{Jonathan}
I make my way through the familiar, open, large lobby of Trump Tower.
A few of the workers at the front desk greet me, smiling and nodding as I walk past them.
I still remember most of their faces.
I lived here for a long time, and despite the fact that I don't live in this building anymore, I'm still over at the apartment enough for them to recognize me anyways.
I smile back, and make my way through the lobby towards the elevators.
I get into an elevator, and I press floor eighty-four.
The elevator begins ascending quickly, and I lean against the back wall, looking down at the gift bag in my hands.
It's Saturday, July 22, about 2:00 in the afternoon.
Today, is the baby shower for Patrick and Abigail's twins that should be here in just under two months.
Abby and Patrick went to Buffalo for a couple weeks, but they have now made their way back to The Windy City, and I believe they aren't planning on doing any more traveling until after Abby gives birth to the twins.
I haven't seen Kaner for a couple weeks, and it's going to be awesome to see that little shit again.
The gift bag I am carrying is bright red, with black tissue paper (Hawks colors, of course), and inside of it are a few Blackhawks-themed baby items.
Some of these items include Hawks soothers, Hawks onesies, and of course, two tiny Toews jerseys.
I had to get stuff that is unisex, because only Abby's doctor knows the gender of the twins.
However, we do know that they are fraternal twins, and not identical, we just don't know if they are boys or girls, or one of each.
I got in so much shit for buying two of my own jerseys, even though it was in the 1-2 month old section.
It's going to piss Kaner off so much, that it's going to be hilarious.
I know both Abby and Patrick's families have come down for the baby shower, the Sharp's, Chaunette and Andrew, and the Keith's, are all coming today.
Other than that, I'm not sure if too many other guys from the team are coming, as a lot of them are away in their hometowns for summer break.
The elevator doors slide open on floor eighty-four, and smiling, I make my way down the hallway to the apartment.
I knock on the door, and I can hear a few busy voices coming from the inside already.
Right then, the door swings open, and standing in front of me, is a very-pregnant, Abby Kane.
She has her hair down, and pulled to one side.
She's wearing a strapless black dress that falls all the way to her ankles.
"Hey Jonny!" She smiles, moving aside for me to come in.
"Hey Abigail, wow it seems like it's been forever since I last saw you!" I laugh, as she closes the door behind me.
She holds her arms out, and I hug her quickly.
"I know, it's been a while!" She laughs, as we part from our hug.
"You look great, I never would have guessed that you're seven months pregnant." I joke, laughing.
"Yeah, okay." She rolls her eyes, playfully.
I laugh, and the two of us head further into the apartment, where everyone else is.
People are spread out all across the main floor of the apartment.
The apartment is completely decorated in balloons that are all different colors, and there are cupcakes, fruit trays, and a bunch of other snacks laid out around the apartment.
I notice Kaner's sisters in the TV room talking with the Sharp family, and Abigail's brother, Chris and her parents are in the kitchen talking with Patrick.
Busy people rush all around, and I smile, as I watch everyone.
Right then, someone bumps into me, and they fall backwards slightly from the impact.
"Sorry!" We both say in unison, as I look down to see who I have run into.
Looking back up at me, is a face that I know all too well.
Natalie.
It's been... God, I can't even remember how long it's been since I last saw her.
Too long.
And it's been even longer since I've actually said a word to her.
"Hey Jonny," She says, quietly.
"Hey Nat." I say, looking down at her.
Absentmindedly, I open my arms, and she moves into them.
I hug her for a few moments, and then we part.
She bites her lip, looking around awkwardly.
"I should be going, I'm helping Abby with-" She starts, but I cut her off.
"You don't have to run off so fast, you know. We should catch up, I haven't seen you in a long time." I say, smiling down at her.
She bites her lip, keeping her eyes down at her feet.
"Okay." She says, nodding.
"It's nice to see you again." She smiles, looking up at me.
Her facial features are all too familiar.
Being away from her for so long has only made me realize how much I've missed her.
