You Raise Me Up (Artemi Panarin)

11| My Girl

Valerie

I finish setting up my camera in my room as I tuck a annoying piece of hair behind my ear. After it's secured to the stand on my dresser I jump onto my bed. I look through all the questions I printed out for a Q and A video I've been wanting to do that I had set out on my bed. I had a bunch of different ones printed off so I can read from it and answer as many as possible.

I start the video and sit on the edge of my bed.
I put my best smile on and start with a wave.

"Hey guys, it's Val here! As you all already know, today's video is a Q and A. And I know I usually try to do them over twitter but I had no video ideas today and Artemi is in St. Louis with his buddy for a game so I'm looking for ways to pass time so I don't realize I miss him so much.

So let's get right to it and start answering some questions" I say.

I grab my stack of papers and start to read off what I had picked out from yesterday.

"First question is from Taylor Ann. Her Avi is of her at a Blackhawks game which might have swayed my decision to choose her question a little" I giggle. "She asked 'what is one thing you wish you could do that as a kid you took for granted?' And I think this is a good question because even if I wasn't sick there's still a lot I took for granted.

I would say nap time is one thing. I used to hate being forced to take a nap and now that's all I want to do but I have to schedule doctors appointments and clean everything and make sure my air quality is good. What I would do to just lay down and go to sleep without worrying about anything.

And another things I took for granted was Capri suns. I miss thinking those were enough to fill me up" I laugh.

I set that question to the side and answer a few more. Eventually I come up to a question I don't remember seeing and I laugh.

"Oh man" I mumble as I read it. "This is a question from my lovely boyfriend. He somehow slipped into my list of questions when he was helping me out yesterday.

It says 'how good does it feel to know that you have the coolest and cutest most amazing boyfriend ever?'

And to answer that question, it's feels pretty great. You know, besides the fact that you have better hair than me, our relationship is perfect" I giggle.

I answer a few more questions before calling it a day. You don't want the video to be so long but I also wanted to answer as many questions as a I could.

Finally I sign off and edit the video. It ended up being about seven minutes long which was perfectly fine. I upload it to my YouTube channel and go on with my day.

I clean up a little and gather up all my papers filled with questions I printed off. Right next to the question Artemi sent me was a envelope with my name on it. I smile because he must have stuck that in there with the questions when I wasn't looking. I put all the other papers aside before going into the living room with the letter. I noticed it was heavier than usual and there was something at the bottom.

So I open up the envelope and look inside. I see the usual letter but at the bottom there was a gold necklace and I pick it up. At the bottom of it was a silver heart with the words "You Raise Me Up" engraved in the front. On the back it had our initials engraved in it and I smile. I quickly put it on and watch as it rests over my heart, right where it belongs.

I go back to the envelope and pull out the letter.

"Dear Valerie,

I never imagined leaving my little life to come to this big city would be this hard. I didn't think I would ever find something I wanted to hold on to and never let go of. I never thought that I would have something in my life that had so much meaning.

But then I met you and you changed everything I thought I knew. Chicago wasn't ever a home to me, but you were. And being away sucks because I get home sick, and I know that even when I get home I won't always be able to see you. But that's okay, because I know you're always going to be there for me. Whether it be in these letters we send to each other or the fact that I know you answered my question in your Q and A. I'm blessed to have captured your heart.

And now you have mine, hopefully resting over yours by now. I was driving home from practice the other day and was thinking. I know you don't need jewelry for you to know that I care for you. But I wanted to get you something for when I wasn't there so that you can hold on to it. Something that reminds you that I am always thinking about you.

How this came about was that a song came on in the locker room the other day and I immediately thought of you. It was You Raise Me Up and the music was nothing like I would listen to back in Russia. But I really liked that song. It was true, how you are my strength through the hardest moments. How you just existing is enough for me to known that everything is the way it should be. Everything is more powerful when you're involved and I needed you to know that you raise me up to more than I can be.

Sincerily, Artemi."

I clutch the heart in my hand and smile. How lucky am I? I mean I know nothing about relationships, but I know he's way above the average with the way he treats me. Nobody has ever said anything like that about me, I never thought it would sound so sweet.

I put that letter in the box along with all the ones I've kept since we first started that a few months back. I was getting close to at least 50 letters now. Some of them was him being silly and drawing a picture of together doing something we could only dream up even though he was such a bad artist.

I decide to pick up my phone and give my lovely boyfriend a call. He quickly picks up and it sounded a little hectic on his side but it quickly gets quiet.

"Did I call at a bad time" I ask.

"Kind of. I was just out with the guys for some lunch" he explains.

"Oh. I can call you back later" I insist.

"No no. I want to talk to you" he claims.

I hear him yell at Patrick to leave him alone and I snicker.

"Where are you" I ask.

"Currently I'm in a closet because it's the only way I can find some privacy" he yells and I laugh.

"I'm serious. I can call you back later" I insist.

"No. I was just saying how much I missed your voice" he claims and I start to blush.

"I just wanted to tell you thank you" I say.

"You found my surprises" he asks.

"I did. That was really sweet of you Artemi. I love it" I insist as I grasp my necklace.

"Anything for my girl" he claims and I smile.

I liked the sound of that.