The Pursuit of Happiness (Patrick Kane)

|Thirty-Nine|

Kayleigh

As summer winds down I find myself being a little sad. I had a great summer and I wasn't ready to let it all go. I wanted to take Annie to the dog park so she can make friends and I wanted more time with Patrick when he's not all over the country shaking goalies out of their jocks. But out of all the things in life we can control, time isn't one of them. The time we are given is all we got, and what we do with that time is all the more important. I've seen way too many times what happens when you don't use your time wisely. I don't want to be that person so I was going to try and live my best life.

So after work today I grabbed my boyfriend and our dog and we go to the beach. We could get some sun, let Annie play in the lake and enjoy the last of the summer. Once Patrick has his day with the cup it's back to business and days like this will be nothing but distant memories. It was up to us to make good memories.

"Usually I don't say anything when guys stare at you, but that guy hasn't taken his eyes off you since you got here" Patrick starts.

"What? You jealous" I tease.

"No. I'm scared. He looks like the male version of you" he claims.

My eyes go big as I whip my head around to look at the man. I scan the crowd until I find a pair of eyes that were the same as mine. The same nose and cheek bones and hair.

My heart drops when all the dots seem to connect themselves. My eyes nearly pop out of my head when the mans eyes meet mine.

"Do you know this guy" he asks.

"That's my brother" I whisper.

"That's impossible. How could he have possibly found us" he questions.

"I don't know" I admit. "But I'm sure when I visited home word got around that I was back and who I was with. It wouldn't take too much to find me."

"But he wouldn't come all the way here just to talk to you" Patrick tried.

"You would be surprised. If there is one thing someone hates more than admitting that they're wrong is saying that someone else is right. He constantly wants to make sure he is better than me and I'm sure he will go to some stupid lengths to make sure he's ahead of me" I explain.

"Has he ever been ahead of you... in anything" he questions.

"No not really. But you can't tell him that" I mumble.

Eventually he comes over and I stand up from our spot in the sand. Annie sees someone coming over and starts to go crazy. She loved meeting people and she was so excited someone was coming over, but that only made one of us.

"Connor" I start as he stops in front of me. He had a beer in his hand as he looked like he wasn't dressed for the beach at all. His jean shorts and blue shirt screaming "I'm from Virginia".

"Kayleigh. You look like you're doing well" he starts.

"Thanks. I've been doing pretty well for myself. How have you been" I wonder just not trying to sound like a total ass hole.

"I've been pretty good" he nods.

"Not to be mean or anything, but why are you here" I question. Him and mom were the masters of wasting my time. Something, might I add, I don't have enough of.

"Moms friend called and said he saw you with dad and his boyfriend in Virgina. And you were with a hockey player" he starts.

"First of all, dads Bohr friend has a name, it's Andy. He's been with dad for a decade and it's about time you recognize dad is happy with andy no matter what you believe. Second of all, why is it your business who I am with. You wanted nothing to do with me and so I left" I remind him.

"Well I didn't believe it at first. You're not the type to be with a athlete so I wanted to see for myself what was going on with you" he explains.

"Why doesn't it matter to you" I question.

"Mom said it was because you wanted money. But I knew that couldn't have been it. My theory was that you didn't get to do what you said you would, like I said, and that this was your back up plan" he says.

"Like hell" I scoff. "I'm doing things your simple mind couldn't comprehend. I graduated and got a job in the government speaking out against people like you who fail to see that you've already lost.

I'm with Patrick because I love him and I don't ever want to stop loving him. I'll love him long after he's done playing and when the money stops coming in. I have the life I always said I would have, which is more than you can say" I argue.

"I hardly believe a girl who can stand by a man who left his wife for another man would be trusted in a government job" he scoffs.

I just roll my eyes as I shake my head. "The day dad and I left was the best day of my life honestly. Because being in a house with the likes of you, who can't see that comprehend that love isn't confined to man and wife and is so much bigger than that, was suffocating. You can't have a original thought that doesn't originate from mom being in your ear feeding you all that shit you've been eating. I pity the both of you, how you can't see the world for what it is. All those lies you worship, all the things you tell yourself to feel better about your awful opinions, it's all shit. Utter bull shit. And you came all the way out her to try and convince yourself that you're in the right here.

But you've been in the wrong from the moment you looked at dad and wanted him to stay in a place he doesn't belong because someone told you that's the way it's supposed to be. Dad is happy with Andy, happier than he ever was with mom. And one day soon they will be able to marry in Virgina and you'll see everything you believed in was a lie. And I'll be happy knowing that my dads are happy, and I'm happy. And where will that leave you Connor? Coming across the country worried about me and what I'm doing" I ask.

"I guess seeing is believing huh" he asks.

"I guess so. All I know is I don't want to see you again" I insist.

"I'm you're brother" he argues.

"You're nothing to me. The day you looked dad in the eyes and told him he was wrong for being who he is you lost all my respect. I don't care why you're really here, whether it's closure or money or you're still moms little servant. I don't care. As far as I'm concerned, Mason is my only brother" I snip.

"Not according to a dna test" he claims.

"You keep letting these pieces of paper define who you are. Just as long as you leave me the hell alone" I beg.

"Who's going to make me" he questions.

"Me" Patrick interrupts and I stop. He hadn't said a word this whole time just trying to make sure our dog doesn't run off. But this wasn't his problem so I wasn't expecting him to say anything. But like always he surprises me. "Mark is a wonderful man and if you can't see that then you my friend are truly blind. And while Kayleigh is powerful I got my own set of people that make sure I'm not being bothered. They can take care of you too" he threatens.

"No need for all of that" Connor says as he steps away.

I watch him walk away as I figure this will not be the last I hear from him or mom. But I'm hoping that keeps them away a little while longer.