"You too, Nat." I say, smiling.
"What'd you get the twins?" Natalie asks, looking down at the gift bag in my hand.
"Just some Hawks stuff." I shrug, setting the gift down by all the other gifts on the table.
"Cute." Natalie laughs, running a hand through her dark hair.
She's wearing a grey v-neck with a pair of capris leggings.
Her dark hair is naturally straight, and down.
"How has work been for you?" I ask, as Natalie and I take a seat at the bar stools at the counter.
"It's been pretty good, thanks. How's the offseason been treating you?" She asks, smiling over at me.
"It's been great." I admit, nodding.
Natalie and I continue small talking for about twenty more minutes, before we head our separate ways.
I'll admit, even talking to her after so long felt amazing. It wasn't nearly as awkward as I had initially thought it would be.
After Nat and I talk, I head off to talk to some of the guys, and she runs off to talk to Chaunette, Abby, and the Kane girls.
"Jonathan, it's so nice to see you, sweetie!" I hear a voice from behind me say.
I spin around, and see Donna walking towards me.
"Oh hey Donna! It's nice to see you too!" I smile, bending down to hug her.
"My second son." Donna jokes, as we part.
"Certainly seems like it." I say, smiling.
Donna and I talk for a while longer, before I head off into the crowd once again.
I find myself sitting on the TV room couch, with Erica on my left and Jessica on my right.
Natalie sits on the carpet, just in front of me.
She leans back against my shins, with her legs crossed in front of her.
Not a bad place to be in, if you ask me.
Don't tell Kaner I said that about his sisters, or he'll literally kick my ass.
The Kane girls, Chaunette, Shawzy, Natalie, Chris Quinn, Sharpie, Abby Sharp, their girls, and I all hang out in the TV room, chatting and talking about our summers so far.
Everyone else is either in the kitchen, or at the dining room table.
The baby shower has been on for about two hours, and everyone is really enjoying themselves.
"So I'm not going to be surprised if the Kane babies pop out with playoff mullets and are born with sick hands." Sharpie announces, running a hand through his dark hair.
We all laugh, and I take a sip of my beer.
"I still can't believe we're going to have little Kaner's running around everywhere." I laugh, shaking my head.
"It's crazy." Jessica nods, from beside me.
"I always wonder whether they are going to be boys or girls." Jackie says, quietly.
"Or both." I add, raising my eyebrows.
"True." Jackie says, nodding.
"They're going to be beautiful. I can't wait." Chaunette sighs, happily.
We all nod, in agreement.
Right then, Abby's mom walks over to the TV room, and makes an announcement.
"Alright, we're going to open baby gifts now." Angela announces, smiling.
"Sick!" Shawzy laughs, as we all get up and make our way over to the dining room table where all the gifts are.
As our whole group gets up to head over to the dining room table, a photograph sitting in a picture frame catches my eye.
It's sitting on the small coffee table by the couch, and it's simple but beautiful.
It's Ally, Patrick, and I all in the same photograph after the Hawks won the Cup in 2014.
The original crew.
It's on the ice, and I don't even remember taking that picture because my adrenalin was pumping so hard after the win.
Nonetheless, it catches my eye, and I smile as I walk past it.
We all make our way to the glass dining room table, where Patrick and Abigail sit on one side of the table, and everyone else crowds around.
I sit down on the other side, and Sadie Sharp crawls up into my lap where she sits.
"Hello Miss. Sadie." I say, pulling her up to sit in my lap.
She giggles, snuggling in closer to me.
We start off with Chaunette and Shawzy's gift, and then we just go around the table from there.
Everyone has given such generous gifts, and Abby and Patrick are really enjoying themselves as they open them.
Finally, Patrick reaches for the Blackhawks colored bag, which is mine.
"Let me guess, Jonny boy's?" He asks, looking across the table at me.
I shrug, laughing.
"Of course." He laughs, as he takes the tissue paper out and reaches his hand into the bag.
He pulls out the Hawks soothers first.
