{Ally}
"I'll get it!" Patrick calls as he makes his way down the stairs.
I look up and see Patrick jogging down the stairs wearing a backwards flat brim hat, a grey v-neck, and jeans. His loose curls escape the brim of his hat.
Someone has just knocked on the apartment door, and apparently Pat is pretty excited to get to the door.
Pat races past me, and opens the front door, looking calm and composed.
Abigail.
Of course.
"Hey Abigail," Pat says, smiling.
"Hey Pat." She giggles.
The two of them embrace in a hug, and I glance over at Jonathan with a small smile on my face.
He looks down and smiles.
It's Friday, December 19, about 6:00 in the evening.
Pat, Jonathan, and I just hung out for most of the day, once the boys returned from a long practice this morning.
Right now, Jonathan and I are cuddled up on the couch, watching sports highlights.
Last night was amazing.
All of it.
The game, the Hawks win, the part where Jonathan made me his own...
All of it.
God, I missed Jonathan's sex.
Honestly, it felt incredible to have sex with him again.
"Hey Jonathan, hey Ally." Abigail smiles, as she makes her way into the apartment, next to Pat.
According to Jonathan, Abigail has been around a lot.
Abigail and Patrick don't live together yet, but as of lately, she's basically been living at the apartment.
I believe it, too.
Jonathan says he finally found out what Pat must have felt like this entire summer, because Jonny has been third-wheeling it whenever Abigail has been around.
I laughed when he told me that, of course.
"Hey Abigail." I smile, waving.
Jonathan smiles and waves at Abigail.
Pat and Abigail collapse on the other side of the couch, and begin cuddling up together, similar to the way Jonathan and I are.
My knees are tucked up to my chest, and my arms are wrapped around Jonathan, my right hand placed over his right peck.
Abigail and Pat cuddle up in almost the exact same way, on the other side of the couch.
I swallow hard.
Is this awkward?
Maybe Jonathan and I should leave them some privacy for the evening...
It's the least we can do after we made Patrick third-wheel it all summer.
I clear my throat.
"Jonathan, do you want to go for walk? I guess we should give Pat and Abigail some privacy..." I start, looking up at Jonathan's jawline.
His eyes flutter over to mine, and he smiles.
He squeezes my hand before nodding.
"See you guys in a bit." I say to Pat and Abigail as Jonathan and I make our way to the door.
"See you guys later." Pat calls, still holding Abigail in his arms.
I giggle, and with that, Jonathan and I leave the apartment.
Jonathan holds my hand in his, and shoves the other in his coat pocket.
He's wearing a grey toque, and a dark coat.
I am wearing my dark coat, leggings, grey Uggs, and a toque that allows my newly-curled hair to escape dramatically.
Jonathan's hand is warm, and it radiates through my body.
We leave Trump Tower, and the crisp winter air enters my lungs.
It's so refreshing.
The Chicago River is frozen, and reflecting the lights of the buildings that surround it.
A light layer of snow covers Chicago, and the streets are fairly busy.
It's a beautiful night.
The winter moon is bright and crisp, as the light illuminates the sky.
The streetlights dimly light up the sidewalks.
You can even see my breath.
We walk together, as we admire the twinkling Christmas lights that have been set up around Chicago.
God, I love the way that they reflect in Jonathan's eyes.
They dance and flicker around like stars.
My little stars.
My taste of heaven.
Jonathan and I make our way to the Michigan Avenue Bridge, right outside of Trump Tower.
It truly is a beautiful bridge, and it is brilliantly built.
The patterns on the side of the bridge, and cobblestone...
So utterly beautiful.
Jonathan and I walk amongst the crowds over to the bridge when I suddenly hear a young voice behind me.
"Excuse me!" An excited voice from behind Jonathan and I calls.
Holding hands, we both spin around, and we lay our eyes on two young ladies, faces beaming with excitement. They look about 14 or 15, and one of them has blue eyes and blonde hair that has been pulled into a cute, messy side-braid.
My eyes flick over to the brunette one, and my heart skips a beat.
The brown hair, the cute, dark, eyes, the body of an athlete (specifically a volleyball player); I remember her all too well.
Sarah.
The one fan that reminded me too much of my once-younger self.
A broad smile is written on her face, exposing her beautiful, perfect teeth.
She's gotten her braces off.
She's even more like me now.
"We truly do not mean to bug you, but we just wanted to let you know how much everything you have done for this city and the Blackhawks means to us. We could never have asked for a better captain, and we say that with a whole heart." The blondie beams, looking up at Jonathan, blue eyes gripping my gaze with an icy effect.
Jonathan laughs, and looks down at the two girls.
"Thanks girls, that means a lot." He smiles, nodding and patting the blonde girl on the shoulder.
She looks like she's about to cry with tears of joy.
I can only imagine.
Jonathan Toews is probably her hero, and I can totally respect that.
He's mine too.
Sarah then speaks up.
