't have both. Something's can't be taught and some things you can't be born with either. In order to be a difference maker you need a little bit of everything and thanks to my parents I had it all.

"What was it like growing up with three younger sisters and you playing hockey" the man questions and I smile.

"Let's just say there was a lot of bargains made when I was a little kid. It was a lot of if you scratch my back I'll scratch yours kind of thing. And it worked out well because I'm still close to my sisters now. They love the city of Chicago and coming here to go shopping, every once in a while they get a shopping spree curtesy of me. I couldn't be where I am today if they weren't following me around all of those tournaments, giving up time with their friends to go to Canada with me. They might not have played hockey but I couldn't have done it without them" I explain.

"Did you like being the only boy" he questions.

"Sometimes. I didn't have to share a lot of my stuff and when they wanted makeovers or to bake or something they had each other. I didn't like it because I was the big brother so whenever they started dating I wanted names and numbers. I let them tag along to parties with me just so I could keep my eye on them. But honestly they kept me out of trouble too" I smile.

"And what about now, what drives you to raise the bar every year then break right through it" he wonders.

"A lot of things. The game itself is motivation enough to be great. And in a organization like this I don't have to look far for inspiration. There's statues outside of the United Center are of some the greatest athletes known to sports, if not the greatest in Michael Jordan. And I want to have my own statue up one day and the future of hockey saying they want to play like me.

And this season I was at my best because I was surrounded by the best, not just on the ice but off of it too. Kayleigh here has been helping me clear my eyes and see, and now I can see. I am more than a athlete and I can be doing so much more. She's been the greatest inspiration outside of the game and my family. I'm lucky to have her by my side" I smile.

"What was this season like for you" he questions.

"It was crazy" I admit. "I started the year In Switzerland then the next thing I know I was back in Chicago in training camp. Within a few weeks I was hanging out with my girlfriend trying to find my way in life. I could have never predicted that start we had or the numbers I would have put up. It seems like everything came together for me and now I have to hold it there" I explain.

"Well congratulations on everything you've done and good luck with your future endevouts" he says.

"Thank you" I nod.