This Love is Ours

Chapter 12: Pure Passion

The cheers are endless.

The sea of red in front of me screams loudly, throwing their hands up in excitement.

Kaner joins me at my side, and I look over at him.

He's wearing his jersey, grey shorts, and a backwards flat-brim Chicago Blackhawks hat.

He laughs waving at all the fans.

The sound of teenage girls screaming is highly audible.

Corey Crawford, Patrick Sharp, Andrew Shaw, Duncan Keith, and Brandon Saad all join Kaner and I at the edge of the bus, laughing together.

This is absolutely incredible.

I have chills running through my veins, and I swear to God that is true.

The crowd goes on forever.

The road seems to go on forever.

As we make our way through Downtown Chicago, every single corner, every single nook of the city is filled with Hawks fans.

"Jonathan, thank-you for inviting me to be with you today. I will never forget this." Natalie shakes her head, as she looks out at the crowd from beside me.

We stand at the edge of the bus, the crowd roaring in front of us.

Brandon Saad is hoisting the cup, Alyssa watching him from behind, a small smile on her face.

Abigail snaps a few pictures from beside Brandon.

I look over to Natalie, and smile down at her.

She's beautiful, and I could never deny that.

She's a blessing in my life, and that is certain.

"Thanks for agreeing to come." I smile.

She smiles back at me.

"Of course." She nods.

"Hey Tazer, you ready to drink out of the cup, in front of the crowd?" Patrick Kane looks at me, from across the bus.

I laugh, nodding.

"You bet man." I agree, adjusting the backwards hat on my head.

I make my way across the upper-level of the bus, and over to where Kaner is standing with the Stanley Cup sitting in front of him.

Andrew pours multiple cans of beer into the cup, until it is filled halfway.

The crowd in front of us starts to get louder as they realize what is happening.

I laugh, as Patrick and Andrew tip the cup over just enough for me to drink from.

The cold liquid slides down my throat, and I swallow.

I raise my hand up in celebration, and the crowd roars loudly.

Next is Patrick's turn, and then Andrew's.

Eventually, all the Hawks on our bus have taken their turn drinking out of the cup, and the parade reaches its final stages.

***

At the end of the Stanley Cup Parade, the buses stop at Millennium Park, where there is a huge stage set up, and the entire city basically fills up the park.

This is for the Stanley Cup rally, and that is where we are right now.

All the Hawks players and their wives, girlfriends, and families have made their way to the stage that sits at the end of Millennium Park, as well as Lord Stanley.