The Presidents Daughter

All of You

Patrick

While I am in season I don't physically train all that much. But hockey is hard on the body so I often times find myself doing some workouts at the ice rink or in the gym to keep my body healthy and happy. So this morning I drag Aaliyah out of bed and get her to come workout with me. After getting her to stop fighting me we arrive at the workout room at johnnies ice house. We both stretch out a little before she goes to the treadmill and I go to the weights. About 20 minutes pass and she was still trucking along on the treadmill barley breaking a sweat. I just shake my head and I stand in front of her wiping myself down.

"What? Are your lungs indestructible or something" I ask. She just smiles as she turns her run into a walk so she could talk better.

"I did track in high school you know" she asks and I look at her weird.

"I did not know that" I admit.

"I did track, volleyball and softball all four years and all on varsity. I was quite the athlete" she claims.

"Braun and brains, you must have been very popular" I tease.

"I was prom queen" she smirks.

"I don't doubt it. Nice to know you've always been so attractive both on the inside and the outside" I tease.

"I've had it pretty good" she admits.

"It's like you were born to be great. Like you are always meant to be this incredible person" I insist.

"I was named after great some pretty great people so I guess it's only right I try to fill their shoes and do them some justice, though I'm sure it's going to be impossible. I was named Aaliyah after the popular singer Aaliyah. She was so beautiful and so talented that I can only pray to do a fraction of what she was able to do. Her mom and my mom were good friends. I don't even know how they met, I can't even try to figure it out. But they did meet and hit it off and became best friends. So my mom named me after her daughter which was cool considering what she ended up doing. Sadly the original Aaliyah passed away when I was ten so I didn't get to do all the fun stuff I wanted to do with her. But she always made time to visit with me, she was like my big sister I always wanted. She was so beautiful and so talented, it sucks that she died so young and it wasn't even her fault. She would have done great for colored girls like me who looked up to her.

Then my middle name is Maya after Maya Angelo. Now that was a woman. She was the smartest person in every room and she knew it but never showed it. I loved hearing her stories and listening to her. She was special. Loved me and my family and always stopped by when she could. She used to say if you don't like something change it. If you can't change it then change your attitude. I live by her words, all of them. She made it possible for girls like me to have a voice and to be listened to. I'm sure I wouldn't be here now if it weren't for her" she explains.

"Meanwhile I just get the name from my dad passed down" I scoff.

"Hey, your dad is pretty cool" she teases.

"Who is the most famous person you've met" I wonder. She wipes the sweat off her face before thinking about it for a while.

"That's a hard one because I've met so many incredible people because of my dad. I met Michael Jackson when I was a kid, what a great guy he was. He used his music to try and do that same thing I'm trying to do now. A lot of his stuff I can use and I'm going to try to. His heart was so big and he didn't even get to do all he wanted to. I also met Walter Payton when I was a kid in Chicago and that was by far one of the coolest moments of my life. He was so sweet and so optimistic. I hate that he got sick, he could have changed the world outside of football too. Of course meeting the GOAT himself Michael Jordan is a highlight. He even played a game of pick up basketball with my dad back before he was president which was amazing. He could still play if he wanted to.

Also Beyoncé came to my 21st birthday party" she claims and I gasp.

"Beyoncé" I ask.

"Yup. She's a pretty good friend of mine actually. She's out starting a family and dropping albums so we don't talk as much as we used to. But if I needed her to she would stop everything to be with me. She's one of my best friends and I'm so happy she is" she says.

"Alright, I regret asking these questions because how am I ever going to live up to all of this" I ask.

"I don't want those people Patrick, I want you" she reminds me and I smile.

"And I want all of you too."

After we work out we shower and decide to go out for lunch. We find a nice place to get away from everything and order some food. We sit in the back and just talk like we haven't been together forever. I loved learning about her and who she used to be. It sounds like she had a good time growing up.

"Who's someone you didn't get to meet but you want to" I wonder.

"You can't laugh at me" she insists.

"Who is it" I wonder.

"It's Jeremy Roebuck. He was my favorite player growing up and I loved being able to watch him. I've met almost everyone else I've wanted to meet except him" she says

"He's a good buddy of mine. If I told him you wanted to meet him I'm sure we could figure it out" I insist.

"I would freak if I met him" she says.

"I'll see what I can do" I smirk.