Amazing Grace (Jonathan Toews)

Surprises

Jonathan

I roll over in bed and see Grace was still fast asleep. Her long eyelashes shut together, still almost reaching her eyebrows they were so long. She only wore makeup if we have plans, never when we're just sitting around the house or go to a game. Her lips were softly shut together, the line they made set in a smile. Her high cheek bones rest after a day spent smiling from the time she gets up to the time she goes to bed. She had her bigger than life curly hair piled up on top of her head. She hates wearing it down but it's because she isn't sure what to do with it most days.

But nonetheless she was extremely beautiful, whether we were just laying in bed or we were at a event for her parents, she was so stunning.

We had just gotten back from Vancouver and honestly she was more tired than I was. She ended up coming just a few days after I left and joined me and my family there. She had never been to Canada before so when I was at practice or spent the whole day at the rink she was with my parents and they gave her the tour. She went to the hockey hall of fame and Tim Horton's and wherever else she wanted to go. My mom was in love with her and just like me would give her anything she asked for. We had a great time up in Canada and I even brought home a gold medal, so we were in a pretty good place right now.

But this morning was special not because I woke up before her for once and had time to admire how beautiful she was. But because it was her birthday today and she was finally turning 22.

I softly run my thumb across her cheek as she stirs in her sleep. Her slight smile turns into a big one as her eyes flutter open. Her bright hazel eyes lighten the room as she looks me over.

"Good morning sweetie" she says softly.

"Morning baby. Happy birthday" I reply and she laughs.

"You have something planned, don't you" she accuses.

"You know me so well" I smirk.

"Do I need to get up right now" she wonders.

"No, we can just lay here for a little bit" I insist.

"I would like that" she smiles.

I pull her closer to me as she snuggles her face into my chest. She digs her fingers into my bare back as I hold her tight. Both of us had shed our clothes the night before and never put them back on. I quickly become addicted to the feeling of her skin on mine, how her frame fit perfectly with mine in any way we laid. She was everything to me and it felt longer than seven months that we've been together.

"I love you so much" I insist as we listen to the beating of our hearts.

"I love you too Jonny" she says softly and I smile. I will never get tired of hearing that.

"Do you see us being together forever" I ask.

"I do" she admits. "I can see us laying like this in fifty years. Only we're here in bed because our grandkids came over to hang out and were so tired from trying to teach them how to play hockey" she claims and I laugh. "I can see us moving somewhere far away from here, from everything just to be more at peace with ourselves and everything around us. You get to build everything we have from the ground up" she explains.

"That sounds amazing" I admit. "Can we time jump to then" I ask and she giggles.

"I want to be there when I have our kids" she claims.

"Okay, maybe we don't skip everything until then. We would miss so many precious moments, ones like this" I say as I rub her arm slowly.

"I like this" she admits.