Every Rose Has It's Thorns (Patrick Kane)

End of the Road

Patrick

We were on the beautiful land of Ecuador for the last concert of the tour. It's been three long months and we've been to over 70 different cities and nine different countries. I've tried things I never had the chance to try, I have see some of the most incredible places in this entire world, I've met the kindest and most open minded people, I've had the experience of a lifetime. And besides the Japan concert where Maddie got sick, I would do it all over again given the chance. I would relive each moment like it was the first time.

But I can't do that. All I have is the memories and the pictures to hold on to for the rest of my life. And that's okay because I don't want to spend the rest of my days wishing I was in the past, I know that there is still so much I can do out there. Being with Maddie is going to lead me to some incredible places, I just have to follow my heart and see the amazing places it leads me.

"I can't believe we're done after this" I admit as I hang out in Maddie's dressing room. She was getting her hair and makeup done for meet and greet and I was going to hang out in here with Titan.

"I can. I haven't been so exhausted in my life" she claims.

"I could only imagine. You basically had a hockey schedule the past three months but your concerts last a lot longer than our games" I admit.

"Don't you miss hockey" she questions.

"Like hell. And we're in South America in the summer, there's no ice around here. But there isn't a place I would rather be or a person I would rather be with" I assure her.

"Good answer" she teases as I laugh to myself.

She finished getting ready and goes out to meet her fans. I mess around in the dressing room with our dog who could now pass as a medium sized bear cub. As we continue to mess around I notice a decorated box sitting on the vanity and I sit where Maddie was earlier when she was getting her hair and makeup done. I look a the shoe box that was covered in papers from places we've been. There was restaurant menus and hotel confirmations, little memorabilia from the concerts. I open up the box and there were enough pictures to fix at least 30 scrapbooks. All just laying in there along with a piece of paper. So I grab the paper and unfold it to see what it said. I notice it was the lyrics for Every Rose Has It's Thorns and I couldn't help but smile so big. I loved that song so much and so does everyone else. People are begging her to release the song on iTunes but she won't record it. The only time she sang it was the livestream concert where everyone had a chance to hear it without her recording it. That song meant a lot to her, to me, to us. And the fact she's kept it along with all these other things meant to world to me.

I look through the pictures and smile as the memories hit me like a truck. It doesn't feel like this was all about to be over. I almost forgot about hockey and all the issues that await us back home. Out here everyone just wants to be happy and have a good time, no one is trying to find things wrong with me or judging me. I'm just a roadie out here. I'm a friend and a fan and it's kinda nice to not be in the spotlight.

Eventually Maddie returns from her meet and greet just glowing. She sits herself in my lap and wraps her arms around my neck. She smiles down at me as I grab her waist tight so she doesn't fall off.

"Someone's in a good mood for it being her last show" I notice.

"I'm in a good mood because I was able to perform in front of millions of people and meet thousands of them while telling them all who I am. The real me" she says.

"I told you, they're going to love the real you just as I do" I accuse.

"Maybe you were right this one time" she teases making me chuckle.

"I'll take it" I admit. "So what do you want to do until it's time for you last show of the tour" I ask.

"I want to take a picture" she claims.

"I think you have more than enough pictures" I insist.

"But I want one picture that will sum up the rest of the pictures. One picture that will give me the memories of all those other pictures" she explains.

"Alright. And how do we do this" I question. She taps her little chin before her eyes light up.

"Come on, I know where to go" she insists. She grabs her camera and my hand before taking off. She goes up to the top of the venue and we find a place like the raptors back the UC. We stand there and look over the railings at the crew who was finishing setting up the stage. She leans over the railing like always and it gives me a little heart attack.

"Isn't it amazing that no matter where we go we can always find places like this" she asks as she turns to me. Her long blonde hair bouncing around as she looks to me for my opinion.

"I feel like everything else in our relationship it's just meant to be" I admit and she smiles.

We take a bunch of pictures because she can never have enough of them. Once we were satisfied we return back to the main level to get ready for the show. I kept hearing people say goodbye and I realized that this is really it. This is the end of what is one of the greatest adventures of my life.