"And by the way, I don't mean to sound creepy, but you two are the most beautiful, wonderful couple I have ever seen in my entire life." She states, nodding and smiling largely.
Before Jonathan can say anything, I speak.
"Sarah, right?" I ask, nodding towards her.
Her eyes widen, and her jaw drops slightly.
"You... You, remember me!?" She stutters, jaw dropped, sounding exasperated.
"Obviously. You're cute." I giggle.
She starts laughing, her face an expression of pure joy.
"But thank-you, that means a lot." I say, looking up at Jonathan.
He smiles down at me, squeezing my hand.
"By the way, your teeth look awesome." I smile, patting her on the shoulder.
Her face evolves into a look of utter shock, before she realizes what's happening.
"Oh my God, thank-you so much." She blushes.
"Well, we'll let you two go. Merry Christmas, and thank-you again!" The blondie giggles.
Jonathan and I both nod and smile at them before they turn around, running off and squealing with each other in the opposite direction of us.
"How did you know the brunette?" Jonathan asks, looking over to me, puzzled.
"Pat and I ran into her once. She complimented you and I as a couple back then too. She reminds me so much of a younger version of myself." I shake my head, in awe.
"She's cute." Jonathan chuckles.
"Pat said the exact same thing." I giggle.
"Shall we continue?" He asks.
"Yes, we shall." I reply, strolling off with his hand in mine.
Jonathan and I continue walking down the street, and then we make it to the bridge.
Together, we walk right to the center of it, and then lean on the railing, looking over the Chicago River.
It's frozen, and smooth.
The two of us stand, side-by-side, hand-in-hand, simply looking out over the bridge.
I glance up at Trump Tower, and that building seems to go up for miles.
I can't believe that I have the pleasure of living in one of the top floors.
Somewhere up there, Abigail and Pat are cuddling up on the couch.
Or maybe they're doing something else.
Knowing Patrick, that's quite possible.
They truly are different people when they are around each other.
Suddenly, Jonathan's grip on my hand tightens.
I look over and up at him.
His face almost seems... troubled.
Before I can speak, he does.
"Ally, I've missed you so much, you have no idea." Jonathan shakes his head, wrapping his arms around my waist, tightly.
"Jonny, I've missed you too." I say, leaning into him.
"No, you don't understand. Ally, ever since you left, I haven't gotten my mind off of you, everyday has been a countdown until I get to see you again. And having Patrick and Abigail around all the time, acting like total lovebirds didn't help. But now that you're back, you have no idea how this feels." He shakes his head, jaw clenched as he looks out onto the Chicago River.
It's frozen, of course.
My lower lip starts to tremble, as I comprehend what he's saying to me.
I mentally reminisce through my summer memories with Jonathan.
The endless sunsets over skylines, stars over lakes, the nights when he made me his own, waking up in his arms, laughing with pure joy, Lord Stanley being the upmost respected guest and hanging out with us all summer, fireworks, watching him laugh from the passenger seat of his car, thinking that I've never been more in love with anyone, dinner dates...
Everything.
It was the best summer of my life.
And the truth is, I've missed him too.
Beyond immensely.
I'm so hollow without him.
I'm not myself, I'm only me when I'm with him.
I'm only content when he's around.
I feel tears brimming at the corners of my eyes.
I turn to him, and reach out my right hand so it rests against his jawline.
He turns as well, so that now we are facing each other.
He looks back into me.
"Ally, you've touched my heart, you've touched my soul, and you've changed my life and all my goals. And love is blind and that I knew when my heart was blinded by you. I've kissed your lips and held your hand, shared your dreams and shared your bed. I know you well, I know the scent of your perfume, and I've been addicted to you. I've seen you cry, and I've seen you smile, I've watched you sleeping for a while. Ally, Christ, I'd be the father of your child. I'd spend a lifetime with you. I know your fears and you know mine, and we've had our doubts but now we're fine. And I love you, I swear that's true." Jonathan finishes, his eyes glossy and so utterly full of emotions.
His face is pained.
A million of emotions, all jumbled up and trapped in his brown eyes.
The ones I fell in love with, what seems like forever ago.
I shake my head, a tear rolling down my cheek, of both joy and simply utter shock.
The fact that someone could care for me this way, feel this way about me, love me like this, is surreal.
He takes his thumb, and gently rubs away my tear from my cheek.
I breathe deeply, and fall into his chest, feeling his heartbeat, even through his black jacket.
He wraps his arms around me, and starts stroking my hair gently, running his fingers through it.
I'm speechless.
I can't even think.
All I know is that I'm crying into the chest of my warrior.
My hero.
My Jonathan.
My Jonny.
And right then, he speaks, in a hushed, quiet tone.
He's crying.
Jonathan is crying, a sight that I rarely see.
Not hard; just a few little tears roll down his cheeks.
He shakes his head before speaking.
"Ally Summers, I can't live without you."