"Oh my God, how cute are those!?" Abby says, her jaw dropped.
Pat passes her the small plastic box with two Hawks soothers in them, and she looks at me from across the table, one hand resting on her baby bump.
"This is adorable, Jonathan!" She laughs, running a hand through her hair.
I smile, looking down at Sadie in my lap.
Pat then pulls out the two Toews jerseys.
Everyone laughs, and the apartment fills with noise as people make their comments about the gift.
"Are you serious..." Pat says, his blue eyes flickering over to meet mine.
I wink, biting my lip.
"Awe, Jonathan this is so cute!" Abby giggles, as she holds up the tiny Toews jersey in her hands.
"My kids are not wearing that." Patrick laughs, crossing his arms over his chest.
"They're just going to have to learn that their Uncle Jonny is a better player than Daddy Patrick." I shrug, smirking.
"We're burning that." Patrick jokes, setting the petite jerseys on the table.
"They need to get the ones with the name of Patrick on them." Kaner laughs, rolling his eyes playfully.
"Yeah, you mean Patrick Sharp, right?" Sharpie jokes, his arm draped loosely around Abby Sharp's shoulder.
Everyone laughs, as Kaner puts my gifts back in the bag and sets it off to the side.
"I think that was an adorable gift, well done, Jonathan." Angela laughs, putting her hand on my shoulder.
"Thank-you!" I say, smiling up at her.
After about half an hour, all the gifts have been opened, and Abby and Patrick walk around, hugging and thanking everyone for such generous and thoughtful gifts.
We all hang out at the dining room table for a while afterward, before people begin to head their separate ways again, and the apartment soon fills with busy chatter coming from multiple conversations, once again.
Natalie and I talk for a little while, and after that, I sit on the bar stool at the counter, by myself, smiling and watching the people around me.
I'm so blessed to know such great people.
Right then, the little blonde-haired-blue-eyed hockey player who I see as my own brother, comes and sits next to me.
"Hey man." Kaner says, grabbing a bundle of grapes from the fruit tray on the counter, and popping them into his mouth.
"Hey bud." I say, smiling over at him.
"Pretty sick party, huh?" Patrick jokes, smirking.
"A little different than the parties we've attended in our past, but yes, pretty sick." I laugh, running a hand through my hair.
"It sucks how I have to find a way to not party so much with the arrival of the twins in a couple months." Patrick laughs, running a hand through his curls.
"You'll find a way, don't worry." I mutter, smiling.
"Thanks man." Patrick laughs, fist bumping me.
"Seeing all these people here, and all the baby gifts, and Abigail so pregnant, I think it's finally hit me that you're going to a dad pretty soon." I laugh, nodding.
Patrick laughs, shrugging.
And despite the fact that he's going to have two children of his own fairly soon, I still see him as a child.
I still see him as Little Kaner.
"I don't think it will hit me until I actually see the twins, to be honest." Patrick laughs, his gaze staring out at something across the room.
I laugh, hitting him on the shoulder lightly.
"You're going to a great dad. You have nothing to worry about." I say, smiling.
"Thanks Jonny." He says, smiling down at the ground.
"I just never would have expected any of this. I never would have seen any of this coming, you know?" I ask, shaking my head.
"What do you mean?" Pat asks.
"Well, I knew that at one point there would come a day when you and I would be married and having kids and all that. I just never imagined it would come so soon. I don't know, it's hard to describe. Life, I guess... it's just all so unexpected and so out of my control." I shrug, shaking my head.
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Patrick says quietly, his eyes locked on something in the distance.
I follow his gaze, and he's watching Abigail carefully, as she laughs with Chaunette at the dining room table.
His eyes are fervent and a small smile rests on his face.
"But I think that's the key to life, you know?" Pat asks, his voice slightly distant.
"What is?" I ask, looking over at him.
He looks back at me, his blue eyes possessing the kind of passion he only receives from looking at Abigail, before speaking again.
"Accepting the fact that you're not always in control of everything."